Nets Hand the Heat First Loss of Playoffs

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 10th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 3 Recap

Final Score: Heat 90 Nets 104

In a must win Game 3 at home for the Brooklyn Nets, they were able to avoid the certain series loss if they fell in Game 3 to the Miami Heat. The victory keeps hope alive for the Nets, as they were able to control the defending champs for most of the game with a barrage of three-pointers.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

As it has been so many times for the Nets in the postseason thus far, it was Joe Johnson who was the Nets best player. In a well balanced scoring attack for the Nets, Johnson led the team with 19 points on seven for 10 shooting, which included five three-pointers made. Johnson continued to do a good job recognizing when to make the pass, as he had six assists.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s bench played a big factor in the Nets victory, as Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche were both in double figures off of the bench. Teletovic was one of the main guys in the Nets three-point barrage, as all of his shot were from behind the arc. He went four for seven from deep for 12 points to go along with six rebounds in 19 minutes. Blatche was a monster for the Nets, as he was able to notch a double-double in just 20 minutes. Blatche finished with 15 points on five for 10 shooting with 10 rebounds in what was his best game by far of the series.

The combination of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were both able to have nice efficient, effective games for the Nets in their supporting roles on Saturday. They were both in double figures, as Pierce finished with 14 points on five for 10 shooting, and Garnett was able to add 10 points on five for six shooting.

On defense the Nets did a much better job stopping Ray Allen, who scored 19 points in Game 1 and then 13 points in Game 2. Game 3 however Allen scored just nine points on two for six shooting and missed his only three-point attempt. Alan Anderson and Allen got into a little skirmish in the second half that resulted in double technicals for both players.

Chris Bosh was also held in check by the Nets, as Miami’s third weapon had a quiet Game 3. Bosh finished with just 12 points on five for 11 shooting with just five rebounds, as it was the worst game of the series so far for Bosh, and the Heat clearly missed his production.

Negatives:

Trying to stop the great duo of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James is going to be a difficult task, but with the their supporting cast have bad games for the most part, the Nets were able to survive good games from Wade and James. Wade finished with 20 points on nine for 18 shooting. James scored 16 points in the first quarter, as it looked early like it was going to be a special game from James. He finished with 28 points on eight for 15 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.

Next up for the Nets will be Game 4 in Brooklyn on Monday, as Brooklyn will look to even up the series.

Nets Narrowly Defeat Raptors in Game 7

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 4^th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors Game 7 Recap

Final Score: Nets 104 Raptors 103

In a win or go home Game 7 in a hostile arena in Toronto, the Brooklyn Nets were able to survive the young Raptors for a thrilling Game 7 victory on Sunday. A few missed free throws at the end of the game for the Nets nearly cost them, but a block by Paul Pierce on Kyle Lowry sealed the deal for the Nets, as the advanced to the next round.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Easily the best player for the Nets throughout the entire series was Joe Johnson, and Game 7 was no different. Johnson finished with a team-high 26 points on 11 for 25 shooting, with four rebounds, and four assists. The Raptors threw the kitchen sink at Johnson with multiple defenders guarding him and frequent double-teams, but Johnson made the right pass out almost every time, as he could have a lot of hockey assists.

Positives:

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were in different roles in this Game 7 than previous seasons. They both only played 25 minutes, but it was an effective one from both of them. Pierce finished with 10 points on four for 10 shooting, but made the play of the game for the Nets blocking Lowry's shot in the final seconds. Garnett had a very good game, as he was able to notch a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, as it was his first double-double since February 1^st.

Nets Defeat Raptors to Force Game 7

usatoday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 2nd, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 6 Recap

Final Score: Raptors 83 Nets 97

The Brooklyn Nets were able to bounce back from their Game 5 loss in Toronto with a Game 6 victory in the Barclays Center to keep their season alive, and force another Game 7 in what has been a great First Round in the Playoffs this season.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

For the Nets their recipe is to win is pretty simple, when Deron Williams’ plays well they win, and luckily in Game 6 for the Nets, he played well. The Nets Point Guard was under a lot of pressure heading into the elimination game, as he responded well with a team-high 23 points on eight for 16 shooting, including four three-pointers. The aggressive Williams also had five rebounds, four assists, and one steal to help lead the Nets to the victory.

