Miami 111, New Jersey 89 (series tied, 1-1)
I wonder what the win % is for a home team in Game 2 of a seven-game series, after losing Game 1. I’d suspect it’s pretty high. The road team goes into the game feeling like they’ve already stolen home court advantage while the home team – usually the favorite in the series – puts forth supreme effort in order to avoid leaving home down 0-2. Such was the case with the Heat, who continue to look awful one game and terrific the next. Miami jumped out to a 41-19 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Dwayne Wade led the way for Miami with 31 points (on 12-19 shooting), six assists and five rebounds. Shaquille O’Neal stayed out of foul trouble and was able to post 21 points and six boards in just 29 minutes. Once the game got out of hand, Nets coach Lawrence Frank should have pulled Richard Jefferson, who was questionable for Game 2 with a bruised ankle. Why Frank played him 36 minutes, I do not know.
L.A. Clippers 122, Phoenix 97 (series tied, 1-1)
This is what the Lakers wanted to do, only they didn’t have the personnel to do it. Are Elton Brand and Chris Kaman an upgrade over Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown? You bet. The Clippers’ inside duo dominated the Suns to the tune of a combined 41 points and 26 boards, including 10 offensive rebounds. In fact, here’s a shocking stat: Clippers as a team had 19 offensive rebounds, which was only two fewer than the Suns’ defensive rebound total. Phoenix should be worried – L.A. ate them up inside, and that’s not an easy thing to fix. The Clippers have the advantage in the series, and if they focus on rebounding and taking good shots, they’ll advance.
