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MIAMI -- Strange as it sounds, missing shots worked wonders for the Miami Heat. And after the Brooklyn Nets went nearly 2 minutes -- a basketball eternity -- without the ball down the stretch, the two-time defending NBA champions would soon find themselves two wins from another trip to the Eastern Conference finals. LeBron James scored 22 points, Chris Bosh added 18 and the Heat pulled away late to beat the Nets 94-82 on Thursday night, taking a 2-0 lead in the East semifinals. "To be able to get some stops like that at the end, and then execute, its something thats critical in this series," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Dwyane Wade had 14 and Ray Allen scored 13 for the Heat, who tied a franchise record with their eighth straight playoff victory. Theyll go for No. 9 on Saturday night, when the best-of-seven series shifts to Brooklyn for Game 3. For the second straight game, Miami had five players in double figures. "Thats what our team is all about," James said. "We dont really care who scores." Mirza Teletovic set a Nets playoff record with six 3-pointers, on his way to a 20-point night off the bench. Shaun Livingston scored 15, and Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson each added 13 more for the Nets. Deron Williams was 0 for 9 from the field, the worst shooting night of his career. "That one hurt," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. "We were right there. We gave ourselves, on the road, an opportunity against the world champs. We let the game slip away. That one possession when they got four offensive rebounds, it didnt lose the game for us." It was three rebounds, but no matter. It was still a backbreaker for the Nets. Teletovic scored inside with 3:39 left to get Brooklyn within eight. For the next 100 seconds, Miami kept possession. James missed a 3-pointer, and Allen -- who led Miami with eight rebounds -- manoeuvred his way around four Nets to grab the rebound. James missed again, and Wade grabbed that board. James missed a layup, but Bosh controlled that board. And finally, almost mercifully, Wade found James for a layup with 1:59 remaining. The lead was 10, the outcome decided. "That was a killer," Johnson said. Wade had just six points in the games first 37 minutes, then eight more in the next three, setting the tone for a grind-it-out fourth quarter from Miami. "Youve got to do the little things until you get your opportunity," said Wade, who finished with seven rebounds and seven assists. "Thats what I was able to do." The Heat led 79-77 when Brooklyns Marcus Thornton missed a 3-pointer with 6:21 left -- which, had it gone down, would have had the Heat facing a fourth-quarter deficit for the first time in these playoffs. But it missed. And thats when the Heat found separation for the first time all night, at the most critical point. James was in trouble with less than 4 seconds on the shot clock and still found a way to get a bounce pass out to Mario Chalmers in the left corner for a 3-pointer. James passed on the fadeaway, deciding it would be a bad shot, and made the decision to send the ball to Chalmers. "Just get it there," James said he was thinking. He got the pass there, Chalmers made the shot, and after a stop on the ensuing Brooklyn trip, Allen hit from the same spot as Chalmers for an 85-77 lead. "As the game wore on we started picking up the pace," Allen said. "We started to getting how we play basketball." Teletovic kept the Nets afloat. He made his first four 3-pointers, needing less than six minutes to do so after checking in for the first time late in the opening quarter. He had 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc by halftime alone, a boost that Brooklyn definitely needed. And his shots came at big times. Of Teletovics five 3s in the first half, three broke ties. His sixth 3 of the game, late in the third, tied the game at 61. But in the end, Miami was too much. "This series is far from over," Johnson said. NOTES: Trying to save a loose ball in the third quarter, James leaped over a row of people sitting along one sideline, then ran about 10 more rows deep into the stands. ... Mason Plumlee had three first-half fouls for the Nets, matching the entire Heat total. Brooklyn didnt take any free throws until the third quarter. ... Miami went scoreless for the games first 3:32, its longest drought to open a home game since Feb. 26, 2005 -- 443 contests ago. ... Nets F Kevin Garnett, who went scoreless in Game 1, had four points but led everyone with 12 rebounds. Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses China . The 18-time champions, who havent won the title since 1990, moved two points behind Arsenal after the leaders were stunned 6-3 at Manchester City on Saturday. Defending champion Manchester United trails Arsenal by 10 points after winning 3-0 at Aston Villa to avoid a third successive league loss. Ray Ban Sunglasses China Wholesale . