MIAMI _ The good news for the Miami Heat is they won't have to face the Brooklyn Nets in the postseason. The bad news is they're not in the playoffs yet.
Positioned to clinch with a victory Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena, the Heat instead ended the season series 1-3 against the Nets with a frustrating 110-109 overtime loss to Brooklyn.
The Heat had a chance to win at the end of regulation, with Goran Dragic off with a jumper at the fourth-quarter buzzer and then another chance to win down one in overtime off their final possession with 4.6 seconds to play, when a Dwyane Wade drive came up inches short.
The Heat now will either have to get into the postseason through the backdoor, needing a Detroit Pistons loss Sunday in Brooklyn, or will have to wait until their home game Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks at the conclusion of this four-game homestand.
The loss snapped the Heat's eight-game home winning streak.
The Heat magic number for clinching a playoff berth remains at one.
Dragic and James Johnson led the Heat with 18 points apiece, with Kelly Olynyk scoring 16, Wade 13, Josh Richardson 13 and Justise Winslow 11.
A pair of baskets from Richardson helped move the Heat into a 105-105 tie early in overtime. But a Joe Harris free throw with 1:26 to play put the Nets up 108-105.
Wade countered with a driving basket with 1:16 left to draw the Heat within 108-107, with Johnson scoring inside off a Wade assist for a 109-108 Heat lead with 41.1 seconds to play.
Caris LeVert responded on the other end with a basket in the lane to put the Nets up 110-109 with 34.2 seconds to play.
The Heat then were unable to get a conversion from Wade or score on an open 3-point attempt by Richardson, finally calling time to reset in possession with 4.6 seconds left, with Wade off with his final attempt.
A Johnson 3-point play with 6:52 left in regulation drew the Heat within 94-88, after the Heat had fallen behind 94-85.
Johnson then scored on driving layup with 6:28 to play in the fourth, with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson called for a foul and a technical foul on the play.
Wade then missed the free throw for the technical, with Johnson converting his foul shot to draw the Heat within 94-91.
But Hollis-Jefferson later regained his composure to convert a 15-foot jumper that put the Nets ahead 98-93 with 4:07 left in the fourth.
A pair of free throws from Johnson and a driving layup by Winslow in transition pulled the Heat within 99-97 with 3:05 left in regultation.
The Heat then had two opportunities to move ahead, committing turnovers on each possession.
Finally, with 1:12 to play in the fourth, Wade scored on a driving layup for a 99-98 Heat lead.
But Hollis-Jefferson then pounced for a 3-point play with 1:10 left in the fourth to put the Nets up 101-99.
Wade again attacked, this time fouled with 59.2 seconds left in the fourth, his free throws tying it 101-101.
The Heat then got a needed stop, only to see Winslow fail to convert in transition, given the Nets the ball back with 26.9 seconds to play in regulation, leading to their final timeout.
The Heat the forced a pair of misses, taking possession off their final timeout with 1.7 seconds to play in regulation.
But that's when Dragic was off at the regulation buzzer.
The Nets outscored the Heat 32-21 in the third quarter to move to an 80-76 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Olynyk was up to 15 points at that stage for the Heat.
After the Heat's lead was whittled to one in the second period, a strong close to the quarter left them with a 54-48 lead at the intermission.
Dragic was up to 14 points at that stage, Hassan Whiteside 10, with the Heat's only foul trouble the three on Wayne Ellington.
The Heat pushed to an early 14-point lead before going into the second period up 32-22. Dragic scored 10 in the first quarter, a period when Whiteside asked out early.
