The Nets don't clean the glass, they mess on it
Jazz 91, Nets 84
Game 17
File
The Nets get sub-par games from
Kidd (he didn't have an assist until the second half) and Kenyon Martin
(10 points, 5 - 14 shooting), who picked up the Nets' first offensive
rebound with less than 2 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. Even having
tied the franchise low in rebounds (25), and having been under by 19 points
in the third, the Nets (who never led) had a chance to shock the Jazz,
getting to within 4 points several times in the third, and within 3 with
too little time left. A five game western trip ends badly, with a 3-game
skid.
• Box
Score
Nets Record: 7 - 10
Home Record: 2 - 5
Away Record: 5 - 5
Division Record: 3 - 0
Conf. Record: 4 - 5
Other Game Reviews
Nets High Men:
• Points: Richard
Jefferson, 22.
• Assists: Jason
Kidd and Kenyon Martin each had 5.
• Rebounds: Rodney
Rogers, 6.
• Steals: Jason
Kidd, 3.
• Turnovers: Jason
Kidd, 3.
• Blocks: Kenyon
Martin and Rodney Rogers each had
2.
• FG Percentage: Richard
Jefferson, 63.6% (7 - 11).
Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 38.9%
• FT Percentage: 79.3%
• Rebounds: 25
• Rebound Differential: -26
• Turnovers: 10
• Turnover Differential: -7
• Bench
points: 22
• Bench
points Differential: +1
• Steals:
9
• Blocks:
6
• Points
in the Paint: 32
• Double-Doubles:
none
•
Triple-Doubles: None
The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring:
3
• Nets Fast Break Points: 13
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 29.4%
(5 - 17).
• Scoring
Differential Kidd in the game: -12
• Scoring
Differential Kidd out (Harris at PG -2, Pack at PG +7): +5
• Double-Doubles
this Season: 5
• Triple
Doubles this Season: 3
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The
Salt Lake Tribune
Splatter!
The Nets hit the hardwood but failed to hit the glass in Salt Lake City. The Nets tied their franchise low in rebounds (25...and only 4 of them offensive) – that hideous stat (the Jazz scooped in 51, 12 of those offensive) and bad shooting (38.9% from the field) is essentially what doomed them to their first 3-game losing streak of the season. The 5-game trip West that started out so nicely ends up with a tumble from the Rockies, which slips them even farther down the standings in the sub-mediocre Atlantic Division.
From Behind
Sequel Not As Bad - The Jazz aren't good enough to whip the Nets ass the way the Kings did, but it was basically the same principle: push the ball at the Nets and move it around (very balanced scoring from Utah tonight) get them back-pedalling, scrape everything off the glass, don't let them get inside, build up a lead quickly, and never relinquish it. The Nets didn't exactly come storming back from that 19 point 3rd quarter hole – how could they after last night's loss to the Kings? – but they chipped at it. Only Richard Jefferson had it together for the Nets, but the Jazz had Deshawn Stevenson (not normally a scary offensive threat) shooting 7 - 12 and giving the Jazz 18 points, the ever-hustling Kirilenko contributing 18 points and 10 points (and a highlight blow-by of an unusually out-of-Martin), Harpring with 16 points, and on and on.
Kidd Falls on Rump - With under a minute to go, Nets down by 5, Andrei "AK47" Kirilenko fouled Kidd under the basket. Kidd came down hard on his right hip and grimaced in pain. Looked like bad news...but Kidd got up and continued play. Rotten night for Jason, who didn't have an assist in the first half.
Twin Match-Up a Bummer - Jason Collins is a starter, his twin Jarron is Ostertag's back-up (oh the indignities), so they only played head-to-head for a handful of minutes. For the record, our Collins ekes out a moral victory (not that we believe in the, of course) in the stat battle, scoring 8 points in 27 minutes of play, to Jarron's 3 points in 11. Jason hit 6 - 6 from the free throw line, Jarron went 1 -4.
Jack Wacks - The John Stockton-free, Raul Lopez-run Jazz managed to keep a first half lead, despite 4 shot-clock violations...their offense started off about as slow as maple syrup in the snow. When you out-rebound your opponents 27 to 12 in the first 2 quarters of play, you can play that way, and be forgiven.
Martin Mushy - What's is wrong with Kenyon? At several points in the game he looked like he was in pain. On the bench he was seen bent over in either agony or exhaustion, or both. He looked lost tonight among Utah's long (and very pale) bodies. Greg Ostertag matched Martin in buckets (10), and bested him in rebounds (10 to Kenyon's 6). Forget about Kirilenko and Harpring; they wiped the floor with him.
Faux Mo Kirilenko - Nice floppy faux "mo" haircut on Andrei, and nice game. Guy was a machine in the 3rd, where he scored 10 of his 18 points, including a beautiful 'oop slam. Did we mention that at the end of that baseline burn past Martin, he dished around Jason Collins to a teammate under the hole, who slammed the ball home?
Rogers Shut Down, Sent to Bench - Funny how Rogers had his best game of the season last night when the Kings where up by 32 and weren't bothering to play defense, but tonight the Nets get 6 points out of his large, slow rump, to match his 6 fouls. That ain't clutch, Rodney.
Fanny Pack - Give Robert credit, he provided some spark at PG for the Nets in the 3rd and 4th quarters. The Nets chipped 7 points off the Jazz lead while Pack was piloting. This back-up PG business continues to weigh heavily as a problem that will not go away. Lucious Harris wasn't so hot backing up Kidd (not that he ever has, not that he should even be asked to). We can only hope Pack still has some gas left in his tank and can mesh with the Nets (evaporating) offense even better, soon.
A-Train Caboosin' - Aaron Williams scored 7 of his 9 points in the 4th quarter. Had two big slams, one of which elicited the coveted "Man's jam!" cry from Ian Eagle. Had a big block on Kirilenko in the last quarter that led to a Jefferson lay-in...it should have been the rally-sparking play, as the Nets were then down by only 4 with a little less than 10 minutes to go. Another great effort by Aaron goes wasted.
Coach of The Year
No, not Byron Scott. Scott apologist Champagne continues to have his faith eroded every loss this (Eddie Jordon-free) season. Tonight's victory goes to Jerry Sloan, who is taking a roster of cast-aways (Harpring, Bell, etc.) and never-weres (Ostertag for instance) and contending seriously for the playoffs in the first season of the post-Stockton-and-Malone era in Salt Lake. Doing this in the far-superior Western Conference, by the way, where the Nets only managed to beat two teams who are going nowhere (Seattle and the Clippers) on this 5-game swing. Phil Jackson may have to deal with another circus this season (the Kobe Bryant rape trial), but he has stacks of talent. Sloan is doing more with less and in my opinion is doing the best job of any coach in the NBA right now.
- Champagne
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