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (4) – He had a strong game Sunday; was very good in tight with big saves on Crosby, Malkin and Neal in-crease. http://www.cheaprayban.net/. -- A deflected pass that landed in DeSean Jacksons hands. Cheap Authentic Ray Ban Sunglasses . Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington hit home runs in the first inning for the Diamondbacks, who beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night. Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses For Sale .com) - Richard Shermans two interceptions highlighted a dominant defensive effort, as the Seattle Seahawks routed the San Francisco 49ers in a highly anticipated NFC West Thanksgiving clash.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - It seems borderline surreal, a role reversal as stunning as it is definitive. A year ago, the Cincinnati Bengals came to Heinz Field in December and emerged with a 13-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. That propelled Cincinnati to a second straight post-season berth and sent its longtime nemesis into a downward spiral from which it is still trying to recover. Watch the Bengals vs. Steelers live on TSN with coverage starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. "I think (it was big)," Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green said. "The Steelers had our number every year, even when I first got here." Not anymore. Not by a long shot. If anything, the gap between the two franchises has only widened over the last 12 months. Cincinnati (9-4) can assure itself a third consecutive trip to the playoffs in Sunday nights rematch. The Steelers (5-8) need to win out just to avoid the clubs first losing season in a decade. Welcome to the new AFC North, the one where the balance of power is 60 minutes away from sitting well west of Pittsburgh and Baltimore — at a place that has spent most of the last two decades serving as fodder for the rest of the league. Those days are over. The Bengals, not the Steelers, are the ones with the young and athletic defence. The Bengals, not the Steelers, are the ones with the dynamic running game. The Bengals, not the Steelers, are the ones with the swagger of a champion. What better chance to show the world just how far theyve come than on national television? "Theres going to be more people watching," quarterback Andy Dalton said. "We have to put our best foot forward and be playing our best, show everyone what this team is and what were made of." The Steelers are trying to do the same. The meaningful portion of their season came to an end in a 34-28 loss to Miami last week that all but mathematically eliminated them from the chase for the AFCs second wild card berth. They insist, however, theyre not going to just play out the string. "Im motivated to play as hard as I can," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "Im sure everyone else is." Five things to look ffor as Cincinnati tries to cement its newfound perch atop one of the leagues better divisions.dddddddddddd HARRISONS HOMECOMING: Bengals linebacker James Harrison returns to the place where he forged a career as one of the most talented and menacing players in the league. The Steelers cut Harrison last spring after failing to reach agreement on a restructured contract. He landed in Cincinnati, where hes found a niche as a role player on a defence that is one of the NFLs most aggressive. PITTSBURGHS PATCHY D: The Steelers are in danger of finishing outside the top 10 in total defence for the first time this millennium. Pittsburgh is 13th in yards allowed with three weeks to go. The biggest culprit has been an inability to stop opponents from ripping off chunks of yardage. The Steelers have given up 11 plays of 50 yards or more this season, the most in the league. DYNAMITE DALTON: Dalton is having the best season of his brief career thanks in part to an offensive line that makes sure his No. 14 jersey looks the same at the end of the game as it did at the beginning. Dalton has gone three straight games without taking a sack. Its not a coincidence the Bengals are 3-0 in those games and have gone over 40 points twice. "I think any quarterback throws the ball better when theres not a lot of people around him," Dalton said. "Our line has done a good job, and we have to keep that going." BALANCE WITH BELL: The Steelers rank just 31st in the league in yards rushing, though they insist theyre happy with the ground game. Rookie LeVeon Bell is averaging over 90 yards from scrimmage per game thanks in part to his versatility. He already has 39 receptions, most of them on what are basically extended handoffs. GREEN VS. TAYLOR: Green has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the league, but hes had trouble at times against Pittsburgh veteran cornerback Ike Taylor. Green caught six passes for just 41 yards in a 20-10 victory over the Steelers at home back in September. If Taylor can keep Green under wraps, the Steelers have a chance to postpone Cincinnatis party, at least for a bit. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org ' ' '