Positives:

The very solid performance from Williams also came at the expense of Lowry, who had by far his worst game of the series, which was a great sight for Brooklyn. Lowry, who was coming off a 36-point game in Game 5, was held in check in Game 6. He was only able to score 11 points on a poor four for 16 shooting night from the field, and also turned the ball over four times. If Williams can outplay Lowry like this or even keep it close stats wise in Game 7 the Nets will be in great shape to advance.

Nets Game 5 Comeback Falls Just Short Against Raptors

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 30th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors Game 5 Recap

Final Score: Nets 113 Raptors 115

In a crucial Game 5 on the road after losing Game 4 at home due to a late game scoring drought, the Nets found themselves down by 26 points at one point on Wednesday night, but fought back. Their miraculous attempt of a comeback however came up a little short, as after a offensive rebound on a missed free throw on purpose by Andray Blatche, he threw a wild pass over Deron Williams head, leading to a backcourt violation and a loss.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

As it has been for most of the series, Joe Johnson has been the Nets go to guy, and in an important Game 5 it was no different. Johnson took over the game for the Nets in the second half, as he finished with a team-high 30 points on 13 for 23 shooting, and was the major catalyst in the Nets attempted comeback. Johnson was a ridiculous +22 when on the court in the loss, but his early foul trouble in the first half certainly put the Nets behind the eight-ball.

Positives:

When the Nets went down by 26, Jason Kidd would strike gold with a few bench players, as Mirza Teletovic, Alan Anderson, and Blatche were big parts of the comeback. Teletovic was the Nets best player off the bench, as he finished with 17 points on six for 10 shooting, which included four three-pointers, and seven rebounds. Anderson also played well down the stretch, as he scored 13 points on four for seven shooting, and had two four-point plays in the fourth quarter.

Nets Offense Disappears in Game 4 Loss

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 27th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 4 Recap

Final Score: Raptors 87 Nets 79

In a must win Game 4 for the young Toronto Raptors on the road, they were able to rise to the challenge and win their first playoff game on the road since 2001. The loss for the Nets evens the series up at two games a piece, and the home-court advantage switches back into the Raptors favor.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

In the Game 4 loss for Brooklyn they did receive a strong performance from Paul Pierce, who led the team in scoring. In the low scoring game on Sunday night, Pierce was able to drop 22 points on a great nine of 14 shooting from the field. Pierce added five rebounds and two assists to his final line, but was one of the few Nets to have a good game in the disappointing home loss.

Positives:

Besides Pierce the only other Nets player to turn in a good game was Mirza Teletovic, who had a strong game off the bench. Teletovic was second on the team in scoring with 12 points on five for nine shooting, shockingly none of which came from beyond the arc. Teletovic also added five rebounds, three of which were on the offensive end in a good 17 minutes of play.

Raptors Defeat Nets to Even Series

nba.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 22nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors Game 2 Recap

Final Score: Nets 95 Raptors 100

The Brooklyn Nets after a big Game 1 win in Toronto fell a little short in Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors. In what was really a must win game for the young Raptors, not wanting to head to Brooklyn down two games in the series, but they avoided that and tied the series at a game a piece with the victory.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Once again for the Nets their best player against the Raptors was Joe Johnson, who led the Nets in scoring in the Game 2 loss. Johnson finished with a team-high 18 points on seven for 13 shooting to go along with three rebounds and two assists. Most of Johnson’s damage came in the third quarter, as he scored 12 points in the Nets best quarter of the game. In the fourth quarter however Johnson did struggle against Landry Fields, in what was a change in the Raptors rotation that we will likely be seeing again in Game 3.

Nets Take Game 1 in Toronto

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 19th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors Game 1 Recap

Final Score: Nets 94 Raptors 87

The Brooklyn Nets were able to head up north of the border to Toronto and take Game 1 against the young Raptors. The experience of the Nets was talked about a lot heading into this game, and with a loud crowd and shot clock issues, it certainly looked like that experience was the difference in the game.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Throughout the game Joe Johnson was the Nets most consistent player on offense from start to finish, and nearly played the whole game, as Jason Kidd only gave him three minutes of rest. Johnson finished with 24 points on eight for 13 shooting, including going a perfect eight for eight from the free throw line. Johnson not only scored well for the Nets, he also led the team in rebounds with eight. He had four assists, and two steals as well to round up a great overall game.

