NBA Playoffs 2014 – Heat vs. Brooklyn Game 1 Recap & Highlights: Kevin Garnett Scoreless as LeBron Hits 22

According to a report by USA Today, the theme of the night was "layups, layups, layups" as described by Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets. The Miami Heat dominated the Nets with a final score of 107-86 during their first game in the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 6, 2014.

The Nets' strategy was to slow the game tempo and keep the Heat from scoring from fast breaks, knowing well that James and his men tend to capitalize from steals and quick runs. The Miami Heat instead decided to destroy Brooklyn in the paint, scoring 52 points within and making 24 out of 35 shots from the restricted area. The Nets only managed to score 28 points in the paint.

LeBron James scored 22 points, while Ray Allen scored 19 points. Dwyane Wade scored 14 points, Chris Bosh scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds, and Mario Chalmers added 12 points. Despite the huge gap in the Heat's victory, it was actually their first win over Brooklyn for the 2014 season in five matches. James shot 10 out of 15 from the field, while Allen hit four out of seven from the three-point arc.

As for the Nets, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson had 17 points apiece. Paul Pierce only had eight points while Kevin Garnett remained pointless after playing for 16 minutes, writes ESPN.

According to Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat, he liked the activity and energy of the team very much. LeBron said that he appreciated the way the team came together after being off for over a week. They did not play basketball for eight games but they worked out in the gym. James also commended the efforts of Ray Allen.

In a report by Sports Illustrated, Pierce and Garnett totaled eight points and only shot three out of ten from the field.

Jason Kidd, head coach of the Nets said, "This is the defending champs. It's always going to be at a high level and we've got to find a way to match it."