NEW YORK (NBA) - Two Team USA stars had big nights to guide their teams to victory in the NBA play-offs.
Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers - both on the provisional roster for the FIBA World Championship - topped the scoring charts as their teams levelled the series with the New Jersey Nets and Phoenix Suns respectively.
Wade exploded out of the blocks against the Nets, scoring 17 of his 31 points in the first quarter as Miami took a big lead and kept it.
The Heat took a 20-point lead within six minutes and the Nets would get no closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Wade, not known for his three-point shooting, made three treys in the first five minutes to set the tone.
At the end of the first quarter, he sank a 15-footer to put the Heat up 41-19.
Shaquille O'Neal added 21 points for the Heat, while Vince Carter led the Nets with 22.
In Phoenix, Elton Brand had 27 points as the Clippers overwhelmed the Suns in a 122-97 win.
Brand teamed up with Chris Kaman to dominate in the paint, and Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley scored 23 points apiece for the sixth-seeded Clippers.
Cassell set the tone early on as the Clippers took a 20-6 lead after six minutes and never look back, leading by double figures for all but 26 seconds the rest of the way.
The Clippers held a 36-14 advantage in rebounds - grabbing 15 offensive boards - and a staggering 24-2 edge in second-chance points.
Scoring and boarding almost at will, Brand and Kaman combined for 21 points and 16 rebounds in the first half, helping the Clippers maintain a 65-51 lead.
Brand finished with 10 rebounds, while Kaman had 14 points and 16 boards.
Raja Bell scored 20 points and Brazil's Leandro Barbosa added 18 for the Suns.
NBA MVP Steve Nash was quiet with 14 points and eight assists.
PA Sport