Series Preview: Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors

nba.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Eastern Conference Playoffs

Series Preview: Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors

The Brooklyn Nets will be heading into the playoffs for the second consecutive season, as after a strong inaugural season in Brooklyn, the Nets loss a tough series to the Chicago Bulls. This postseason they will be looking for their first playoff series win as the Brooklyn Nets against the team they were chasing the whole season in the Atlantic Division, the Toronto Raptors.

Match-Up of the Series: Deron Williams vs. Kyle Lowry

In what has been a great season for the Toronto Raptors, one of the major contributors to that has been Kyle Lowry, who has had an All-Star worthy season. Lowry is one of the more complete all-around Point Guards in the NBA, as this season he is averaging 17.9 points, 7.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Against the Nets this season Lowry has been very efficient and effective scoring in four games this season, as he is averaging 22 points on 50% shooting from the field. Deron Williams has certainly had a disappointing season for the Nets, as he is averaging just 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game, but if the Nets are going to do anything in the playoffs they need Williams to step it up and that has to start against Lowry.

- Debut for DeMar

Raptors Shooting Guard DeMar DeRozan is having a season of firsts, as in February he made his first All-Star team, and now after a bunch of losing season will be making his playoff debut after playing the best basketball of his career so far. Nationally, DeRozan may not be a household name like some players, but this season DeRozan is averaging 22.7 points per game, which puts him in the Top 10 in scoring for the NBA this season. DeRozan will be given the chance to shine on the National stage in the postseason, and something big to watch and that could go a long way to deciding the series is whether he rises or falls to the biggest challenge of his NBA career.

- Youth vs. Experience

The experience differential is eye-pooping in the series between these two teams, as in total the Raptors roster has 156 games of playoff experience. In comparison Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have played in a combined 267 career playoff games. A major concern for the Raptors has to be that their playoff inexperience comes mostly from their starting lineup that has three starters that have never played in a playoff game. TThe two starters that have, Lowry and Amir Johnson have combined to play in 24 playoff games, but neither has started a playoff game.

- Center Dilemma

For most of the season size has bothered the Nets in large part due to the absence of Kevin Garnett, and Jason Kidd using a small lineup with Paul Pierce at the Power Forward position, and although the Nets avoided Joakim Noah and the Chicago Bulls, they will have to deal with Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas is playing very well in April, as he is averaging a double-double in eight games with 16.8 points and 11 rebounds per game. Against the Nets this season he has been solid averaging 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. A major question going into the playoff is what is the realistic expectation of what Garnett will be able to give the Nets? The amount of minutes Garnett will be playing is unknown and even if it is more than he has been since returning from the back spasms, there hasn’t been a whole of court time to see how effective he will be. If Garnett is ineffective or can’t play much, Kidd does have the luxury of going with Mason Plumlee and Andray Blatche off the bench.

W2W4: New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets April 15, 2014

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 15^th, 2014

W2W4: New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets will be hosting the New York Knicks in their final meeting of the season on Tuesday night in a game that looking at the schedule in the beginning of the season would have possibly been for the Atlantic Division, but with the Knicks out of the playoffs, it will be a game for in state bragging rights.

- Season Series

The Knicks have bested the Nets twice this season already including once in the Barclay's Center, as they are up 2-1 this season, and with the Nets heading into the playoffs they would like to also not lose the season series to the team that they share the city with. So far this season their hasn’t been one good game between them, as in the first meeting the Knicks won by 30, followed by a 23-point Nets win, and then most recently a 29-point Knicks win on April 2^nd. The Knicks missing the playoffs and having such a disappointing season is good for the Brooklyn brand, but losing the season series would hurt that.

- Woodson's Future

Knicks Head Coach Mike Woodson will most likely be coaching one of his last games with the Knicks on Tuesday, as after the extremely disappointing season and a new president in Phil Jackson, Woodson is as good as gone. With just two games left for the Knicks and being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs it will be interesting to see how Woodson decides to handle his rotation, as he may go with his normal veterans to try and get a victory or possibly give some young players more playing time against Brooklyn.

