Miami Heat (33-29) beat Brooklyn Nets (15-46) 124-98 at home on Tuesday, March 3. The final margin was 26 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Heat struck first, taking the opening quarter 34-28 and a 6-point lead after one. The Heat kept the pressure on with a 35-26 second quarter, carrying a 15-point lead into halftime.
The Heat won the third 22-21 to create some separation, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth. The Heat took the fourth 33-23; the Heat finished the job for a 124-98 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Heat got more from their shots, finishing at 56.6% effective field-goal shooting compared with 41.9% for the Nets. The Heat took better care of the ball, turning it over on 12.1% of possessions compared with 16.8% for the Nets. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Nets did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 30.2 against 23.1. The Heat made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Heat produced 119.9 points per 100 possessions to 94.8 for the Nets.
The Nets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 54-35.
Who stood out
Bam Adebayo was the game's biggest individual force for MIA: 23 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 6 stl on 11-24 shooting. His Game Score of 22 led everyone. His team was +22 with him on the floor.
Kel'el Ware (11 pts, 13 reb, 1 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Heat about a 88% chance.
Across the last 4 meetings in our records, Miami Heat lead 3-1.
The Heat are now 33-29, and the Nets are 15-46. The Heat last five before this game: W-W-L-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.