Nets topple reeling Heat

[November 21, 2018]  D'Angelo Russell scored 20 points as the Brooklyn Nets sent the Miami Heat to their fifth straight home loss with a 104-92 road win on Tuesday night.

It is Miami's worst home skid since 2014.

The Nets, who had lost four of their past five games, also got 13 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks from Jarrett Allen. Russell added nine rebounds and six assists and had eight of his points in the fourth quarter.

Spencer Dinwiddie led Brooklyn's bench with 16 points and a game-high seven assists.

Hassan Whiteside led Miami with 21 points, 23 rebounds -- both game highs -- and two blocks. Josh Richardson added 16 points, and Rodney McGruder scored 15 points.

But the Heat shot just 36.0 percent from the floor -- their worst marksmanship of the season.

Miami's Dwyane Wade, who missed seven games on an extended paternity leave, played his first game since Nov. 5 and provided five points, two rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes off the bench.

But the Heat played without starting point guard Goran Dragic for the second straight game. The Heat announced he will miss the next two games as well due to a knee injury.

In addition, top reserve guard Tyler Johnson missed the game after sustaining a hamstring injury during Monday's practice.

Miami got off to a slow start, missing its first eight shots and falling behind 8-0. The Heat shot just 21 percent in the quarter, and the Nets shot 27 percent. In the end, the Nets put up a few less bricks and led 20-13 after one.

Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (24) drives the ball around Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Among all the poor shooting -- especially in Miami's lowest-scoring quarter of the season -- Heat reserve forward Justise Winslow came out firing. He made his first four shots, including two three-pointers, as the Heat surged ahead by as many as seven points in the second quarter.

Miami went into intermission with a 42-39 lead -- the lowest scoring half of the season for either team.

The teams played to a standstill in the third quarter as Miami entered the fourth with a 77-74 lead.

However, the Heat scored just 15 points in the fourth quarter, going down to defeat yet again at home.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.