Nets, Carter beat the Heat to take series opener

05.8.2006

Miami, FL (Basketball News) - Vince Carter had another solid all-around game in the playoffs with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists, as the Nets opened a huge early lead and shocked the Miami Heat, 100-88, in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Jason Kidd added 22 points, nine boards and seven assists for New Jersey, and Richard Jefferson scored 13 of his 20 points in the first quarter before leaving with a sprained right ankle. Jefferson suffered the injury early in the third quarter and didn’t return. X-rays were negative, but Jefferson is expected to play in Game 2 on Wednesday in Miami.

Miami center Shaquille O’Neal picked up two fouls in the first five minutes of the game and played only 29 minutes, ending with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Dwyane Wade had 25 points for the second-seeded Heat, who shot just 39.1 percent from the field, nearly 10 percent less than New Jersey.

The Nets, coming off a quarterfinal series triumph in six games over Indiana, made 15-of-21 field goal attempts in the first quarter to lead 38-21 after 12 minutes. They were ahead by as many as 28 points, late in the third, until the Heat cut the deficit to nine in the fourth.

Miami, which disposed of Chicago in six games in the opening round, shot just 4-of-22 from three-point range.

NJN MIA

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