- Center Audition

With just two games to go for the Nets, Jason Kidd has some decisions to make regarding what will be a smaller rotation come playoff time, as Mason Plumlee has forced his way into the fold with his great play of late. The Center position will without a doubt have Kevin Garnett starting, but it will be interesting to see if Kidd will have faith in the rookie Plumlee or go with Andray Blatche, who has also had a very good season. The smaller lineups with Paul Pierce or Mirza Teletovic have worked so well all season, so going away from that seems silly, but if the Nets do match-up against the Bulls having some healthy size at the Center position will be very helpful if Kidd decides to go with a bigger lineup.

Nets Snap Two-Game Losing Streak Against Magic

sports.yahoo.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 13^th, 2014

Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Magic 88 Nets 97

The Brooklyn Nets were able to snap their two-game losing streak on Sunday, and also get some revenge on the Orlando Magic from a loss in Orlando recently. The win moves the Nets to (44-36) on the season, as now the Nets will just be scoreboard watching to see if they will be playing either the Toronto Raptors or Chicago Bulls in the first round.

Player of the Game: Mirza Teletovic

Coming off the bench, Teletovic scored a game-high 20 points in the win for Brooklyn, as he shot seven for 12 from the field, which included him going four for seven from beyond the arc. Teletovic also grabbed six rebounds in 29 minutes, as come playoff time Teletovic can be an X-factor for the Nets with his ability to stretch the floor from the Power Forward position.

Positives:

Mason Plumlee had yet another good game for the Nets, as lately Plumlee has been looking really good whether it is coming off the bench or in the starting lineup. In 26 minutes off the bench, Plumlee notched a double-double with 17 points on six for eight shooting, as he went five for eight from the free throw line, while grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.

Brooklyn's back court of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson both looked sharp on Sunday against Orlando, which is a good sign seeing both of them playing well at the same time heading into what will be a difficult first round match-up. Williams finished with 16 points on five for 10 shooting, which included him going four for seven from deep, with five assists and four steals. For Williams it was his 29^th straight game with at least one steal, which is the longest active streak in the NBA. Johnson finished with 17 points on six for 13 shooting, including going three for seven from beyond the arc. Johnson moved into second place on the franchise's single-season made three pointers list with 160 for the season, Williams is in first place with 169 last season.

Negatives:

In the third quarter the Nets and Paul Pierce suffered a bit of a scare, as it appeared he got yet another stinger after getting hit hard by Kyle O'Quinn. Pierce stayed on the bench instead of going to the locker room but he never returned. Kevin Garnett also had a bit of a scare as he was nearly flipped in the second quarter landing on his back, but he stayed in the game. Garnett however didn’t play particularly well, scoring just three points on one for three shooting from the field with five turnovers.

Next up for the Nets will be their final meeting with the rival New York Knicks on Tuesday night in the Barclay’s Center.

Nets Have Big Letdown in Orlando

sbnation.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 9th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Orlando Magic Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 111 Magic 115

The Brooklyn Nets coming off a great win against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night laid an egg on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, losing 115-111. The loss moves the Nets to (43-35) on the season, which leaves them three games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division with four games to play, almost assuring that the Nets will be the fifth seed in the East.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Easily the best player for the Nets in their losing effort on Wednesday was Joe Johnson, who for the second straight game led the Nets in scoring. Johnson finished with a game-high 31 points on 11 for 19 shooting. Johnson also added five assists and four rebounds to go along with his big scoring night, but it wasn’t enough to help the Nets get the win with three rotation players sitting, as with a chance to tie the game he had his three-point attempt blocked by Kyle O’Quinn.

Positives:

In his second game back from the back spasms that cost him to miss 19 straight games, Kevin Garnett was very good in his 17 minutes of play. Garnett scored only five points on two for two shooting, but grabbed eight rebounds, and had six assists. A productive Garnett can be a huge weapon for the Nets come playoff time in what will be a difficult first round match-up.

After a huge game-winning block on LeBron James, Mason Plumlee was moved back to the bench with the return of Garnett, but Plumlee played extremely well coming in for Garnett. Plumlee finished with 16 points off the bench on seven for eight shooting to go along with five rebounds, but Plumlee did foul out in the fourth quarter.

