Two teams down, two more to go—the 2014 NBA playoffs continued Wednesday with a couple defending champions moving on to the conference finals.
The 2013 title-winning Miami Heat took care of business late against the resilient Brooklyn Nets. The San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, thoroughly controlled the Portland Trail Blazers in a series-winning effort.
Let’s now recap this latest hit-or-miss action on the postseason hardwood.
Miami 96, Brooklyn 94
It seems the defending champions saved their killer instinct for just the right time.
The Heat executed a late rally against the Nets in Game 5, winning 96-94 and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.
Coming up huge on both ends, Ray Allen drilled a three-pointer, hit two free throws and helped generate a steal of Joe Johnson on Brooklyn’s final possession.
But it was the scoring prowess of Johnson that kept the veteran underdogs within reach and in the lead for much of this game.
Teammate Paul Pierce provided the initial push for Brooklyn with nine points in the first quarter. Deron Williams added a couple layups and Johnson’s make gave the Nets a brief lead near the end of the frame.
However, the opening quarter belonged to Dwyane Wade.
He went 4-of-7 from the field and dropped in four from the charity stripe. His 12 points, plus seven from LeBron James and two free throws from Allen with zero seconds on the clock fostered Miami’s 23-22 lead after one.
Just as the first went by way of the home team, the second quarter went in favor of the Nets.
Three different Brooklyn players contributed a six-spot on the scoreboard. Usual three-point specialist Mirza Teletovic hit four free throws and a layup, Williams knocked down two from distance and Johnson scored the last four in the quarter.
Another eight points from Wade was the lone bright spot on an otherwise poor offensive output from the Heat. Their seven-point, 49-42 deficit was the largest of the first half.
Chris Bosh finally made his presence felt as the second half got underway.
The third leg of the Big 3 drained two from downtown and totaled eight points. Six each from Wade and James—who ended a 21-minute scoring drought with a layup at the 3:24 mark—accounted for the slightly improved effort on the offensive end.
Yet it was the Johnson and Williams show that maintained the nine-point cushion for Brooklyn.
The duo hit three from distance and combined for 19 of the Nets 26 points. They led 75-66—their largest of the night—at the end of three.
That considerable advantage on the road lasted for much of the fourth quarter.
Brooklyn withstood and answered three different comeback runs by Miami. Five points from Pierce, Livingston’s jumper and another nine from the nearly indefensible Johnson made it 91-83 with 4:48 left.
Unfortunately, much like Game 4, another 4:37 would transpire before the Nets could put anything up on the scoreboard.
And that’s when the defending champs smelled blood in the water. James drilled a 25-footer, blocked Johnson’s subsequent jumper and hit two from the line over the next 3:36. Miami was just one point back at 91-90 with 1:12 remaining.
Then, following a rare Johnson miss, Mario Chalmers grabbed the rebound, drove it up the court and dished it to Allen on the wing. One of the all-time greats from downtown then made his only three of the night, putting the Heat ahead 93-91—their first lead since 2:51 in the second.
Johnson’s three with 11 seconds remaining went to no avail, as James hit a free throw and helped Allen bury the Nets with a last-second takeaway.
Brooklyn’s star shooting guard finished with a game-high 34 PTS. Pierce went for 19 and Williams posted 17 PTS, 4 REB and 4 AST. None of their teammates scored in double figures.
The Nets outshot the Heat from the floor (47.4 to 44.3 percent) and outscored them in the paint 42-28 in a losing effort.
James once again powered the home squad with 29 PTS, 9 REB and 5 AST. He overcame his five turnovers by hitting a terrific 15-of-17 from the line. Wade’s 28 PTS were just as pivotal, while Bosh’s 16 and Allen’s 13 further added to the winning result.
The Heat committed just 10 total turnovers and nailed an unconscious and surely game-changing 29-of-31 free throws.
The 2013 NBA champions will await the winner of the Pacers-Wizards series to defend their title in the Eastern finals.
San Antonio 104, Portland 82
There are winning efforts in the final minute and then there’s total domination for 36.
The Spurs crushed the Blazers in Game 5 on Wednesday night, prevailing 104-82 and moving on to the Western Conference finals.
Per usual, the Gregg Popovich-coached bunch executed to hardwood perfection for the majority of the game.
After what now seems as an impossible 19-19 tie at the end of one, San Antonio went to work for the remaining three quarters.
A trio of three-pointers by the ever-versatile Kawhi Leonard and a Manu Ginobili jumper facilitated a 47-32 lead at the 3:45 mark. Seven points from a lights-out Danny Green also helped create the second-quarter cushion.
But credit the Blazers for making a legitimate (albeit final) run before the end of the first half.
Dominant big man LaMarcus Aldridge dropped in six points and Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews drained one each from distance. Center Robin Lopez missed a 19-footer, but Portland was down just 51-44.
Sadly, that’s where any semblance of a compelling matchup ended and where the mind-numbing route began.
Aside from a Damian Lillard 18-footer, the Spurs scored the next 13 points. Tim Duncan knocked down two jumpers and hit a free throw during the four-minute stretch.
The men rocking the black home jerseys never looked back.
Three different Spurs followed Duncan’s lead. Australian point man Patty Mills led with six points and Leonard added two thunderous dunks after generating his own takeaway each time.
The Blazers failed to cross the 20-point threshold once again and trailed by 14 entering the fourth quarter.
San Antonio’s sweet-shooting duo of Green and Mills then finished what they had started. They knocked down three from downtown and combined for 13 points by the 5:24 mark. The Aussie’s 24-footer from Marco Belinelli encapsulated the lopsided evening, as the Association’s best went up 100-74.
Lopez, Lillard and Matthews added some garbage-time points before officially dropping out of their impressive 2013-2014 playoff run.
Aldridge paced the Blazers with 21 PTS and 10 REB. Lillard went for 17 PTS and 10 AST, while Batum completed his team’s third double-double with 10 PTS and 12 REB.
Portland hit just 5-of-19 three-pointers (26.3 percent) and committed a devastating 18 turnovers.
Leonard and Green, meanwhile, totaled 44 PTS and 16 REB, shooting a phenomenal 7-of-10 from distance. Duncan added 16 and 8 to Mills’ aforementioned third-leading scoring total.
The Spurs overcame the loss of floor-general Tony Parker in the first half, doing so to the tune of a 33-to-6 advantage on fast-break points. They also produced an unheard-of eight turnovers team-wide.
Last year’s Western champs must now await the winner of the Thunder-Clippers series to defend their conference title.
Follow me on Twitter @jlevitt16