Nets rally in 2nd half, top Heat 109-105 to add to Miami's miserable 1-4 start
MIAMI (AP) Armoni Brooks had practice on Tuesday, on Long Island, for Brooklyn's G League team. He was told to get on a flight to Miami a couple hours after that workout essentially because of roster depletion.
Good call.
Brooks scored 17 points off the bench in 16 minutes, Mikal Bridges led Brooklyn with 21 points and the Nets erased a 15-point second-half deficit to beat the Miami Heat 109-105 on Wednesday night.
“That's the best part of basketball, showing up with who you have and staying together as a team and pulling out a victory on the road against a really good team,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said.
The Nets outscored Miami 55-25 when Brooks was on the floor, 36-16 in his two second-half stints. He was 6 of 7 from the floor, 5 of 6 from 3-point range.
“Landed about 7 o'clock last night, went to shootaround and prepped ourselves to get ready to play,” Brooks said.
It was his first NBA game since April 2022, and it was Trendon Watford's Nets debut. He had 11 points and was a plus-19 in 14 minutes. Lonnie Walker IV added 17 for the Nets, Dorian Finney-Smith scored all 15 of his points in the second half for Brooklyn, and Cam Thomas scored 13.
Tyler Herro scored 30 points for Miami, which has dropped four straight to fall to 1-4 - its worst five-game start since opening 0-5 in the 2007-08 season.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves at this point of the year,” Herro said. "It’s still early, obviously. But at some point, this has to matter to us. We can’t keep losing games and think it’s OK.”
Bam Adebayo scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Miami, and Jimmy Butler scored 20 points for the Heat.
“We don't want to dig this hole too deep,” said Adebayo, now the Heat captain. “That's the concern.”
Brooklyn’s bench outscored Miami’s 50-26.
Miami nearly blew a 19-point lead in the season-opener against Detroit, winning that game by one and escaping when Cade Cunningham missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Against Boston on Friday, an early 13-point lead wasn’t close to enough in what became a 119-111 loss. And then against the Nets, Miami saw the 15-point second-half lead vanish relatively fast.
"We certainly have to sustain," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We have to find a way to sustain it more consistently, and better, and that's what we're focused on. ... We just have to be better at sustaining our game.”
Miami led by 16 in the first half and was up 75-60 with 4:30 left in the third quarter. The Nets outscored Miami 38-17 over the next 12 minutes.
The Heat fell to 6-3 when playing on Spoelstra’s birthday during his tenure as head coach. Miami had won its last five birthday games - the last loss coming at Brooklyn in 2013.
Miami used its fourth starting lineup in as many games, this time with Adebayo back in after missing Monday’s loss at Milwaukee and with Kevin Love sidelined by a bruised left shoulder. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. took Love’s spot in the lineup.
UP NEXT
Nets: Visit Chicago on Friday in an In-Season Tournament game.
Heat: Host Washington on Friday in an In-Season Tournament game.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 |  | Ben Simmons vs. Bam Adebayo (Kyle Lowry gains possession) | ||
| 11:42 | | Jimmy Butler misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 11:38 |  | Dorian Finney-Smith defensive rebound | ||
| 11:32 | | +2 | Ben Simmons makes two point hook shot (Dorian Finney-Smith assists) | 2-0 |
| 11:19 | | +2 | Bam Adebayo makes two point driving layup (Tyler Herro assists) | 2-2 |
| 11:12 | | Mikal Bridges misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:12 | | Jimmy Butler defensive rebound | ||
| 11:02 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:00 | | Ben Simmons defensive rebound | ||
| 10:56 | | Royce O'Neale turnover (traveling) | ||
| 10:41 | | Tyler Herro turnover (bad pass) (Royce O'Neale steals) | ||
| 10:34 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. shooting foul (Cam Thomas draws the foul) | ||
| 10:34 | | Cam Thomas misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 10:34 | | Nets offensive rebound | ||
| 10:34 | | +1 | Cam Thomas makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 3-2 |
| 10:12 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:07 | | Dorian Finney-Smith defensive rebound | ||
| 9:49 | | Cam Thomas misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:45 | | Jimmy Butler defensive rebound | ||
| 9:31 | | Jimmy Butler turnover (bad pass) (Royce O'Neale steals) | ||
