War, and the Blazers, can be hell
Trailblazers 91, Nets 87
Game 30
File
The Nets sag after going 12 points up
in the middle of the 3rd. They'd end the quarter up by 2, then only score
6 points in the first 10:43 of the 4th. Nets were clearly out-hustled
and out-muscled, grabbing 16 fewer rebounds than Portland (Zack Randolph
alone had 13), and allowing 42 points in the paint (the Nets only scored
34).
• Box
Score
Nets Record: 16 - 14
Home Record: 8 - 7
Away Record: 8 - 7
Division Record: 5 - 0
Conf. Record: 10 - 6
Other Game Reviews
Nets High Men:
• Points: Richard
Jefferson, 24.
• Assists: Jason
Kidd, 7.
• Rebounds: Kidd
and Jefferson each had 7.
• Steals: Jason
Collins, 3.
• Turnovers: Kenyon
Martin, 4.
• Blocks: Kenyon
Martin, 2.
• FG Percentage: Richard
Jefferson, 50% (10 - 20).
Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 44.6%
• FT Percentage: 85%
• Rebounds: 28
• Rebound Differential: -16
• Turnovers: 10
• Turnover Differential: -7
• Bench
points: 18
• Bench
points Differential: -12
• Steals:
7
• Blocks:
3
• Points
in the Paint: 34
• Double-Doubles:
0
• Triple-Doubles:
0
The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring:
5
• Nets Fast Break Points: 30
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 36.4%
(4 - 11).
• Scoring
Differential Kidd in the game: -9
• Scoring
Differential Kidd out (Pack at PG): +5
• Double-Doubles
this Season: 9
• Triple
Doubles this Season: 6
• Career
Triple Doubles: 56
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March Of The Wooden Soldiers
Byron Scott's army, fresh off a scintillating back-to-back road carnage and riding a six game home winning streak, picked a strange time to go wooden in tonight's loss against the Blazers (losers of all 10 of their road games entering tonight). Leading by 12 with 7:37 to go in the third quarter after two straight Kerry Kittles bombs, Portland rearmed themselves with a time-out and a newfound battle cry from Zach Randolph and Rasheed Wallace (both would pick up feisty technicals in the third, and carry the Blazers by scoring and boarding in the fourth), while the Nets would grow roots and shoot with empty muskets. The Nets watched in horror as a potential blowout became a close game, and then a hopeless retreat in the fourth quarter behind Randolph (14 points, 13 rebounds for the game, but 10 points and 6 boards in the fourth). The Nets went into white flag mode, going more than seven minutes without a field goal to drop behind by nine points before attempting to throw a late scare into the Blazers with a last-minute, 9 - 2 run to cut the Blazers lead to two points before ultimately going down in defeat. Tired and defeated, the Nets must reclimb that victory hill on New Year's Eve against the Warriors.
The Bogeyman Army
Battlebots - Everyone who watched this one thought the same thing: these aren't the same, energetic Nets we've seen for the last six games. The Nets allowed the Blazers to shoot 52% from the field, giving up far more uncontested shots than has been normal during the winning stretch. Despite forcing the 17 turnovers (12 in the first half), the Nets just couldn't get a stop when they needed one, even after containing Wallace and Randolph for almost three quarters. Reuben Patterson and Qyntel Woods made the Nets look bad at times by being a step faster, and their combined 24 points was a large reason the Nets couldn't pull away when they had the opportunity. Jason Kidd led the late charge, but he shot 4 - 11, scored 13 points and had 7 rebounds and 7 assists and looked like he'd been under the weather (maybe he's got the same sinus infection Joe's struggling with). Of course, it didn't help that the Nets were...
Firing Blanks On The Glass - Want another reason the Nets couldn't keep it together? How about a 16 rebound advantage to Portland. Always seeming to come up with a rebound, and playing even taller than the height advantage they enjoyed (especially with Brian Scalabrine on the court replacing Jason Collins). Kidd was the high man with 7. That rebound advantage led to another startling statistic: the Nets were outscored in the paint by 8, despite 24 points from Richard Jefferson and 19 for Kenyon Martin.
Fallen Soldiers - Byron Scott closed ranks around his sub-par bench play tonight, going only 8 deep (Scalabrine, Lucious Harris and Robert Pack). Scalabrine was important, playing the best game anyone's played off the bench in weeks (11 points, 4 rebounds in 22 minutes, a very Aaron Williams-esque performance), and Harris chipped in 7 points and Pack dished out 3 assists in 7 first half minutes. DNP'd were Rodney Rogers (fresh from his 1 - 10 debacle over the weekend - wonder if he loses his job, if not his roster spot, once Eddie Griffin appears?), Brandon Armstrong, Mikki "I'll Get Into A Game Yet" Moore, and the still hobbled Williams. Lots of minutes for the starters is usually not a formula for success, Byron.
Successful Strategies - What worked for the Nets tonight? Well, the fast break was humming, ringing up a 30 -10 advantage. Only 9 turnovers (4 by Martin) and 9 more trips to the line than the Blazers. Hell, the Nets even shot 45%, which is hot-shooting if you're the Nets. They got into Rasheed Wallace's head early, and Randolph was a non-factor for almost three quarters. But you have to play 48 minutes.
Through the Spyglass - Joe had the chance to see things unfold, live (at least, when he wasn't distracted by almost six year old Truckman and his foam finger waving in his face):
- Kerry Kittles, with a falling-out-of-bounds, behind-the-back toss across court to lead a Nets break;
- Wallace, shoving Jefferson under the basket and getting a technical;
- Randolph, tangling with Martin underneath the basket, shoving Martin and getting a technical, and a continued heated discussion with Randolph all the way through the next several plays;
- Kidd, with another dipsy-do ball fake on the late drive to the hoop for a finger roll;
- Jefferson skying off the break with a windmill jam to end the third quarter .
Babes In Toyland
With Zach Randolph, the Blazers have a potent front-line monster for years to come, and (as for now, until new GM John Nash is done) combined with Rasheed Wallace, arguably as good a front line as the Nets Martin and Jefferson, as they proved tonight with a late charge in the Blazers' win. As the Blazers remake themselves on the fly behind the youth of Randolph, could it be that Wallace moves on to New Jersey in the often-rumored trade for Martin? Lord knows we wouldn't pull the trigger on that deal around here at JNF, but you never know in this business. Imagine, Wallace combined with fellow broken toy Eddie Griffin - all that would be missing would be malcontent Stephon Marbury and former coach Don Casey. Shudder at the thought, Netsfans.
- Joe
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