NBA

Pierce’s block saves Game 7, sends Nets to Miami

TORONTO — The Nets are taking their talents to South Beach.

In a thrilling conclusion to a thrilling series from beginning to end, the Nets escaped from Air Canada Centre on Sunday afternoon with a heart-stopping 104-103 win over the Raptors in a Game 7 that had every ounce of emotion and drama such an occasion should deliver, the game ending on a Paul Pierce block of Kyle Lowry’s shot in the lane as the buzzer sounded.

“Sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time,” Pierce said, “and I was there tonight.”

The win moved the Nets into the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they will meet the two-time defending champion Heat beginning on Tuesday in Miami.

For a brief moment Sunday, it appeared the Nets might not get there, and instead would meet the same fate they did exactly one year earlier, when they lost to the Bulls in Game 7 of their first-round series in Brooklyn.

After the Nets pushed their lead to 11 early in the fourth quarter and then took a 97-87 lead with 5:38 remaining on a jumper by Joe Johnson, who led the Nets with 26 points, they allowed the Raptors to make one final run to ensure this series had one more frantic finish.

Toronto began chipping away slowly but surely at the Nets’ advantage, getting it all the way down to 104-103 with 8.8 seconds left after a drive and score by Terrence Ross.

Pierce blocks Raptors guard Kyle Lowry to advance to the next round of the playoffs.Charles Wenzelberg

Then Ross — a second-year forward who had struggled throughout the series — made the play of his life, tipping away Shaun Livingston’s attempted inbounds pass to Pierce and throwing it off

Pierce and out of bounds to give the Raptors the ball — and a chance to win — with 6.2 seconds left.

“I was thinking Paul was going to hold him off, but he kind of slipped,” Livingston said, shaking his head. “Once he slipped, it was a jump ball, and Terrence Ross is probably the last guy you want to throw a jump ball to.

“I was thinking, ‘Curse, curse, curse, curse.’”

With Livingston’s gaffe giving all 20,457 fans inside Air Canada Centre — not to mention the 10,000 more outside — new life, they all rose to their feet for the final possession as Lowry took the inbounds pass and dribbled to the middle of the floor.

But then the two players the Nets brought to Brooklyn to make sure a repeat of last year didn’t happen — Pierce and Kevin Garnett — rose to the occasion.

As Lowry, who had a game-high 28 points, drove into the lane, Garnett got his hand on the ball, knocking it away momentarily. When Lowry recovered and went up for a desperation shot in the lane
at the buzzer, Pierce got his hand on it, sending the Nets into the second round and their bench into a massive celebration as the capacity crowd watched in stunned silence.

“It’s so gratifying and to get the Game 7 that they didn’t get last year,” Pierce said, “to bring in the veterans to help them control that attitude, control the locker room, ease everybody’s tension and not be nervous and just be mentally ready in these types of games and being in this environment.

“Not a lot of guys have won a Game 7 on the road and to get a win, that’s huge for our psyche.”

Now the Nets move on to face the Heat, from whom they swept all four games during the regular season — something no team has done since the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh came together four years ago — and with the knowledge the two players who know how to play the Heat as well as anyone, Pierce and Garnett, are on their side.

“It’s a great feeling,” Deron Williams said. “We lost a Game 7 last year … to be able to turn around and win a Game 7 on the road this year means a lot for this franchise.

“We’re excited about an opportunity to play the defending champs.”

After one final heart-stopping win, they’re happy to make it out of Toronto with their championship dreams still alive.