| 9:26 | | +2 | Mikal Bridges makes two point running layup (Royce O'Neale assists) | 5-2 |
| 9:13 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:09 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. offensive rebound | ||
| 9:08 | | +3 | Tyler Herro makes three point pullup jump shot (Jaime Jaquez Jr. assists) | 5-5 |
| 8:46 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. blocks Cam Thomas's two point driving layup | ||
| 8:43 | | Bam Adebayo defensive rebound | ||
| 8:31 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:28 | | Jimmy Butler offensive rebound | ||
| 8:24 | | +2 | Jimmy Butler makes two point layup | 5-7 |
| 8:11 | | Royce O'Neale misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:08 | | Bam Adebayo defensive rebound | ||
| 8:02 | | Dorian Finney-Smith personal foul (Bam Adebayo draws the foul) | ||
| 7:54 | | +2 | Bam Adebayo makes two point cutting dunk (Tyler Herro assists) | 5-9 |
| 7:35 | | Ben Simmons turnover (bad pass) (Jaime Jaquez Jr. steals) | ||
| 7:31 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. misses two point floating jump shot | ||
| 7:29 | | Bam Adebayo offensive rebound | ||
| 7:29 | | +2 | Bam Adebayo makes two point tip dunk | 5-11 |
| 7:29 | | Nets 60 second timeout | ||
| 7:12 | | Mikal Bridges misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 7:09 | | Bam Adebayo defensive rebound | ||
| 7:04 | | Ben Simmons personal foul (Bam Adebayo draws the foul) | ||
| 6:51 | | Tyler Herro misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 6:49 | | Mikal Bridges defensive rebound | ||
| 6:43 | | Bam Adebayo blocks Mikal Bridges's two point driving layup | ||
| 6:43 | | Nets offensive rebound | ||
| 6:40 | | Dorian Finney-Smith turnover (lost ball) (Jaime Jaquez Jr. steals) | ||
| 6:34 | | Kyle Lowry turnover (bad pass) (Cam Thomas steals) | ||
| 6:29 | | +3 | Mikal Bridges makes three point jump shot (Ben Simmons assists) | 8-11 |
| 6:13 | | +2 | Jimmy Butler makes two point driving layup | 8-13 |
| 6:13 | | Mikal Bridges shooting foul (Jimmy Butler draws the foul) | ||
| 6:13 | | +1 | Jimmy Butler makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 8-14 |
| 5:59 | | Cam Thomas misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 5:57 | | Bam Adebayo defensive rebound | ||
| 5:46 | | Jaime Jaquez Jr. turnover (lost ball) (Cam Thomas steals) | ||
| 5:41 | | +2 | Lonnie Walker IV makes two point running layup (Ben Simmons assists) | 10-14 |
| 5:33 | | Ben Simmons shooting foul (Bam Adebayo draws the foul) | ||
| 5:33 | | +1 | Bam Adebayo makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 10-15 |
| 5:33 | | +1 | Bam Adebayo makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 10-16 |
| 5:18 | | +2 | Lonnie Walker IV makes two point stepback jump shot | 12-16 |
| 5:04 | | Cam Thomas blocks Josh Richardson's two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 5:00 | | Jimmy Butler offensive rebound | ||
| 4:59 | | +2 | Jimmy Butler makes two point putback layup | 12-18 |
| 4:46 | | +3 | Mikal Bridges makes three point jump shot (Dorian Finney-Smith assists) | 15-18 |
| 4:36 | | Lonnie Walker IV shooting foul (Jimmy Butler draws the foul) | ||
| 4:36 | | +1 | Jimmy Butler makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-19 |
| 4:36 | | +1 | Jimmy Butler makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-20 |
| 4:22 | | Mikal Bridges turnover (lost ball) (Haywood Highsmith steals) | ||
| 4:17 | | +2 | Bam Adebayo makes two point running dunk (Kyle Lowry assists) | 15-22 |
| 4:06 | | +2 | Trendon Watford makes two point driving layup | 17-22 |
| 3:49 | | +3 | Haywood Highsmith makes three point jump shot (Jimmy Butler assists) | 17-25 |
| 3:34 | | Lonnie Walker IV misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:32 | | Heat defensive rebound | ||
| 3:32 | | Heat 60 second timeout | ||
| 3:16 | | Royce O'Neale shooting foul (Jimmy Butler draws the foul) | ||
| 3:16 | | Jimmy Butler misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 3:16 | | Heat offensive rebound | ||
| 3:16 | | +1 | Jimmy Butler makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 17-26 |
| 2:59 | | +3 | Armoni Brooks makes three point jump shot (Lonnie Walker IV assists) | 20-26 |
| 2:31 | | Josh Richardson misses two point driving bank jump shot | ||
| 2:28 | | Day'Ron Sharpe defensive rebound | ||
| 2:26 | | +3 | Armoni Brooks makes three point jump shot (Trendon Watford assists) | 23-26 |
| 2:04 | | Duncan Robinson turnover (bad pass) (Lonnie Walker IV steals) | ||
| 2:02 | | Jimmy Butler shooting foul (Lonnie Walker IV draws the foul) | ||
