With their backs against the wall, the Nets put up a valiant fight, but it wasn't enough. The Heat stopped the Nets 106-105 Tuesday, ending New Jersey's season in game five of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter scored 33 points each, but their efforts could not earn the Nets a game six at home on Thursday.
The manner of the loss in this series is more disappointing than the loss itself. After their dominant game one performance, the Nets should have managed another win in this series. Instead, they blew the home court advantage and fell twice at home. By then, the series had effectively ended, and the only mystery remaining was when it would end. Gothamist knew the Nets' chances of winning this series were slim, but the Heat remain the better team, and they played like it.
