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Nets-Heat: 56k | 300k 
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Miami (42-40) won 17 of its last 21 games and secured fourth place in the Eastern Conference -- and home-court advantage -- when Milwaukee lost at home to Toronto. The Heat will face New Orleans in the first round.
Under new coach Stan Van Gundy, the Heat improved 17 games from last season and reached the postseason for the first time since 2001.
"When we clinched the playoff spot, I congragulated the team very sincerely," Miami coach Stan Van Gundy said. "It was a real accomplishment to come from where we did. We went 17-4 down the stretch, which is the best record in the league over that time, and that is an absolutely tremendous finish."
The Heat were 0-7 to start the season.
"We were the laughingstock of the league at the beginning," Miami center Brian Grant said. "If we started out 7-0 maybe we would have been full of ourselves and we wouldn't have had the opportunity to trust in one another and grow the new unit."
Butler and rookie Dwyane Wade scored 15 points during a 20-6 run that opened the third quarter and gave Miami a 66-46 advantage. Wade finished with 13 points.
"For a lot of us it is the first time in the playoffs so to have home court is great for us," Wade said.
New Jersey committed 19 turnovers, shot 36 percent (30-of-83) from the field and never got closer than 12 points in the final quarter.
"It was a kind of unusual situation," New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank said. "Our guys put together a good first half, but we had too many turnovers and allowed offensive rebounds to turn into easy baskets."
Richard Jefferson scored 18 points to lead the Nets (47-35), who posted their worst record since the arrival of NBA superstar Jason Kidd prior to the 2001-02 season.
"I hate losing," All-Star Kenyon Martin said. "They were playing for a lot. They put on their 'A' game tonight. All losses are not good, but it happens."
New Jersey clinched the Atlantic Division and the second seed in the East on April 2 and has been beset by injuries over the last six weeks. The Nets will face the New York Knicks in the first round.
"The talk will be that of (Stephon) Marbury and myself, but the big thing will be the Nets against the Knicks," Kidd said. "We are going to have our hands full."