Schedule and 2005-06 Results
Regular Season Records: Miami 52-30, New Jersey 49-33
Game 1 on Monday, 08 May: New Jersey wins at Miami, 100-pts-88
Game 2 on Wednesday, 10 May: New Jersey loses at Miami, 111-pts-89
Game 3 on Friday, 12 May: Miami wins at New Jersey, 103-pts-92
Game 4 on Sunday, 14 May: Miami wins at New Jersey, 102-pts-92
Game 5 on Tuesday, 16 May: New Jersey loses at Miami, 106-pts-105

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: The Miami Heat hosted and defeated the New Jersey Nets 106-pts-105 to win best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 981, 4-games-1. The series 981 win improves the Miami Heat best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 6-4. The series 981 loss lowers the New Jersey Nets best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 7-6. The win order for the victorious Miami Heat was LWWWW. Series 981 thus becomes the fourth NBA Quarterfinals series, the 13th NBA series (all rounds), and the 47th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order.

After Game 4: The Miami Heat visited and defeated the New Jersey Nets 102-pts-92 to take a 3-games-1 lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 981. The 3-games-1 lead for the Miami Heat is their first in their best-of-7 NBA playoff series history. The 3-games-1 deficit for the New Jersey Nets is their first in their own best-of-7 NBA playoff series history.

After Game 3: The Miami Heat visited and defeated the New Jersey Nets 103-pts-92 to take a 2-games-1 lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 981. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Miami Heat have a 2-2 series record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the New Jersey Nets have a 2-3 series record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA Quarterfinals series, teams that post a win/site order of LWW @ HHV through three games (such as the Miami Heat) have a 6-1 series record ... but a 1-6 Game 4 record with a Game 4 losing streak of six. Irrespective of playoff round, the last NBA team to post a win/site order of LWW @ HHV but lose that best-of-7 NBA playoff series was - in series 951 vs. the Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Semifinals - the Miami Heat.

After Game 2: The Miami Heat hosted and defeated the New Jersey Nets 111-pts-89 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 981 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Miami Heat have a 1-2 series record with a two-series losing streak, while the New Jersey Nets have a 3-2 series record.

After Game 1: Taking a 17-point lead after one quarter, the New Jersey Nets visited and defeated the Miami Heat 100-pts-88 for a 1-game-nil best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 981 lead. New Jersey thus became only the 12th NBA team to take an end-of-1st-quarter 17+ point lead on the road. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the New Jersey Nets have a 6-1 series record with a six-series winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Miami Heat have a 1-3 series record with a three-series losing streak.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2005-06 regular season, Miami finished three games ahead of New Jersey. From 1947 through the 2006 NBA and NHL Preliminary rounds, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by three regular-season games, they have posted a 10-11 (.476) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 981 is the 13th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for New Jersey, and the tenth for Miami. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, New Jersey has a 7-5 series record, a 2-2 Qtrs-round series record, and a 7-5 Game 1 record, while Miami has a 5-4 series record, a 2-2 Qtrs-round record, and a 5-4 Game 1 record. Series 981 is the second best-of-7 meeting between New Jersey and Miami: Miami swept New Jersey in series 939 (in the 2005 NBA Preliminary round).