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Jefferson helps Nets beat lowly Heat

Feb 2, 2008 - 7:07 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- South Beach continues to feel like a vacation spot for the New Jersey Nets.

Richard Jefferson scored 25 points and Josh Boone added 15 as the Nets posted a 94-85 victory over the hapless Miami Heat on Friday night.

It was the third straight road triumph for New Jersey over Miami, which has dropped 18 of its last 19 games to fall to 4-23 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.

Vince Carter registered 14 points and 11 rebounds and Jason Kidd chipped in 11 and 12 assists as the Nets earned their first back-to-back wins since a five-game winning streak from December 28-January 5.

"We still have a long way to go," Jefferson said. "It's good to get two wins regardless of the situation, but we still feel we have a long way to go. We still feel we can continue to improve."

"We just wanted to defend for 48 minutes and limit them to one shot," Carter said. "We wanted to get easy baskets, too. Right now, we are just trying to win games and make things a little brighter around here."

New Jersey pulled away in the second quarter behind its defense, which held Miami to a season-low 10 points in the period en route to a 43-31 advantage at intermission.

"Defensively we were deplorable," Miami coach Pat Riley said. "I just thought we were deplorable defensively with a real lack of focus individually on certain plays. We have just absolutely lost our focus on."

Alexander Johnson's jumper brought the Heat within 56-51 at the 6:07 mark in the third, but Jefferson poured in eight points to close out the period as the Nets created a 10-point edge at the start of the fourth.

With the loss, Miami (9-36) fell one-half game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for the worst record in the NBA.

"Really, what this is about right now is playing for pride," Johnson said. "It's trying to hang in there and finish strong. We're really playing for pride now."

"I'm going to continue to be the person I am," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "I'm not going to change who I am. Losing doesn't change the foundation of who you are it just changes the perspective of everyone on the outside, of who you are, and so I understand that."

A three-time All-Star, Wade returned after missing one game with the flu to collect 15 points, seven boards and six assists in 37 minutes.