What Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett want, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett get. In the duo's first year with the Brooklyn Nets, the former Boston Celtics veterans will face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinal round.
The Nets needed Pierce to make a winning play at the end of Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors to get here, but after tumultuous start to the year Jason Kidd's team has made due through injury and negative attention. Beating an upstart Raptors squad made people forget this is an aging and perhaps random collection of All-Star talents, and the Nets can further legitimize the first year under Kidd by hanging some tough games on the Heat.
Miami had the easiest time of any NBA team in the first round, sweeping the Charlotte Bobcats but showing bits of vulnerability here and there. Rest surely will help the Heat moving forward, and that's exactly what they got before facing two familiar rivals in Pierce and Garnett.
The series opener tips Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET, and here's the rest of the schedule, TV broadcast information included.
Full schedule
Game 1: May 6 @ Miami, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: May 8 @ Miami, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Game 3: May 10 @ Brooklyn, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 4: May 12 @ Brooklyn, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 *: May 14 @ Miami, TBD (TNT)
Game 6 *: May 16 @ Brooklyn, TBD (ESPN)
Game 7 *: May 18 @ Miami, TBD (ABC)