Chalmers, Miami take Game 1 vs. Pierce, Brooklyn

By Staff     May 7, 2014

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) drives to the basket as Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams (8) defends in the first half of Game 1 in an Eastern Conference semifinal basketball game, Tuesday, May 6, 2014, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Arguably the two most successful ‘Hawks in the NBA, Miami’s Mario Chalmers and Brooklyn’s Paul Pierce will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming days.

Chalmers and the Heat took a step toward the Eastern Conference finals by beating Pierce and the Nets, [107-86, Tuesday night in Miami][1].

Chalmers hit 5 of his 9 shots for 12 points in Game 1, while Pierce went 3-for-8 and scored 8 points.

The outcome and low point total for Pierce proved the playoffs are a lot different than the regular season — he averaged 21.3 points and the Nets swept Miami in four pre-playoffs meetings.

Of course, the 16-year veteran has been through enough grinding postseason series to know even a 21-point loss doesn’t guarantee Miami anything. [As Andrew Keh quoted Pierce for The New York Times][2]:

Washington Wizards forward Drew Gooden (90) celebrates after a play with Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) nearby in the second half of an NBA basketball game on Friday, March 28, 2014, in Washington. The Wizards won 91-78. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

> “It was a 3-point game at the half,
> fellas. I mean, we’re not
> overreacting. We feel like we still
> can get a game in this building.”

And that came following a game in which Pierce [only scored two points after the first quarter][3], with LeBron James often defending him in the second half. So don’t expect confidence to be an issue in the Brooklyn locker room.

Miami fans, who grew to dislike Pierce when he played for Boston, aren’t too fond of him in a Brooklyn uniform, either. Plus, colliding with Chalmers and sending his fellow KU product to the floor with a thud in Game 1 didn’t win him any popularity points.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJYx3hnEpZU

Game 2 of Nets-Heat tips off at 6 p.m. Thursday at Miami (on TNT).

The reemergence of Drew Gooden
——————————

Someone forgot to tell Drew Gooden this isn’t [2005][4]. The 12th-year power forward isn’t supposed to be able to sub in and produce a double-double, no problem. But that’s just what Gooden did in Game 1 of Washington’s second-round playoff series with Indiana on Monday.

In the Wizards’ five first-round games against Chicago, Gooden played five minutes or less in four games, earning a DNP-coach’s decision in the series finale. He scored all of two points in 26 minutes of floor time in Game 4.

So Gooden was the last guy in a D.C. uniform anyone expected 12 points and 13 rebounds out of in Game 1 at Indiana. Anyone not named Drew Gooden, that is. The 6-foot-10 Kansas product put up his first double-double since March 21 while playing 18 minutes in Washington’s 102-96 victory over the East’s top seed, the Pacers. What’s more, most of his timely jumpers and tip-ins came in the second half, when Washington needed them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNyu-C7hruQ

Playing for his 10th NBA team, [Gooden’s stat line looked far better][5] than those of Indiana big men Roy Hibbert (zero points, no rebounds), Ian Mahinmi (2 points, zero boards) and Luis Scola (12 points, five rebounds).

[The Washington Post’s Michael Lee wrote about][6] how Gooden, out of the NBA most of the 2013-14 regular season, kept his hopes up and stayed in shape before Washington picked him up in late February and then embraced his opportunity in D.C.

Wizards starting center Marcin Gortat told Lee Gooden changed Game 1.

> “Thanks to him, obviously, we got this
> win. It was all about Drew Gooden. He
> was just outstanding. I guess they
> just underestimated this guy and, you
> know, he brought it. He’s a veteran.
> He’s a talented guy and you know, he
> knows how to put himself in the
> position to rebound the ball, and his
> timing today was very good.”

The 32-year-old Gooden, Lee pointed out, became the first player since the inception of the shot clock to have at least 12 points and 13 rebounds in only 18 minutes. After his critical playoff performance, the substitute big man couldn’t believe that nugget.

> “That’s a wow to me, because I know
> it’s been a lot of better players, a
> lot of greats that had that
> opportunity but to throw Drew Gooden
> in that mix, I’m flattered.”

We’ll find out if Gooden can continue his role as the X-factor in the series when Game 2 tips off Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in Indiana (on TNT).

Tweetworthy
———–

Noteworthy tweets (or Instagram posts) from and about the ‘Hawks in the NBA:

http://instagram.com/p/nq9Cv5mRH7/

*– Keep up with the production of all the ‘Hawks in the NBA [daily at KUsports.com][7].*

*– Follow [@BentonASmith][8] on Twitter.*

[1]: http://www.nba.com/games/20140506/BKNMIA/gameinfo.html?ls=slt#nbaGIboxscore
[2]: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/sports/basketball/heat-throttle-nets-hopes-of-early-edge.html?hpw&rref=sports&_r=0
[3]: http://www.nba.com/games/20140506/BKNMIA/gameinfo.html
[4]: http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goodedr01/gamelog/2005/
[5]: http://www.nba.com/games/20140505/WASIND/gameinfo.html?ls=slt#nbaGIboxscore
[6]: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/wp/2014/05/06/drew-gooden-gets-the-call-helps-wizards-dominate-indiana-on-the-boards/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/mens_basketball/hawks_nba/
[8]: https://twitter.com/BentonASmith

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