LeBron James and Dwyane Wade got anything they wanted in the paint, taking the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals in South Beach.
The Miami Heat didn't have any trouble dispatching the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, finishing with a strong second half to grab a win at home, 107-86.
Miami came out of the gates hot, going on a surprising second quarter run with LeBron James sitting on the bench. But Joe Johnson turned it on late, and the Nets dominated the final five minutes of play to go into the half down just three points, 46-43.
The Heat came out strong defensively in the second half, forcing the issue in the paint and killing the Nets down low. James and Dwyane Wade got whatever they wanted on Andray Blatche and Mason Plumlee, cutting down the lane with and without the ball for easy buckets.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, Miami had locked up a commanding double-digit lead over the Nets. Head coach Jason Kidd decided not to play Joe Johnson, Deron Williams or Paul Pierce in the fourth quarter.
Miami was led by LeBron James, who scored 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists. Chris Bosh grabbed a double-double totaling 15 points and 11 rebounds, adding three assists. Dwyane Wade scored 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting, with five assists, four rebounds and two blocks. Ray Allen scored 19 points off the bench.
For Brooklyn, Joe Johnson led the way with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, with four rebounds and two assists. Deron Williams scored 17 points, adding three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Paul Pierce scored just eight points. Marcus Thornton added 11 points off the bench.
Game 2 is at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 8 in Miami and will air on ESPN 2.