Air Canada can't save New Jersey against Heat

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- One of the luckiest bounces of Vince Carter's career -- five or six bounces, actually -- couldn't keep the New Jersey Nets from falling behind 3-0 to the Miami Heat.\nCarter forced double overtime with a shot that danced all around the backboard and rim before dropping through, but there was no more magic for the Nets after that in a 108-105 double-overtime loss to the Heat on Thursday night.\nNow, the problem confronting New Jersey is one that no NBA team has ever solved -- overcoming a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.\nMiami can complete a sweep Sunday, and it's highly unlikely that game will come close to matching the drama of this one.\nShaquille O'Neal had his best game of the series with 25 points, Udonis Haslem had the final go-ahead basket among his 14 points and 19 rebounds, Dwyane Wade had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Eddie Jones added 20 points for the Heat\nCarter scored 36, Richard Jefferson had 23 and Jason Kidd had a triple-double of 16 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds for the Nets, whose best chance to win came at the end of regulation when Kidd had an open shot from 3-point range.\nBut he couldn't connect, and Carter's crazy bounce only ended up prolonging the Nets' plight for another five minutes.\nHaslem's putback made it 104-102 with 1:26 left, and a missed 3 by Clifford Robinson and a blown layup by Jefferson helped seal New Jersey's defeat.\nThe Nets were hurt by their 3-for-13 shooting from 3-point range and nine missed free throws in 27 attempts.\nMiami went 10-for-22 on 3s to help overcome 16 missed foul shots in 38 attempts.\nCarter's 21-footer from the corner at the end of the first overtime rolled around the iron, bounced high off the glass, came down and bounced four more times on the rim before dropping through to tie the game at 99.\nThe play came after Eddie Jones, normally a solid foul shooter, missed two free throws with 11.5 seconds remaining to leave the Nets just two points behind.\nIn double overtime, Haslem went to the line with 20.6 seconds left and made the first of two free throws to make it 105-102. After he missed the second, Alonzo Mourning outfought Jason Collins for the rebound to allow the Heat the keep possession with a three-point lead.\nThe inbounds pass went to Wade, and the Heat sealed the victory from the line.\nIt was their sixth victory over New Jersey in as many tries this season, but this was the first time the Nets kept one of the games close.