New Jersey 100, Miami 88 (Nets lead series, 1-0)
Miami should take this loss seriously – very seriously. The Nets exposed the Heat throughout the entire first half en route to a 64-46 halftime lead. Miami shot the ball horribly (39%) and didn’t pass the ball very well (11 assists on 27 made baskets), while the Nets shot (49%) and passed (20 assists on 34 made baskets) very well. New Jersey has one of the best – if not the best – collections of talent at the PG, SG and SF positions in Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. If the Heat can’t keep Carter and Jefferson in front of them defensively, this is going to be a rough series for Miami. The Nets don’t have the talent up front to get past Detroit (assuming they beat the Cavs), but they can certainly knock off the Heat if Shaquille O’Neal continues to get into foul trouble. Dwayne Wade can’t do it all on his own.
Phoenix 130, LA Clippers 123 (Suns lead series, 1-0)
This one was as fun to watch as the score would indicate. Phoenix jumped out to an 11 point lead in the first quarter, but the Clippers battled back once Elton Brand got it going inside. The All-Star ended up with 40 points on a phenomenal 18 for 22 (82%) shooting, but a critical two minute stretch in the fourth quarter cost the Clippers the game. With Los Angeles down, 103-101, with 7:15 to play, Brand picked up his second foul and came out of the game. Over the next 101 seconds, the Suns went on a 9-2 run, giving them a nine point lead from which the Clippers would never recover. This series will come down to the Clippers’ ability to defend the perimeter, while the Suns have to find a way to slow down Brand and Chris Kaman inside. The Suns have to feel good about getting the win after allowing the Clippers to shoot 59% from the field. The Clippers can run when it’s there, but they need to limit the number of jump shots that they take on the break, because the misses just lead to easy points for the Suns. In short, they need to play efficient basketball and pound the ball inside whenever possible.
