It's not about how they look sometimes, but how they perform...
Nets 99, Sixers 87
Game 49
File
The Nets get physical and put Allan Iverson
on the floor numerous times as A.I. and the Sixers run out of steam in
the fourth quarter for the Nets' eighth straight win. Jason Kidd nets
a triple double and some aggressive fourth quarter defense on Iverson,
while Kenyon Martin once again has his way inside as the Nets push back
and get Lawrence Frank his career-beginning seventh consecutive "W".
• Box
Score
Nets Record: 29 - 20
Home Record: 16 - 8
Away Record: 13 - 12
Division Record: 13 - 2
Conf. Record: 20 - 10
Other Game Reviews
Nets High Men:
• Points: Kenyon
Martin, 29.
• Assists: Jason
Kidd, 10.
• Rebounds: Jason
Kidd, 13.
• Steals: Jason
Kidd, 3.
• Turnovers: Jason
Kidd, 6.
• Blocks: Aaron
Williams and Kenyon Martin each
had 1.
• FG Percentage: Aaron
Williams, 57.1% (4 - 7).
Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 39.5%
• FT Percentage: 81.4%
• Rebounds: 49
• Rebound Differential: +11
• Turnovers: 11
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 10
• Bench
points: 19
• Bench
points Differential: -4
• Steals:
6
• Blocks:
2
• Points
in the Paint: 38
• Double-Doubles:
0
• Triple-Doubles:
1 (Jason Kidd: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists).
The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring:
6
• Nets Fast Break Points: 17
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 36.4%
(4 - 11).
• Scoring
Differential Kidd in the game: +17
• Scoring
Differential Kidd out (Planinic at PG): -5
• Double-Doubles
this Season: 21
• Triple
Doubles this Season: 7
• Career
Triple Doubles: 57
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Toughskins
When Joe was a kid, about the ultimate insult your parents could hurl upon you was to buy you a pair of Sears Toughskins jeans. Wearing them to school guaranteed that you'd get knocked around at best and beaten up at worst. But they were cheaper than Levi's, and probably just as durable.
Tonight, the Nets slipped on those toughskins and knocked the crap out of the Sixers and Allen Iverson with a determined-but-not-flashy (unless you could 'oops) victory behind the fourth quarter heroics of Jason Kidd (his seventh triple double of the season) and Kenyon Martin. The Nets lived at the line (attempting 19 more free throws, and bagging 14 more), taking it repeatedly into the heart of the Sixer interior defense (it wasn't all perfect - Samuel Dalembert had 6 blocks) and ringing up the free throws. Mom would have been proud of Lawrence Frank and those toughskin Nets - riding high with an eight game winning streak (that's seven in a row to open Frank's career - impressive, I'd say) despite the fact that this was the first game of the Frank era in which their opponent couldn't be shaken free in the second half (this one wasn't decided until about 4 minutes remained, as neither team could buy a field goal, but without Iverson to make a shot, the Sixers were sunk).
Those are two tough All Star dudes wearing defense on their sleeves and carrying the Nets. Hey, they may not be in fashion because they play in the East (and therefore not as "brand name" as the Kings, Mavs, Lakers or Spurs), but at least you know they won't let you down when you need them.
Catalog Specials
Yup, Plenty Of Room In Here - Despite a less than pretty game (only 39% shooting), the Nets perservered and made the shots when they needed to. More impressively, they made a living at the line instead of simply settling and firing away from outside. It's a change for the better that will make this team dangerous come playoff time. And they're not even close to playing up to their potential yet (for the record, I would suggest that only Kidd, Martin and occasionally Jefferson are there).
Clothes Horses - OK, I know these guys are more likely Tommy's or Calvin's or FUBU's, but Jason Kidd (14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, plus 3 steals and 6 turnovers) and Kenyon Martin (another impressive inside game - 29 points, 8 rebounds for the latest Eastern Conference Player of the Week, one week after Kidd) have been struttin' their stuff for the past two weeks. Kidd was impressive, dogging Iverson all over the court in the fourth quarter and keeping him frustrated while still manning the controls on offense. And Martin, who's as streaky as they come with free throws, made 11 in a row before missing his last attempt. Think these two most wanted to be rid of Byron Scott?
Too Sexy For His Overalls - With Jason Collins sidelined, the Nets looked to a combination of Aaron Williams (11 points, 7 boards), Rodney Rogers (11 points, 7 boards) and Martin to fill in the gaps. And fill in they did, with their workmanlike efforts and solid defense (along with Richard Jefferson in the defensive mix as well, the Sixers starting forwards, Glenn Robinson and Kenny Thomas shot 5 - 20 and netted 13 points between them, along with 10 fouls) on the Sixer frontline.
It's All Inside
It's all coming together for these Nets - Lawrence Frank's Nets, I might add. Impressive victories of all shapes and sizes, tonight's a physical defensive struggle against a team with a bonifide NBA superstar (albeit, a team that missing three very important players from its roster in Derrick Coleman, Marc Jackson and Todd MacCulloch) brought to his knees (and the floor, repeatedly) by Jason Kidd and the Net defenders. Offense, defense, rebounding - whatever it takes, the Nets are once again willing to provide. And the personnel and the plays haven't changed, so you know it's coming from within...
- Joe
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