Negatives:

Deron Williams really struggled on Wednesday coming off a poor game scoring against the Heat where he scored just eight points. Against Orlando, Williams scored 11 points on a horrendous three for 14 shooting day, which included going one for six from behind the three-point arc.

For the Magic off the bench a major factor in their second quarter domination was E’Twaun Moore. Moore scored 14 straight points in the second quarter, and finished with 17 points on a perfect six for six shooting day from the field, which included him going five for five from three-point range.

The Nets were far from 100% in this game, as Shaun Livingston was given the day off, Andray Blatche missed his second straight game with an illness, and Paul Pierce despite being five points shy of 25,000 sat out with a hip pointer.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip back to the Barclays Center where they have won 15 straight, and will look to make it 16 straight on Friday against the Hawks.

Nets Complete Season Sweep of Miami Heat

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 8th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 88 Heat 87

The Brooklyn Nets were able to complete the season sweep of the Miami Heat, as with the victory on Tuesday night; the Nets have beaten the defending champions four times this season. The win moves the Nets to within two games of the Toronto Raptors for the Atlantic division’s top spot with five games left for each team.




Player of the Game: Marcus Thornton

For the Nets on Tuesday, it was one of their main bench players that stood out against the Heat, as Marcus Thornton in his 28 minutes of play made a big impact for Brooklyn. Thornton finished with 16 points on six for eight shooting, which included him going four for five from behind the arc. He also added six rebounds, and a game-high four steals to high the highest plus/minus of any player, going +8.

Positives:

Kevin Garnett was given the day off against Miami, which led to Mason Plumlee being moved back into the starting lineup, and late in the game he made the play that gave the Nets the win. In the final seconds with LeBron James looking for a game-winning dunk, Plumlee stepped in and made the play to stop James with a huge block that sent James into a frantic outburst looking for a foul. Besides the game-saving block, Plumlee led the Nets in rebounds with eight, and added eight points on four for six shooting with three blocks and one steal.

Scoring wise, Joe Johnson was the main gun for the Nets on Tuesday, as he scored a team-high 19 points on nine of 17 shooting from the field. Paul Pierce was the only other Nets starter in double figures, as he finished with 14 points on five for eight shooting. Pierce will be heading into Orlando five points shy of reaching 25,000 career points, which he will almost certainly reach on Wednesday. Coming off the bench besides the big game from Thornton, it was Mirza Teletovic who helped the bench scoring in the absence of Andray Blatche, as he scored 11 points on four for eight shooting.

The Heat were without Dwyane Wade, but still have another great player besides James in Chris Bosh, and the Nets did a very good job containing him. Bosh had a tough game scoring only 12 points on a poor five for 13 shooting day from the field, and for going against the small lineups of Brooklyn, Bosh only grabbed six rebounds.

Negatives:

Although James had his attempted game-winner stopped by Plumlee, he was very good during the game. James scored a game-high 29 points on nine for 16 from the field and 11 for 14 from the free throw line. When facing James, he does a lot more than just score, as grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and dished out six assists in the losing effort.

Next up for the Nets will be the second half of a back to back against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat April 8th, 2014

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 8th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets will be heading down to South Beach trailing the Toronto Raptors by 2.5 games in the Atlantic Division, as when it comes to playoff seeding it is looking more and more likely that the Nets are going to be the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference.

- Sweep

Brooklyn has been very good against the Heat this season, as they are 3-0 facing the defending champions, but with the Heat fighting for the first seed in the Eastern Conference, this maybe the toughest game to beat the Heat. Since the big three of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade have came together only the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics have defeated the Heat three times in a season, and the Nets will look to be the first to beat the Big 3 four times in a season.

- 25k

Paul Pierce has a very good chance on Tuesday night to reach elite company in NBA history, as he is just 19 points shy of 25,000 career points. Pierce has been a main reason for the Nets great play against the Heat this season, as Pierce is averaging 23.7 points per game on 53.8 percent from the field. Pierce always seems to step up his play when playing against James, so if Pierce has a good game he may help the Nets win a big game in Miami, and join Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, and teammate Kevin Garnett as the fourth active player to reach 25,000 points.

