MIAMI - It wasn't too hard to figure out what happened on Monday night.
Just ask Brooklyn Nets starting point guard Jarrett Jack.
"Wayne Ellington," Jack said.
True enough, Ellington came off the bench to score a season-high 26 points as the Nets, who have the third-worst record in the NBA, stunned the Miami Heat 111-105 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
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Ellington, playing for his sixth team in his seventh NBA season, has never averaged as many as 11 points in a season. This season, he is averaging 5.2 points.
Yet, he seemingly could not miss in Monday's night's second half, when he scored 23 points in 24 minutes. His plus-minus rating was plus-20 in the second half and plus-15 for the game - no other player on the floor Monday could equal either number.
For the game, Ellington made 9 of 18 shots, including seven of nine on three-pointers.
"He's a fantastic shooter/scorer," said Nets center Brook Lopez, who shared game-high honors with 26 points while also adding 12 rebounds. "We need him to have confidence to put the ball up."
Ellington had that confidence against the Heat, helping the Nets overcome a 16-point third-quarter deficit.
Nets coach Lionel Hollins said he had written it down on paper that he was going to take out all five starters to start the second half.
"When I walked to the court, I re-thought that," Hollins said. "I only took the guards out."
Hollins brought in Shane Larkin at the point and shooting guard Ellington, who ended up scoring 20 or more points against the Heat for the third time in the past four years.
"Ellington hit some big shots," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged. "I really liked some of our possessions. There were open shots that we typically knock down. That's a good sign."
Brooklyn (9-22) improved to 3-12 on the road this season. The Nets also snapped a five-game skid in their series against Miami.
Miami (18-12), which had its two-game win streak snapped, was led by guard Dwyane Wade and forward Chris Bosh with 24 points apiece. Bosh added 12 rebounds and center Hassan Whiteside had 18 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
Miami, which shot 55 percent in the first quarter, had a 26-24 lead. The Heat closed the first half on a 13-3 run, taking a 58-44 advantage into the break.
"They made a big run to close the half, and it made it look a bit worse than it was," Lopez said. "But we responded."
The Heat led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, but the Nets came all the way back, outscoring Miami 34-19 in the period to take a 78-77 lead.
Miami was held to 29.4 percent shooting in the third quarter. Brooklyn shot 66.7 percent and was led by Lopez and Ellington, each with 11 points. Ellington went 3-of-3 on 3-pointers in the quarter.
Spoelstra was upset with his team's rebounding effort, which resulted in the Nets' 27-15 advantage on second-chance points.
"They long-rebounded their way to a win here in our building," Spoelstra said of the Nets, who grabbed 16 offensive boards. "You can't lose a game like that at home when we're in control."
NOTES: Heat F Justise Winslow, who injured his ankle in Miami's previous game, sat out for the first time this season. ... Heat C Hassan Whiteside played despite being bothered by the flu. ... Heat G Tyler Johnson (shoulder), who hasn't been healthy since Dec. 9, returned to the rotation and scored two points in 18 minutes. ... Heat F Josh McRoberts missed his 10th straight game, but coach Erik Spoelstra said the swelling is down in McRoberts' knee. ... Heat SG Dwyane Wade leads Eastern Conference guards in fan voting for the All-Star Game, set for Feb. 14 in Toronto. Heat F Chris Bosh is seventh among front-court players - the top three will start the game - and Whiteside is ninth. ... No Nets player is in the top 10 in either category. ... This was the first of eight straight games in which Brooklyn will play a team that currently has a winning record.
