Heat mainit sa playoffs

PINASO ng two-time defending champions Miami Heat ang Brooklyn Nets, 107-86 upang magtuloy ang pagiging malinis sa second round playoffs ng 2013-14 National Basketball Association (NBA) kahapon.

Kumana ng 22 points, limang rebounds at tatlong assists si basketball superstar LeBron James upang kaldagin ang Nets sa Game 1 ng kanilang best-of-seven series.

Winalis ng Nets ang Heat sa regular season kung saan ay apat na beses silang nagharap.

‘’It was great that we were able to come out the way we did after being off eight days,’’ ani four-time NBA MVP James. ‘’We got a lot of work in. We had eight days off of not playing a basketball game but Spo got us in the gym. (We) got each other in the gym. We made each other accountable throughout the layoff and it proved tonight.’’

Nag-ambag si Ray Allen ng 19 puntos, apat na rebounds at tatlong assists kasama ang 4-of-7 sa three-points area habang tumapos si center Chris Bosh ng 15 puntos  at 11 boards.

‘’It’s fun when you win the game and you can at least for a night do whatever it is you do, have some dinner, chill at home and exhale a little bit,’’ ani Bosh. ‘’When you lose, you can’t sleep, your stomach hurts and it’s not a very good situation.’’

Tatlong puntos lang ang abante ng Heat sa halftime subalit umarangkada ang East defending champion sa third canto para gawing 13 ang lamang, papasok ng fourth period.

‘’This is the defending champs,’’sabi ni Nets coach Jason Kidd. ‘’It’s always going to be at a high level and we’ve got to find a way to match it.’’

Bumakas din sa opensa ng Heat sina Dwyane wade at Mario Chalmers na may tig 14 at 12 puntos  ayon sa pagkakasunod.

Samantala, tinambakan naman ng Western conference defending champion San Antonio Spurs ang Portland Trail Blazers, 116-92. (ARABELA PRINCESS DAWA)