- Rest for KG

After returning to the Nets on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, Garnett will be resting against the Heat. Garnett played good in his return to the Nets after missing 19 straight games, as in 13 minutes he scored 10 points on five for six shooting. With Garnett out again, Mason Plumlee will slide back into the starting lineup after having a good game off the bench in what will be his normal role come playoff time. With the playoffs right around the corner and the Nets seemingly stuck in the 5th seed, it will be interesting to see if Jason Kidd elects to rest some of his players coming into playoff time.

Nets Hold on to Victory in Philadelphia

espn.go.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 5^th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 105 76ers 101

The Brooklyn Nets were able to win the second half of a back to back against the horrible Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night, and with the win moved the Nets to (42-34) on the season. The victory keeps the Nets 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division with six games left on the schedule.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

In the win on Saturday, it was Deron Williams who helped lead the Nets to the road victory against the woeful 76ers. Williams scored a team-high 19 points on six for 11 shooting with nine assists and four rebounds. Williams also tied a Nets franchise record, as he was able to swipe a steal in his 26^th consecutive game. In the fourth quarter with the lead falling apart, Williams had a big four-point play to help the Nets hold on to the win.

Positives:

On Saturday night the biggest positive for the Nets was the return of their Center Kevin Garnett, who had been out with back spasms for the previous 19 games. In his return, Garnett played very good against the 76ers, which was probably the best opponent for anyone to get rid of rust against. He finished with 10 points on five for six shooting with four rebounds, one steal, and one block in 13 minutes. With his 10 points, Garnett also passed Alex English for 14^th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Biggest thing for the Nets and Garnett moving forward will be how many minutes the medical staff thinks he can play for the rest of the regular season, and eventually the playoffs.

Due to the return of Garnett, it moved Mason Plumlee back to the bench, but Plumlee still saw a good amount of court time, and played well in his new role. Plumlee finished with 16 points on eight for 10 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds in 23 minutes. The combination of Garnett and Plumlee makes the Nets Center situation look a lot better heading into the playoff then it did with just Plumlee as the starter.

Scoring wise the Nets were pretty well balanced with six players in double-digits, as besides Williams Garnett and Plumlee, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Andray Blatche also had 10 or more points. Pierce finished with 11 points on five for 10 shooting in addition to his five rebounds and four assists. Johnson added 12 points on four for nine shooting, and Blatche scored 10 on four for eight shooting in just 11 minutes.

Negatives:

the second half wasn’t very good for Brooklyn after they heading into halftime with a 15-point lead, as the 76ers outscored them in the third quarter by three points, and the in the fourth by eight points. Jason Kidd decided to never bring Garnett, Pierce or Johnson back into the game, which was a questionable decision with the 76ers mounting a comeback, but Williams and the bench got it done to hold on to the win.

Knicks Blow Out Nets To Reach 8th Seed in East

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

In what is a stretch of important games to finish the season that the New York Knicks need to win, they came out with the effort and passion of team fighting for a playoff spot, blowing out the Brooklyn Nets 110-81. It was a decisive win for the Knicks, who moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the victory over the Atlanta Hawks, who lost to the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks will look to continue their winning ways Friday night, when they take on the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

William Perlman-The Star-Ledger

Since calling out the team for the lack of heart and urgency that a playoff team shows, Smith has turned things on. His game has improved immensely, and he continued that strong play Wednesday against the Nets. Smith was on fire shooting the ball, making 9-16 shots overall and 6-12 from the three point line. He stuffed the stat sheet everywhere else as well, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out six assists. Smith is dynamic with the ball in his hands when his head is on straight, and is a capable distributor when he wants to be. With Smith playing this way the Knicks are a dangerous team not only finish out the season but possibly in the playoffs as well.

Match-Up of the Game Recap:

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks; April 2nd, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will be facing off in a big game Wednesday night, as the Knick are fighting to get into the playoffs and the Nets are looking to move up in the standings. The Knicks are coming off their most successful west coast trip since 1999-2000 and will look to ride that momentum tonight against their cross-town rivals. For the Nets, they played last night and handled the Houston Rockets rather easily. Here are some things to look for tonight in the Battle of the Boroughs.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks are staring at a big problem tonight, as Tim Hardaway Jr. is questionable with an ankle injury. Hardaway Jr. injured the ankle in the waning moments of the Knicks win Monday night over the Utah Jazz. If he is unable to go, Iman Shumpert will be in line for an increase in minutes and big role in the game plan. Amar’e Stoudemire should be back in the lineup for the Knicks tonight after sitting out Monday with a planned day of rest.