| 2:02 | | +1 | Lonnie Walker IV makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-26 |
| 2:02 | | +1 | Lonnie Walker IV makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-26 |
| 1:49 | | +2 | Thomas Bryant makes two point jump shot (Duncan Robinson assists) | 25-28 |
| 1:37 | | Lonnie Walker IV misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 1:34 | | Josh Richardson defensive rebound | ||
| 1:29 | | Tyler Herro misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 1:24 | | Day'Ron Sharpe defensive rebound | ||
| 1:18 | | +2 | Armoni Brooks makes two point driving layup (Trendon Watford assists) | 27-28 |
| 0:52 | | Duncan Robinson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:49 | | Lonnie Walker IV defensive rebound | ||
| 0:41 | | Trendon Watford misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:39 | | Haywood Highsmith defensive rebound | ||
| 0:25 | | +3 | Tyler Herro makes three point pullup jump shot | 27-31 |
| 0:05 | | Tyler Herro shooting foul (Lonnie Walker IV draws the foul) | ||
| 0:05 | | Lonnie Walker IV misses regular free throw 1 of 3 | ||
| 0:05 | | Nets offensive rebound | ||
| 0:05 | | +1 | Lonnie Walker IV makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 28-31 |
| 0:05 | | +1 | Lonnie Walker IV makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 29-31 |
| 0:01 | | Ben Simmons shooting foul (Josh Richardson draws the foul) | ||
| 0:01 | | +1 | Josh Richardson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 29-32 |
| 0:01 | | Josh Richardson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 0:01 | | Ben Simmons defensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:49 | | Thomas Bryant personal foul (Ben Simmons draws the foul) | ||
| 11:38 | | Dorian Finney-Smith misses two point driving layup | ||
| 11:36 | | Mikal Bridges offensive rebound | ||
| 11:34 | | Mikal Bridges misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:30 | | Duncan Robinson defensive rebound | ||
| 11:23 | | +2 | Thomas Bryant makes two point alley-oop dunk (Duncan Robinson assists) | 29-34 |
| 11:10 | | Mikal Bridges misses two point driving layup | ||
| 11:07 | | Thomas Bryant defensive rebound | ||
| 11:03 | | Thomas Bryant offensive foul (Off the ball) (Mikal Bridges draws the foul) | ||
| 11:03 | | Thomas Bryant turnover (offensive foul) | ||
| 10:52 | | Cam Thomas misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 10:48 | | Haywood Highsmith defensive rebound | ||
| 10:37 | | +3 | Tyler Herro makes three point jump shot | 29-37 |
| 10:16 | | Dorian Finney-Smith misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:13 | | Duncan Robinson defensive rebound | ||
| 10:03 | | Duncan Robinson misses two point driving layup | ||
| 10:00 | | Royce O'Neale defensive rebound | ||
| 9:55 | | Cam Thomas turnover (lost ball) (Thomas Bryant steals) | ||
| 9:45 | | +2 | Tyler Herro makes two point driving floating jump shot (Haywood Highsmith assists) | 29-39 |
| 9:33 | | Duncan Robinson personal foul (Cam Thomas draws the foul) | ||
| 9:23 | | Royce O'Neale misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 9:20 | | Thomas Bryant defensive rebound | ||
| 9:00 | | Haywood Highsmith turnover (bad pass) (Mikal Bridges steals) | ||
| 8:56 | | Haywood Highsmith blocks Dorian Finney-Smith's two point cutting dunk | ||
| 8:55 | | Tyler Herro defensive rebound | ||
| 8:54 | | Heat 60 second timeout | ||
| 8:33 | | Thomas Bryant misses two point jump shot | ||
| 8:32 | | Heat offensive rebound | ||
| 8:31 | | Heat turnover (shot clock violation) | ||
| 8:15 | | Royce O'Neale misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 8:11 | | Tyler Herro defensive rebound | ||
| 8:08 | | Tyler Herro misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 8:04 | | Ben Simmons defensive rebound | ||
| 7:56 | | +3 | Cam Thomas makes three point jump shot (Mikal Bridges assists) | 32-39 |
| 7:43 | | Tyler Herro turnover (lost ball) (Cam Thomas steals) | ||
| 7:38 | | Cam Thomas misses two point jump shot | ||
| 7:35 | | Josh Richardson defensive rebound | ||
| 7:33 | | +2 | Tyler Herro makes two point running layup (Josh Richardson assists) | 32-41 |
| 7:21 | | +2 | Ben Simmons makes two point driving floating bank jump shot | 34-41 |
| 7:10 | | Josh Richardson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:09 | | Thomas Bryant offensive rebound | ||
| 7:07 | | Dorian Finney-Smith shooting foul (Thomas Bryant draws the foul) | ||
| 7:07 | | +1 | Thomas Bryant makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 34-42 |
| 7:07 | | +1 | Thomas Bryant makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 34-43 |