MIAMI -- Something about facing the Miami Heat still brings out the best in Paul Pierce. Jason Kidd isnt half-bad against them, either. Pierce scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter and delivered two crucial scores late, Shaun Livingston created a turnover on the games final play and the Brooklyn Nets topped the Heat 96-95 on Wednesday night -- moving to 3-0 this season against the two-time defending NBA champions, two of those wins coming by a single point and the other in overtime. "We havent had any success," Kidd said of Brooklyns perfect mark against the Heat. "Weve just been lucky to win some games." Maybe, maybe not. In Kidds past 24 games against the Heat as a coach or player, his teams are 19-5. And this was just the latest entry in Brooklyns surge, with the Nets now an Eastern Conference-best 23-9 since Jan. 1. Mirza Teletovic scored 17 off the bench. Livingston finished with 13 points and Andray Blatche scored 11 for the Nets. Chris Bosh scored 24 points for Miami, giving him 15,003 for his career. Dwyane Wade scored 22, LeBron James finished with 19 and Mario Chalmers scored 14 for the Heat, who gave up 22 points off turnovers and were hit with two technicals (on Wade and Chalmers) for arguing calls within a 92-second span of the third quarter. "Its competition," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team has dropped four of its past five games. "Its survival of the strongest right now. ... We still feel confident about our game. We just need to put it together." Miami had a chance at the end. Deron Williams missed a jumper with about 8 seconds left, and Wade grabbed the rebound. He took a couple steps downcourt, then called time out with 3.5 seconds remaining, and Miami had to burn another one in order to advance the ball into the frontcourt for the final play. Whatever Spoelstra drew up never got off the ground. Bosh tried to get the ball to James in the lane, but Livingston knocked it away and time expired. "Losing four of five," James said, "thats pretty bad." Pierce was 5 for 5 from the field, 3 for 3 from 3-point range and got fouled on another try from beyond the arc in the third quarter, his biggest-scoring period of the season. "Im sure his antenna is raised in games like this, against us," Spoelstra said. Chalmers made a 3-pointer to get Miami within 84-81 with 6:57 left, but Teletovic -- who hadnt had a double-digit scoring game in exactly a month before Wednesday -- answered from several feet beyond the arc on the next Brooklyn possession to restore a six-point lead. Miami never got the lead back. Pierce had a 3 to make it 90-86, then a drive to snap a 92-all tie with 1:45 remaining. "Pauls got too much left in the tank to be a role player," Williams said. The Nets were without Kevin Garnett (back) and Andrei Kirilenko (ankle). Garnett is expected to miss at least one more game, while Kirilenko tested his ankle in a morning shootaround practice before the Nets figured he wasnt ready to play. Miami beat every other team in the league last season, and still could repeat the feat this year. The Heat entered Wednesday having beaten 26 of the 29 opposing clubs, the three holdouts being Houston (who visits Sunday), Memphis (who Miami hasnt faced yet) -- and the Nets, who won the first two meetings against the Heat this season in Brooklyn. Now theyve won in Miami as well, and are 31-1 when leading after three quarters. "If we had the answer, we would have won," James said. The Heat fell two games behind Indiana in the East race, as well as one game behind the Pacers in the loss column. It was also the fifth straight game where Miami failed to shoot better than 50 per cent from the field, and the Nets kept James from getting any shots from the field in the fourth quarter. "We do need to execute down the stretch," Wade said. "We need to be able to at least get the ball up to the rim, so were going to have to work on that a little bit. Weve got something to work on as a team. Thats not a bad thing." NOTES: James took a pair of free throws 3:07 into the game. He didnt take any in games earlier this week against Chicago and Washington. ... Joe Johnson had a 22-point first quarter against Miami in January; he was held to eight Wednesday. ... Brooklyn was staying in Miami overnight, a perk since it doesnt play again until Saturday in Washington. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Soccer Jerseys China . "Last year we were in a ton of situations, late-game situations we couldnt pull out. Wed kind of fold under the pressure, get frustrated or let a big shot frustrate us," guard DeMar DeRozan said. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/. But defending champion Elena Vesnina of Russia held off a strong challenge to beat Shuai Peng of China 6-3, 6-4, and there was another hard-fought victory for 2012 runner-up Angelique Kerber of Germany, who defeated Alison Riske of the United States 7-6 (6), 6-4. