Nets battle but fall to Heat on Vince Carter’s jersey retirement night

For 24 minutes, the Nets held their own against the Heat.

They forced 22 turnovers. They collected more second-chance points.

The return of D’Angelo Russell from a one-game absence due to personal reasons provided the expected boost against a Heat team playing without suspended star Jimmy Butler.

Nets battle but fall to Heat on Vince Carter’s jersey retirement night — Day’Ron Sharpe sH๏τ is blocked by Haywood Highsmith during the Nets’ 106-97 loss to the Heat on Jan. 25, 2025.

“Usually,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said, “should be able to win that game.”

But sandwiched in between those promising signs was a dominant third quarter by the Heat, which allowed them to pull away and hand the Nets — despite late comeback attempts — a 106-97 loss for their sixth consecutive defeat and 11th across the past 12 games.

It spoiled a night that featured Vince Carter’s jersey retirement, with the former All-Star and current Hall of Famer becoming the seventh player in Nets history to have his number retired during a halftime ceremony, and it marked the latest setback for a Nets team navigating injuries and attempting to remain compeтιтive despite a mostly depleted roster.

Russell and Keon Johnson led the Nets with 22 points, while Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton added 13.

“It just comes down to us and transition and the two-[on]-ones and finishing, making the right play,” Fernandez said, while later describing the loss as a “self-inflicted” one. “I want our guys to be confident. We’ll work at it. We’ll watch it. And we’ll be better.”

They even pulled within 10 points with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after Jalen Wilson hit a 3.

But then Terry Rozier responded with one of his own.

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Vince Carter watches as his No. 15 jersey is retired during halftime of the Nets’ loss to the Heat.

The Heat held off any last attempts at a comeback by the Nets after they trimmed their deficit to seven inside of the final minute.

The Nets didn’t lead after taking a 2-0 advantage on Claxton’s layup in the opening minutes of the game, but they did pull within four points by halftime after Russell made two 3s and Clowney added another one in the final two minutes of the second quarter.

But led by Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Terry Rozier, tasked with filling the lost production of Butler, the Heat collected 29 points in the third quarter, outscored the Nets by 10 and avoided any late collapse across the final 12 minutes.