THIRD QUARTER
— The Heat have scored 29 points in each of the first two quarters, and if they want to get back in the game they are going to have to get some stops.
— With much of the crowd still at the concession stands, apparently, we start the third.
— Both teams have been trading baskets for the first 3 minutes.
— James doesn’t seem to have found his touch yet with only 12 thus far and seems to be hesitating with his jumper.
— Wade goes down hard on a foul by Anthony Morrow but gets up after a minute to hit both of his free-throws. The Heat bench seemed worried on this one.
— The Nets‘ turnovers are killing them in this quarter. Seems like they turn it over every other possession.
— Looks like much of the home crowd has given up on booing James by now as only a few boos echo throughout the building.
— I’m definitely feeling Favors’ aggression. Lopez and Favors on the frontcourt can turn out to be a nice look for this team.
— Zab Judah was just shown in the arena’s scoreboard and, for some reason, the Nets’s fans don’t seem too happy to see him.
— The Heat aren’t really playing that well. The Nets just seem to be having a hard time scoring. The are Heat on top 83-60 with under a minute to go.
— I like the intensity on the frontcourt by the Nets, but unfortunately the backcourt isn’t doing a good job keeping guys away from the paint.
— James winds the clock down for the final possession and here come the boos.
— I think boring is the best way to sum up the third.
FOURTH QUARTER
— The Heat are up by 24, so let’s try to make this interesting…
— It’s a bit of an unfair sample, but we’re beginning to see why some worried that the Nets would look just as bad live as they are on paper. Sure, the Heat are painfully thin on talent outside of its starting three, but the Nets boast just one All-Star in Lopez.
— It won’t be long before Avery Johnson’s inflated career coaching record drops into the sub-.500 range. He could probably help this team on the court, actually.
— Eddie House’s confidence is greater than any bench player on the court… probably greater than any player on the Nets. Not that it’s a bad thing. You need that confidence to come in and jack threes the way he does.
— The Charlie Brown Halloween clips on the scoreboard brighten the mood. Can’t even imagine holidays like Halloween and Christmas without Charlie Brown. Can’t imagine American culture without Peanuts, for that matter!
— Is that Stephen or Joey Graham?
— And now, the mood definitely feels like we’re back at the IZOD Center, though the Prudential Center isn’t nearly as cavernous.
— Favors continues to hit the offensive glass. He’s interesting because he seems disinterested and non-energetic, but when the ball is in play, he’s everywhere. Everything people say about his (lack of) polish is true, but know he’s an All-Star in the making if he stays healthy and motivated on the court. DeMarcus Cousins won’t be talking for a while, believe me.
— James Jones, Joel Anthony, Carlos Arroyo, Eddie House and Udonis Haslem aren’t garbage-time players, they’re the Heat’s next-best talent outside of the Big Three. Ughhh…
— There’s no way the Heat win the title with their lack of depth and, more importantly, killer instinct. Champs bring it against every opponent, and the Heat mailed it in today. I’d be surprised if they beat a healthy Celtics in a best of 7.
— With 3 minutes remaining, Mario Chalmers, Jerry Stackhouse and Jamaal Magloire all check in for the first time. Boy, times have changed.
— And the game finishes 101-78 with the lasting image of Eddie House hitting a deep deuce and taunting the crowd. That’s the Heat in a nutshell. They’ll have plenty of these nights, and the Nets will have plenty of these nights as well.
— Despite this shellacking, by the time the Nets hit the BK, I think they’ll be hitting the Playoffs as well. Give this team two years, folks, and they’re be relevant.
