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Nets-Heat Preview

Apr 14, 2010 - 3:12 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

New Jersey (12-69) at Miami (46-35), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Miami Heat don't know where they'll open the postseason just yet, but they'll head into either Atlanta or Boston this weekend armed with plenty of confidence.

The Heat have won 11 of 12 heading into their regular-season finale Wednesday night against the visiting New Jersey Nets, and they can wrap up the Eastern Conference's fifth seed by completing a season sweep of the league's worst team.

Miami (46-35) was on the outside of the playoff picture on March 1, when it was in ninth place - 1 1/2 games behind Charlotte for the East's final postseason berth.

Since then, the Heat have gone 17-4 and entrenched themselves as a dangerous playoff opponent. They've shot 49.4 percent and held opponents to 88.9 points per game in going 11-1 since March 20, hitting 55.6 percent from the field in a 107-105 victory at Philadelphia on Monday.

"We have built up some pretty good habits, and this was at least a habit of learning how to stick around and win a game," coach Erik Spoelstra told the NBA's official Web site.

Shortly after the Heat beat the 76ers, Milwaukee lost to Atlanta to fall a game behind Miami for the No. 5 seed. Miami will clinch that spot with a win over New Jersey (12-69) or a Bucks loss at Boston, and would open the postseason against the Celtics.

Much of the Heat's resurgence can be credited to the play of Udonis Haslem, who has averaged 13.2 points and 10.5 rebounds - shooting 60 percent - over his last 10 games.

Haslem had been having an inconsistent season prior to that, but he scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Nets on Nov. 14. It took a Dwyane Wade 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left, though, for Miami to escape with an 81-80 home victory over New Jersey.

The Heat's two subsequent wins at the Meadowlands weren't easy, either. Michael Beasley scored 23 points in an 87-84 win on Feb. 17, then Wade (27) and Jermaine O'Neal (25) helped make up for the absence of Haslem on March 22, rallying Miami from a halftime deficit to a 99-89 victory.

The Nets close out the worst season in franchise history Wednesday night, but they can finish with a 6-6 record over their last 12 games.

Since a 4-2 stretch, however, the Nets have dropped four of five. New Jersey shot just 39.3 percent - hitting 4 of 24 from 3-point range - in a 105-95 loss to Charlotte on Monday, the final game in its 29-year run at the Meadowlands.

The game against the Heat is likely also the finale for interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe, who may head back to the role of general manager full time in 2010-11.

"What I tell them is doing your best has no time table," Vandeweghe said. "Whether you step out in the playground, your first or last NBA game, you do your best every single time you step on the court. That's what I expect from them and that's what they should expect from themselves and from each other."

One encouraging sign for the future is the play of rookie forward Terrence Williams. The 11th pick of the draft has averaged just 7.0 points in three games against Miami, but he's averaged 17.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists in his last seven games overall.