For the Nets, they will still be without Kevin Garnett. Garnett is not expected to make a return to the lineup until next week at the earliest. Andrei Kirilenko was not able to play last night for the Nets and his status is up in the air for the game tonight. Same goes for Marcus Thornton, who missed Tuesday’s game with back problems.

-Match-Up Of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Pierce Leads Nets to 13th Straight Home Win

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 31st, 2014

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Timberwolves 99 Nets 114

The Brooklyn Nets were once again able to win at the Barclays Center, as with their 114-99 victory over the Timberwolves they have made it 13 straight at the home. The win moves the Nets to (39-33), which is 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

For the second straight game Nets Forward Paul Pierce had a great game, and got off to a hot start once again. Pierce lit it up in the first quarter scoring 16 points, helping the Nets get off to a good start. Pierce finished with a game-high 22 points on eight for 11 shooting, which included him, going five of eight from three-point range. The only downside for Pierce in the game was that he got into foul trouble in third quarter.

Positives:

In the third quarter when the Nets got into foul trouble, Joe Johnson stepped up to help the Nets weather the storm from the Timberwolves. Johnson scored eight points in the third without Deron Williams and Pierce on the court. Johnson finished with 19 points on eight for 13 shooting, and he also became the 15th active player to reach 17,000 career points.

Brooklyn on defense did an excellent job against one of the better players in the league in Kevin Love, who is averaging a double-double on the season, but on Sunday the Nets held him in check. Love finished with just 14 points on five for 14 shooting, and maybe more impressive for the Nets is that they were able to keep in under 10 rebounds, as he finished with nine. As a team the Nets out-rebounded the Timberwolves by one, and even had more offensive rebounds than them.

The second unit for Brooklyn was very good in the win on Sunday, as it got big games from Andray Blatche and Alan Anderson. Blatche finished with 14 points, which led all bench scorers on seven for 11 shooting with six rebounds. Anderson was right behind Blatche with 13 points on five for 10 shooting, and Anderson also added five rebounds.

Negatives:

In what was a good win for the Nets there were few negatives, but Brooklyn was sloppy with the ball, as they turned it over 20 times. The high turnover amount played into the Timberwolves style of play. Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin were able to take advantage of opportunities in the open court, as they both played well in the loss. They each finished with 21 points, as for Brewer he did it on nine for 13 shooting, and for Martin he shot nine for 16 from the field.

Next up for the Nets will be a big test at home on Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets.

W2W4: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Brooklyn Nets March 30th, 2014

sportspyder.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 30th, 2014

W2W4: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Brooklyn Nets

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets will be at home on Sunday evening hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the Nets look gain ground on the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division. The Nets are (38-33) on the season, and still trail the Raptors by 2.5 games.

Match-Up of the Game: Kevin Love vs. Paul Pierce

Nets Forward Paul Pierce is going to have his hands full on Sunday night against one of the most dynamic players in the NBA in Kevin Love. Love is having a monster season for the Timberwolves, as the walking double-double is averaging 26.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. Pierce is going to have to worry about chasing Love at the three-point line, and then also box him out on the glass. Love isn’t the greatest defender however, so Pierce should be able to succeed on the offensive end of the court.

- Lucky 13

On Sunday the Nets will be looking to be victorious for the 13th straight time at the Barclays Center, as with the home winning streak it has allowed the Nets to have one of the better home records in basketball. The Timberwolves are one game above .500, but on the road they aren’t the same team, as they are just (15-21) this season. A bad road team heading in the Timberwolves heading to the Barclays Center seems like a good recipe for the Nets.

- Clincher

Brooklyn can lock up a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference tonight if they are able to defeat the Timberwolves, and if their rivals the New York Knicks lose to the Golden State Warriors. The Nets will definitely be a playoff team whether they clinch it tonight or not, but with their great play at home they certainly want to either win the Atlantic or hop the Chicago Bulls in the standings.

- Still Out

Once again the Nets will be without Center Kevin Garnett, who will be missing his 16th straight game with back spasms, and Forward Andrei Kirilenko will be out yet again with a sprained ankle, which will be his fourth game missed in a row.

