National Basketball Association
Miami 108, Brooklyn 99
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, February 10, 2017
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Officials:
#39 Tyler Ford, #49 Tom Washington, #59 Gary Zielinski
Attendance:
15382
By The Sports Xchange
NEW YORK -- James Johnson was so effective on both ends for the Miami Heat that he drew comparisons to another guy named James who played for the team.
Johnson scored a season-high 26 points and the Heat extended their winning streak to 13 games with a 108-99 comeback victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Johnson came within one his career high set Feb. 27, 2015 with the Toronto Raptors. He also established a new career high for points set in a season, eclipsing the 566 recorded in 2011-12 for the Chicago Bulls.
Johnson's showcase of versatility on both ends earned him extensive praise from teammates, notably Goran Dragic, who invoked LeBron James in his comments.
"I don't know if you have another guy in the league -- maybe LeBron and him -- who can play from position one to five and JJ, he's such a good player," Dragic said. He can handle the ball, he can get into an offense. He's a great passer, a great finisher.
"Most of the time he was guarding Brook Lopez. It's nice to have this kind of player on our team.
The forward made 11 of 17 shots to match a career-high for field goals set Dec. 1 at Utah. He scored 17 points in the final 19:24 when the Heat outscored the Nets 50-32.
"I appreciate him for saying such a great thing like that," Johnson said of Dragic's comment.
So did the rest of the Heat, who established the third-longest winning streak in team history.
"He's been making great contributions all year long," Miami coach Erik Spolestra said. "He fills in so many gaps off the bench for us with the energy, the toughness and we play him literally one through five defensively but offensively you see his versatility. He's in the best shape of his career. He's just been absolute pure about contributing to a team."
Johnson scored seven points in the third when Miami turned a 67-56 deficit into a 74-72 lead entering the fourth. In the final 12 minutes, he hit four jumpers, including a 19-footer that staked the Heat to a 100-93 lead with 2:15 left.
Johnson's big night was hardly the only standout for Miami keeping its run going four weeks after its last defeat. Dragic added 21 points, Tyler Johnson contributed 18 while Rodney McGruder chipped in 11.
The Heat beat the Nets for the third time during this streak and each instance they overcame a double-digit deficit. On Jan. 25, the streak reached five games when Miami scored 37 points in the fourth quarter to overcome an 18-point hole and five days later the Heat rallied from an 11-point deficit at home.
"Coach didn't need to do too much talking," James Johnson said. "I think we came in and we already knew what we had to get done. We talk amongst ourselves a lot and we look each other in the eye when we talk to each other."
The Nets extended two lengthy losing streaks despite Brook Lopez's fifth game with 30 points this season. Lopez scored 30 points but his big night was not enough as Brooklyn dropped a season-high 12th straight game and 14th straight at home since Dec. 26.
"I think we're out there, we're together and we definitely believe we can do that," Lopez said. "I don't think we think it's sort or Groundhog Day or anything like that. We're out there just focused on the moment and on the game."
The Nets shot 55.6 percent in the fourth but negated it by committing seven of their 22 turnovers. At one point, the Nets committed turnovers on three straight possessions in a span of 44 seconds.
Those miscues allowed the Heat to go from being up 85-84 to taking a 91-84 lead with 5:41 remaining.
"You felt it," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said after watching his team commit at least 20 turnovers for the ninth time. "They made every catch tough."
NOTES: Miami G Dion Waiters (sprained left ankle) missed his second straight game. Waiters did not participate in the morning shoot-around and coach Erik Spoelstra said he does not know if Waiters will play Saturday in Philadelphia. .... Friday marked the fifth anniversary of G Jeremy Lin's 38-point game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson was an assistant with the Knicks under Mike D'Antoni at the time. "My memories of Linsanity are special," Atkinson said. "It was a special time, a special time for him. It's a great story, a guy that was clawing to make it in this league." ... Lin (strained left hamstring) missed his 24th straight game and Atkinson was unsure when he would resume practicing. ... Brooklyn F Quincy Acy (sprained left ankle) missed his third straight game.
Top Game Performances
Miami |
|
Brooklyn |
James Johnson 26 |
Scoring |
Brook Lopez 30 |
Goran Dragic 5 |
Assists |
Spencer Dinwiddie 8 |
Hassan Whiteside 9 |
Rebounds |
Trevor Booker 10 |
Tyler Johnson 6 |
Free Throws Made |
Brook Lopez 9 |
Rodney McGruder 4 |
Steals |
Spencer Dinwiddie 2 |
Hassan Whiteside 4 |
Blocks |
Justin Hamilton 4 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Miami
|
108 |
44.6 |
7-23 |
19-21 |
16 |
46 |
7 |
11 |
14 |
Brooklyn
|
99 |
43.2 |
8-20 |
21-28 |
19 |
48 |
6 |
4 |
22 |
Upcoming Games
-
Brooklyn will play their next game at home against Memphis. The Nets have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .200 after a loss.
-
Miami will play their next game on the road against Philadelphia. The Heat have a W/L % of .652 after a win and .290 after a loss.