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . Groves signed with Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent last year after a season with Arizona. He was in the linebacker rotation and had a sack in the season opener against Miami. Clearance Soccer Jerseys . -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.The struggling Toronto Maple Leafs try to snap a four-game winless skid tonight when they play host to the red-hot San Jose Sharks at Air Canada Centre. You can listen to the game on TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto. Toronto will try to halt its longest slide of the season. The current 0-2-2 stretch is the clubs worst skid since it dropped five straight (0-3-2) from March 7-16 of last season. Nazem Kadri will not be in the lineup tonight for the Leafs. Kadri will miss the game on bereavement after the death of his grandfather. The 23-year-old has seven goals and 10 assists in 24 games this season. He missed three games in November after a suspension for his hit to head of Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom. Peter Holland will start in place of Kadri. Toronto wrapped its November schedule with a mediocre 4-6-3 record. The Maple Leafs suffered a regulation loss in their last game of the month, dropping a 4-2 decision at Montreal on Saturday. The Leafs fell behind 2-0 in the first period of Saturdays loss in Montreal and saw the deficit grow to four goals before James van Riemsdyk scored his 12th goal of the season with 1:50 left in the second period. Mason Raymond added Torontos only other goal of the game just 22 seconds later. Canadiens goaltender Carey Price made 12 of his 34 saves in a spotless third period to help the Habs hold on for the win over their bitter rivals. "I thought it was a hard-fought game," said van Riemsdyk. "There were times we didnt play as well as we could have. Those were the times that cost us the game." Jonathan Bernier gave up four goals on 39 shots for the Maple Leafs. Bernier could get the start again on Tuesday and is 1-2-0 with a 3.57 GAA in four career appearances against San Jose. Fellow Toronto goaltender James Reimer is 1-1-0 with a 2.02 GAA in two lifetime outings versus the Sharks. The Maple Leafs hope to get back on track tonight at the start of a brief two-game homestand. Toronto, which also will welcome Dallas on Thursday, is 9-4-0 as the host this season compared to a 5-6-3 mark on the road. Toronto went 0-2-1 on a recent three-game road trip and was winless on the road in November (0-4-3). Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul will sit out a fourth straight game on Tuesday duue to a groin injury.dddddddddddd Lupul has eight goals and seven assists in 22 tilts this season. Cody Franson will be a game-time decision for the Leafs on defence. Franson did not play in the Leafs Saturday night loss. The Sharks will try to match their longest winning streak of the season tonight. The Sharks have won their last five outings, leaving them one victory shy of their season-opening six-game tear from Oct. 3-15. All told, the Sharks have posted victories in eight of their past nine outings and their recent hot play has vaulted San Jose into first place in the Pacific Division standings. Anaheim, which hosts Los Angeles on Tuesday, is one point in back of San Jose for the Pacific lead. San Jose, however, has a solid 8-2-3 record as the guest this season and has won its last three trips to Toronto. The Sharks have taken five of six overall from the Leafs. The Sharks also played on Saturday when they recorded a home shootout win over the Ducks, who entered the contest tied with San Jose for first in the Pacific. Joe Pavelski scored in the second round of the shootout to lift the Sharks past Anaheim, 4-3, to take sole possession of the divisions top spot. Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who went 5-0-0 on a recent five-game homestand. Martin Havlat and Logan Couture also lit the lamp Saturday, while Antti Niemi stopped 28-of-31 shots in the victory. "Its the division, its the conference," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said after the win. "Its that close. Its got to be exciting for hockey fans all over because there really isnt anybody thats pulling away or a clear-cut favorite, and some really important hard-fought games at this time of year." The Sharks received a scare in the first period when captain Joe Thornton was hit near the left eye with a deflected puck. The veteran centerman left the game briefly before returning later in the period. Thornton, who contributed an assist towards Saturdays win, has registered a point in five straight games and is expected to play on Tuesday. He is leading San Jose this season with 29 points on four goals and 25 assists. Niemi expects to get the start tonight for San Jose and is 1-1-0 with a 2.01 goals against average in two career games against Toronto. ' ' '