Nets Win 12th Straight at Home

philly.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 28th, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Cavaliers 97 Nets 108

The Brooklyn Nets were able to return home to the Barclays Center after an extremely tough road-trip that the Nets had to play three overtime games. On Friday they were able to avoid a fourth straight overtime game, and extended their winning streak at home to 12 games with the victory against the Cavaliers. The win moves the Nets to (39-33) on the season, and keeps them 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, as the Raptors defeated the Celtics on Friday as well.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce was the Nets best scorer on Friday in the win, as he only had to play 20 minutes, but had a huge impact on the game. In his limited time Pierce led all scorers with a game-high 22 points on five for six shooting from the three-point line, and going a perfect seven for seven from the free throw line. Pierce scored 17 of the 22 points in the first quarter, and all of Pierce’s points came in the first half. He also was able to extend his 100 three-pointers made in a season to 14 straight seasons a remarkable feat for Pierce.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s starting lineup did a pretty good job along with Pierce having a great game in the easy win. Joe Johnson was also very efficient shooting the basketball, as he went six of eight from the field, which included him going two for three from three-point range to extend his streak of a game with a three-pointer made to 20 straight, in route to him scoring 14 points. Deron Williams played well too, as in 26 minutes he scored 13 points on five for 10 shooting to go along with five assists, two rebounds, and two steals.

Shaun Livingston was the do it all guy for Brooklyn on Friday, as he led the team with 34 minutes and also had the highest +/- of any player going +28. Livingston finished with just eight points, but was efficient going four for five from the field, and like in a lot of games this season it was more than just scoring for Livingston. Along with the eight points, Livingston added eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

In the battle of the bench’s, Brooklyn had the advantage going into the game, and it showed on the court. The Cavaliers bench only combined for 18 points compared to the 48 points for the Nets. Alan Anderson was the leading scorer for the Nets off the bench, as he scored 13 points on six for 10 shooting. Andray Blatche was also in double figures, as he scored 10 points on four for five shooting.

On the road-trip the Nets really struggle to defend opposing team’s frontcourts and rebound, but on Friday the Nets did a much better on the glass, as they out-rebounded the Cavaliers 41-35. Mirza Teletovic was the Nets best player on the glass, as he grabbed 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. Mason Plumlee also did pretty well rebounding, grabbing seven in 20 minutes.

Next up for the Nets will be a home game on Sunday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Poor Third Quarter Leads to Nets Loss in New Orleans

sportsspyder.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 24th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New Orleans Pelicans Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 104 Pelicans 109

The Brooklyn Nets coming off an overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday found themselves in the same situation on Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, but this time they were unable to pull off a second straight overtime win in as many days. The loss moves the Net to (37-32) on the season, which is two games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

Coming off a relatively quiet night on Sunday, Deron Williams was very good against the Pelicans on Monday evening. Williams scored 23 points on eight for 17 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists in what was an all around good game. Williams was able to get one steal, which makes it 19 straight games that Williams has got a steal, the longest streak of any player in the NBA.

Positives:

Paul Pierce was the Nets leading scorer on Monday night, as Pierce had 24 points on seven for 16 shooting. Pierce was firing away from three-point range, as he took 11 shots from behind the arc, and hit four of them. In the third quarter he did appear to do something to his right shoulder again, which is the one that has been giving him issues the last few weeks, so that will be something to keep an eye on.

Off the bench for Brooklyn they were able to get some good production from their big men in Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche. Teletovic scored nine points on three for seven shooting and Blatche scored 12 points on three for eight shooting with five rebounds.

Negatives:

After a big night for Samuel Dalembert on Sunday night it had to be expected that Anthony Davis would put up a monster game, and he didn’t disappoint. Davis finished with 24 points on nine for 17 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds and three blocks. The size and skill of Davis was just simply too much for the small Nets lineup to handle on Monday.

Davis wasn’t the only one to have a big game against Brooklyn, as Tyreke Evans came out of nowhere with his best game of the season. Evans scored a game-high 33 points on 13 for 19 shooting. Evans did more than just score, as he had 10 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. The only downside to a terrific night from Evans was the fact that he did turn the ball over seven times.

Next up for the Nets will be another road game, as they will be heading to Charlotte to play Al Jefferson and the Bobcats.