The Brooklyn Nets have not lost their confidence against the Miami Heat despite losing the first game of their playoff series. The Nets were the only team to sweep the Heat in the regular season, winning all four games against the defending champs. They held their own against the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference until midway through the third quarter where they fell apart. Can the Nets regain form and even the series?
The Nets were no issue for the Heat in Game 1. The team shot 57 percent overall, pulling away in the second half of the game. LeBron James led the way getting 22 points and pushing the 61 points scored in the second half alone. The team appeared balanced scoring from all ends of the court as Brooklyn failed to do much of anything on defense to stop them.
Brooklyn needs short-term memory if they are going to bounce back. The team was playing after just less than two days of rest while the Heat were coming off eight days of relaxation. In games after a 15-point or more loss, Brooklyn is 12-4. Of course this is the playoffs and that number might hard to live up to, but the Nets have shown the ability to forget quickly and could escape South Beach with one win under their belts.
The Nets have a checklist of adjustments to make. The team must keep James contained. Not allowing Dwyane Wade to get to the line will be critical. The Nets allowed five Miami players to reach double figures in scoring as their starting lineup barely put up anything. Joe Johnson and Deron Williams combined to go 14 of 21 while everyone else was 19 of 49. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were just 3-for-10 with eight points.
Brooklyn will be desperate to avoid an 0-2 hole. Many believe this is a must-win game despite being only the second game of the series. Heading back home without a win will put the Nets in serious jeopardy of getting swept.
