NEW YORK – – Kevin Durant’s shot looked good all the way, one that would give the Brooklyn Nets a lead of less than a minute.
After 1 1/2 months of misery without their superstar, the Nets could not ask for a better scenario than Durant to take the potential threesome on his return.
“I played for the Olympic team with KD, so many times many of his shots look like they’re coming in,” said Heat star Bam Adebayo. “He just missed it.”
After their season is over when Durant falls, the Nets will need them to start falling – and he believes they will.
“I felt great,” Durant said. “It will only get better, more comfortable there.”
He could not stop the Nets’ decline as Adebayo had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead Miami to a 113-107 victory on Thursday night.
Tyler Hero added 27 points for Eastern Conference leader Heath, who recovered from a heavy loss in Milwaukee the night before with an impressive victory, despite missing some of his best players.
Durant scored 31 points in his first game on January 15, and his return from a 21-game absence with a sprained ligament in his left knee inspired the Nets to advance by 16 points. But Miami tightened their defenses in the second half and held back the Nets’ late kick.
Durant made an attempt for 3 points from the moment, which would give the Nets the lead to come in and out with a remaining 57 seconds, and Heath scored in Adebayo in the subsequent possession for an advantage of 111-107 with 35 seconds to go.
The nets are 32-32. They were 5-16 without Durant, falling all the way from second place in the Eastern Conference to eighth. Only the Knicks (3-16) and the Rockets (3-15) were worse than January 16, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Brooklyn was still without Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons on Thursday, so even Durant was not enough against the leaders of the Eastern Conference. Bruce Brown scored 21 points for the Nets, who played their third straight game without coach Steve Nash, who was placed in health and safety records on Monday. Jacques Vaughan leads the team again.
Adebayo was 12 against 15 from the field, and Caleb Martin added 22 points for Miami. Max Strus was 21.
Heat was without Jimmy Butler (left toe), Kyle Lowry (for personal reasons) and PJ Tucker (left knee) on the second night back to back. They fell 120-119 in Milwaukee, a game they led by 14 points in the middle of the fourth quarter.
“We had bad taste in our mouths after losing last night,” Strus said. “I think we had to win this one too, so to come back tonight with the boys, the team we had was a special game and one we will remember until the end of the season.”
Durant missed 3 points in his first two shots, then made his last four of the first quarter with nine points and a 35-23 lead.
He still had those nine points with less than 2 1/2 minutes until the end of the half, then scored three points, knocked down a jumper and 3 points at eight points per minute when Brooklyn led 67-60 at halftime. .
Heath coach Eric Spoelstra turned to zone defense and Heath held the Nets to 17 points and a 6-for-28 shot in the third quarter, leading 88-84 in the fourth.
“We have been deceived by this area,” said Goran Dragic, Heath’s former guard, who made his first start for the Nets. “They played really well in the area. We lost the pace of the game. “
ADVICES
Heat: Miami shoots 51.9% of the field. … Duncan Robinson missed all three shots, but had seven assists.
Nets: The Nets said in a statement that Joe Harris will have new left ankle surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Harris, who has led the NBA in 3-point shooting rates in two of his last three seasons, has been trying to come back after an ankle surgery on Nov. 29. … Brooklyn is using its 36th different starting lineup, most in the NBA this season.
SIMONS STATUS
Simmons’ back began to work as he tried to build his condition after not playing for Philadelphia this season. General Manager Sean Marx said in an interview with the YES Network team that Simmons has been treating the injury for the past week and will then move on to individual work.
“Let’s hope that by the end of next week he’s getting more into the team environment, and then we can really step up and start getting him into some form of play and so on,” Marx said, adding that there was no schedule for Simmons. can play.
NEXT
Heat: Hosts Philadelphia on Saturday.
Nets: Visit Boston on Sunday.