Schedule and 2004-05 Results
Regular Season Records: Miami 59-23, New Jersey 42-40
Game 1 on Sunday, 24 April: New Jersey loses at Miami, 116-pts-98
Game 2 on Tuesday, 26 April: New Jersey loses at Miami, 104-pts-87
Game 3 on Thursday, 28 April: Miami wins at New Jersey, 108-pts-105 (2OT)
Game 4 on Sunday, 01 May: Miami wins at New Jersey, 110-pts-97

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 4: The Miami Heat defeated the Nets in New Jersey 110-pts-97 to complete a four-game sweep of MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 939. The sweep was the first achieved by the Miami Heat, and the second suffered by the New Jersey Nets (the first was the 2002 NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers). The sweep is the fourth in best-of-7 NBA Preliminary-round play, the 43rd in best-of-7 NBA play (all rounds), and the 158th in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL play. With the series 939 victory, the Miami Heat improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 3-3 (2-0 in the Preliminary round); with the series 939 loss, the New Jersey Nets see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 6-5 (2-1 in the Preliminary round). In series 939, the Miami Heat scored 220 points at home, 218 points on the road, and 438 points overall -- all are new four-game sweep NBA Preliminary-round highs.

After Game 3: It required two overtime periods, but the Miami Heat defeated the Nets in New Jersey 108-pts-105 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 939 Game 3, thereby taking a commanding 3-games-nil lead in their series. Miami leads an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-nil for the first time. When trailing 3-games-nil in an NBA best-of-7 playoff series, the New Jersey Nets have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 4 record of 0-1, with that loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in series 869 (the 2002 NBA Finals). Series 939 Game 3 is the 19th NBA best-of-7 playoff game to be decided in double-overtime, and the first in the best-of-7 format NBA Preliminary round. Of the previous 18 games that ended in double-overtime, the visiting team won eight and lost ten. Of the eight road winners, one was the New Jersey Nets in series 897 Game 4 (in the 2003 NBA Quarterfinals, over the Celtics in Boston). In this instance, then, the 2005 Miami Heat emulated the 2003 New Jersey Nets against the 2005 New Jersey Nets.

After Game 2: The Miami Heat once again hosted and once again handily defeated the New Jersey Nets, this time by a score of 104-pts-87. Miami thus takes a 2-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 939. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-nil, Miami has a 1-0 series record and a 0-1 Game 3 record. When trailing such a series 2-games-nil, New Jersey has a perfect 0-2 series record and a 1-1 Game 2 record. Miami has now won Game 1 by 18 points and Game 2 by 17 points. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2004, inclusive, twenty teams have won Games 1 and 2 on their home court by victory margins of 15 points or more in each game. Those twenty teams have a series record of 19-1. In series 691 (in the 1995 Quarterfinals), the Phoenix Suns won Game 1 by 22 points and Game 2 by 24 points in Phoenix, and eventually took a 3-games-1 lead over the Houston Rockets, but Houston won series 691 in seven games. Those Rockets -- the eventual 1995 NBA champions -- thus set the sole favorable precedent for the 2005 New Jersey Nets in this situation.

After Game 1: The Miami Heat hosted and defeated the New Jersey Nets by a score of 116-pts-98, thus taking a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 939. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, Miami has a 1-1 series record and a 1-1 Game 2 record. When trailing such a series 1-game-nil, New Jersey has a perfect 0-3 series record and a 1-2 Game 2 record. The 116 points by Miami was the second-most ever by one team in Game 1 of a best-of-7 NBA Preliminary round, second only to the 117 posted by the Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota, in Game 1 of their 2003 series (MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 895).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2004-05 regular season, Miami finished 17 games ahead of New Jersey. From 1947 through 2004, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 17 regular-season games, they have posted a 6-2 (.750) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 939 is the 11th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for New Jersey, and the sixth for Miami. In best-of-7 playoff series, New Jersey has a 6-4 series record, a 2-0 Preliminary-round series record, and a 7-3 Game 1 record, while Miami has a 2-3 series record, a 1-0 Preliminary-round record, and a 2-3 Game 1 record. Series 939 is the first best-of-7 meeting between New Jersey and Miami.