New York, New York - The Brooklyn Nets were back in action on Thursday night as they welcomed back one of the NBA's best players for a home matchup against the Miami Heat.

The Nets couldn’t hang on to beat the Heat as Miami escaped with a 113-107 road win.

This is now three-straight losses for the Nets as superstar Kevin Durant (33), who had been out for 21 games with an MCL sprain, was making his return to Brooklyn’s lineup. They went 5-16 while he was out.

The Nets did come out with an offensive game plan that was efficient right from the opening tipoff.

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Brooklyn was shooting exceptionally well, building a comfortable lead throughout the first half. They never trailed Miami in both the first and second quarters.

At halftime, the Nets settled in with a small, seven-point advantage, leading the Heat 67-60.

The third quarter was an entirely different story, though. Miami’s defense turned up the heat – literally – and only allowed 17 third-quarter points from the Nets, giving Miami their first lead of the game going into the fourth.

Brooklyn simply couldn't get back on track and ended up watching time slowly tick away, never regaining a lead before the game’s final buzzer.

Heat center Bam Adebayo was Miami’s driving force against the Nets and was key in their second-half comeback on Thursday night.

As Brooklyn was trying to reclaim the lead late in the fourth quarter, Adebayo fought to knock down a crucial bucket with under a minute to play, sealing the deal for the Heat.

The former NBA All-Star rarely missed a shot during the game and was just one point away from finishing the night as the game’s leading scorer.

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In just 33 minutes, Adebayo shot 12-for-15 from the field for a team-high 30 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

Despite losing their third-straight game, the Nets shouldn’t have much to fear going forward now that Durant’s back.

He didn’t play out of sorts and only missed his first two shots from the field before getting into a groove that netted him a game-high 31 points, so that’s something to be positive about.

But the Nets still need some more offensive firepower on the court – on a consistent basis – to ensure they get themselves a decent spot in the playoffs, this spring.

Since his recent return to basketball, Kyrie Irving can still only play road games that aren’t in New York State or California, though that could change in Brooklyn’s favor if New York City changes vaccine regulations for indoor activities next week.

And Ben Simmons, whom the Nets traded away for former MVP James Harden, has yet to be cleared fit enough to play in his first game. He is still dealing with a bad back.

The Nets are now sitting even at 32-32 with less than 20 games to play in the regular season. While they’re not in dire straits, they don’t have a lot of time to get back on track.

On Saturday night, the Heat hosts the 76ers, while on Sunday afternoon, the Nets will head to Boston to face the Celtics.