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Heat rally past Nets to East finals, 96-94

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — A game, a series, a season, they all would hinge on one shot.

That is, if the shot was taken.

Ray Allen and LeBron James would have none of that. They swarmed Brooklyn sharpshooter Joe Johnson and knocked the ball away — twice, actually — in the final moments, and the Miami Heat reached the Eastern Conference finals for the fourth consecutive year by rallying past the Nets 96-94 on Wednesday night.

Miami led for only 32 seconds after halftime — the final 32 seconds.

“It’s always been like that for us,” James said. “It’s never easy. It’s never easy for us.”

Sure looks easy. It was the 10th straight series win for the two-time defending NBA champions.

James scored 29 points, Dwyane Wade added 28 and Allen hit the 3-pointer that gave Miami its first and only lead since the second quarter. The Heat won the series 4-1, a far cry from the 4-0 edge Brooklyn had in the regular-season matchups between the clubs.

“Give the Heat credit,” Nets coach Jason Kidd said. “They were attacking there in the fourth quarter. We were attacking. Both teams were attacking. They made plays, they made shots and we didn’t.”

For much of the night, Brooklyn was making enough plays.

The Nets led by 10 points in the third quarter and got a virtuoso performance from Johnson, a game-high 34 points on 15 for 23 shooting. He just never got that 24th shot off.

Johnson took an inbounds pass in the right corner with 4.4 seconds left, was defended by James as he worked toward the lane, and lost the ball when Allen got his right hand on it with 1.8 seconds left. Johnson grabbed the ball but James knocked it away as time ran out.

“Obviously, we thought this was a game we should have won,” Johnson said.

Chris Bosh scored 16 and Allen finished with 13 for Miami, which is in the East finals for the sixth time since 2005. Paul Pierce scored 19 and Deron Williams had 17 for the Nets, who led by eight with 4:49 remaining — and didn’t score again until the final moments, after the Heat put together a 12-0 run that decided everything.

“Sometimes things have to go perfectly when you play the best team in the NBA,” Pierce said.

Eventually, Miami broke through. And Heat coach Erik Spoelstra kept telling his team it would happen.

“You guys are built for this,” he said in one stoppage.

With the Heat down by one in the final minute, James passed to Mario Chalmers, thinking he would take a potentially go-ahead shot. Instead, Chalmers saw Shaun Livingston help off Allen and come his way. So Chalmers passed to a suddenly open Allen, who hit a 3-pointer and the Heat wouldn’t trail again.

Brooklyn led 49-42 at halftime, with Miami 1-for-16 from 3-point range. The Nets closed the half on an 8-0 run and the lone bright spot for Miami was Wade, who had 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting.

“He’s a playoff warrior,” Spoelstra said.

So was Johnson, who made tough shot after tough shot, even while defended by James. When Johnson hit a contested jumper with 4:49 left, it was 91-83 and the Nets seemed on the brink of victory.

Then Miami scored the next 12 points, and that was enough.

Barely, but enough.

“It was just about getting stops,” Wade said. “We knew offensively that we needed to execute, but we knew we weren’t going to win the game unless we got some stops.”

For the Nets, more than $180 million in salary and luxury tax was supposed to bring a championship. Instead, billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov got only a trip to the second round as his return on a massive investment. Brooklyn played much of the season without center Brook Lopez, struggled through the first two months, then turned it on after Jan. 1.

“A lot of people counted us out,” Williams said.

Some big decisions — mainly regarding the futures of Pierce and Kevin Garnett — are looming. Pierce will be a free agent; Garnett has a year left on his deal, though it’s been speculated he will consider retirement.

Garnett left without comment.

“Emotions are too fresh right now,” Pierce said.

Miami’s future is clearer. The East finals await.

NOTES: Wade had 12 points in the first quarter, his highest-scoring output from an opening period in his last 179 regular-season and playoff games. … Both of Johnson’s 30-point games in these playoffs came on the road. He had 32 at Toronto on April 30.

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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