It took two overtimes, but the Deron Williams-less Nets downed the Dwayne Wade-less Heat in the first ever “Nickname Night” in NBA history. The Nets blew a 12-point lead heading into the final frame, but the Heat could manage only six points in the two overtimes, the lowest two-overtime output by a team in the shot-clock era. LeBron James dropped a cool 36 points on the herringbone before fouling out late in the first overtime, the first time King James fouled out of a regular season game since 2008.
Joe Johnson led a clinic in the first half, scoring 22 of his team-high 32 points in the first quarter alone. Shaun Livingston, starting in place of Williams, took care of the back end with four points and two blocks in the second overtime. S-Dot finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. In a 10-3 January that saved the Nets’ season, this was one of the most dramatic moments of the month.
