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Allen comes up big _ again _ for Heat in playoffs

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — The latest Ray Allen playoff moment was not highlight-reel worthy. It will not have a catchy name like The Shot. It probably was forgotten seconds after it happened.

But it might have been the biggest play for the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

The time: 3:10 left in the fourth quarter, Heat leading the Brooklyn Nets by eight. The play: LeBron James gets a pass from Allen and fires a 3-pointer from the right sideline. Allen, standing some 35 feet from the basket at the time, starts sprinting toward the basket. He runs past Paul Pierce and Mirza Teletovic, neither of whom remembered to box anyone out, then leaped past a flat-footed Deron Williams.

The result: Allen got the rebound, the first of three offensive boards for Miami in what became a 100-second possession, James eventually scored and the Nets were done. That marathon trip down the floor was the dagger as the Heat took a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series by beating the Nets 94-82.

“Ray is always to the rescue,” Heat forward Chris Bosh said. “He’s amazing. He’s awesome. I want to be like him when I grow up.”

It was the eighth straight playoff win for Miami, a streak that began against San Antonio in Game 6 of last season’s NBA Finals — the game where Allen took a pass from Bosh and hit the overtime-forcing, season-saving, title-reign-extending 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in regulation.

Bosh knew exactly what to do on that play. And Allen knew exactly what to do on his eighth and final rebound Thursday. He could have tried to tip it in, or lay it up, or maybe even dunk the ball. Instead, he quickly realized that time was worth more than points there to Miami, so he took two dribbles and kicked it out to Mario Chalmers, allowing the Heat to reset with a fresh shot clock.

By the time Brooklyn touched the ball again, another minute-plus had passed and the outcome was basically decided.

“Very deflating,” Pierce said.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Brooklyn.

James scored 22 for Miami, while Bosh scored 18 and Dwyane Wade finished with 14 for Miami, the last remaining unbeaten team in this year’s playoffs. Allen was scoreless at halftime, having missed his only shot, before getting 13 points — as many as any two Nets combined — in the second half on 5-for-7 shooting.

“I wasn’t worried that I only shot the ball one time at halftime,” Allen said. “If I was back in my shoot-the-ball-a-lot days, I might have been ‘I only shot the ball one time.’ This team doesn’t need me to score. It helps. But it can be any one of us, any given night. So I just try to sit, kind of lay in the weeds a little bit and see how it shakes out.”

For the second straight game, Miami had five players in double figures.

“That’s what our team is all about,” James said. “We don’t really care who scores.”

Teletovic set a Nets playoff record with six 3-pointers on his way to a 20-point night off the bench. Shaun Livingston scored 15, and Pierce and Joe Johnson each added 13 for the Nets.

Williams was 0 for 9 from the field, the worst shooting night of his career.

“That one hurt,” Nets coach Jason Kidd said. “We were right there. We gave ourselves, on the road, an opportunity against the world champs. We let the game slip away. That one possession when they got four offensive rebounds, it didn’t lose the game for us.”

It was three rebounds, but no matter. It was still a backbreaker for the Nets.

Teletovic scored inside with 3:39 left to get Brooklyn within eight. For the next 100 seconds, Miami kept possession. James took all four shots on the trip, including a layup set up by Wade with 1:59 left.

It all started with The Rebound.

“I knew if I didn’t go in, I was going to have a play at it,” Allen said. “Those are playoff-basketball plays that you talk about.”

Allen has scored 32 points in the first two games, seven more than his former Boston Celtics teammates Pierce and Kevin Garnett combined, and that’s been a big key to the Heat grabbing the first two games of the series.

James wore a microphone during Game 1 of the series and it caught him telling Michael Beasley during a stoppage in that game that ever since he saw the film “He Got Game” he’s thought Allen could do no wrong on the court.

And it’s deserved, since Allen saved Miami’s title shot last season and seems to be doing more of the same this time around.

“That’s what Ray does,” Wade said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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