Watch for blown-out body parts
Pacers 90, Nets 80
Game 79
File
The knee-injured Nets, missing Kidd and
Martin (held out as a precaution on this second game of a back-to-back)
and with Kittles and Williams gimpy, hang tough for three quarters before
pulling up lame in the face of tough and effective Pacer defense. Richard
Jefferson is limited to only 8 shots and 11 points, and the rest of the
Nets crew is put in a cast in the fourth quarter.
• Box
Score
Nets Record: 46
- 33
Home Record: 27
- 13
Away Record: 19
- 20
Division Record: 17
- 6
Conf. Record: 33
- 18
Other
Game Reviews
Nets High Men:
• Points: Rodney
Rogers, 15.
• Assists: Jason
Collins and Brian Scalabrine each
had 4.
• Rebounds: Jason
Collins, 13.
• Steals: Aaron
Williams, Brian Scalabrine, and Zoran Planinic
each had 1.
• Turnovers: Richard
Jefferson, 7.
• Blocks: Brian
Scalabrine and Jason Collins each
had 1.
• FG Percentage: Aaron
Williams 100% (2 - 2).
Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage:
47.6%
• FT Percentage: 72.7%
• Rebounds: 40
• Rebound Differential: +6
• Turnovers: 19
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 7
• Bench points:
26
•
Bench points Differential: -4
• Steals:
3
• Blocks:
2
•
Points in the Paint: 36
• Double-Doubles:
1 (Jason Collins: 11 points, 13 rebounds)
• Triple-Doubles:
0
Point Guard Power:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring:
4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 0
• PG Scoring Differential (Harris at
PG: -2; Planinic at PG: -8) -10
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Battle Of Wounded Knee
Though by no means a rout or a massacre, the Nets' injury misfortunes, and Indiana's defense, were no match in this latest "when do the playoffs start?" loss. The gimpy kneed Nets, already sitting Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin in this second game of a back-to-back to rest their knees up for the playoffs, found out before the game that both Kerry Kittles and Aaron Williams had knee "concerns" and perhaps were playing at less than full speed. With two years of relatively perfect health heading into the NBA playoffs leading to two consecutive Finals appearances, this time things are not looking so solid, are they?
In any case, in this one the Nets hung tough for three quarters in the face of intense Pacer defense (forcing 19 Net turnovers, including Ron Artest's harrassment of Richard Jefferson, who was limited to only 8 shot attempts and turned the ball over 7 times), actually shooting the ball well and hanging around long enough to make things interesting. But the fourth quarter was mostly the deeper Pacers outrunning the undermanned Nets, pulling away by as many as 15 to raise the Nets' white flag.
Wounded knees or no, the Nets are going to have to find a way to win with less this post-season. Assuming that the knees of Kidd and Martin hold up but keep them at less than 100%, the role players are going to "kneed" to step up, stay focused and remain injury free.
Shrapnel Damage
Tactical Moves - For perhaps the first time since Kidd and Martin went down, a team comes up with an effective strategy for dealing with the newly-explosive Richard Jefferson. Of course, tonight the Pacers brought in a ringer - All NBA Defense and perhaps the best defender in the league in Ron Artest. Missing Kidd and Martin, it was easy for the Pacers to slap Artest on RJ and watch him stick like glue. Only 8 shots, only 11 points (after scoring 18 or more in the past 19 games).
Flag Captured, But No Nifty Fifty - Again, this game was meaningless to the Nets (although the Pacers clinched the Top spot in the league, gathering home court throughout the playoffs) but the loss clinched the Nets' achievement for the season at something less than 50 wins. Though it would have been nice, the Atlantic Division title and opening-number-two seed is secured, so right now it's about getting healthy for the playoffs. If the Nets manage to win only 1 more game (or, frighteningly, no more games), they would slip in the win column for third straight season.
Battle Wounds - Things for the Nets (and NetsNut) to consider coming out of this one: The Nets held Jermaine O'Neal to no field goals in the first half, and still lost. With the Pacers forcing 19 Net turnovers, and squashing the fast break (0 fast break points, although how many do you expect without Kidd?), the Nets were left with outside shooting (and did surprisingly well, considering the Pacers often smothered the Nets, and even threw a zone against them late) and little else (although, I should point out that the Nets actually still scored more points in the paint, 36 - 26, and outrebounded Indiana 40 - 34, without Martin and Kidd). It's a different game come playoff time - just hope the Nets have enough contributors against the defensive Pacers and Pistons to make it through.
Minute By Minute - Lawrence Frank did his best to keep everyone's minutes down since they played Thursday night as well. The high man for minutes was the always- steady Jason Collins with 37 (and we also found out this week that he's been playing with an injured toe - but if you're not injured this late in the season in the NBA, you're not playing enough minutes), and he managed a double-double of 11 points and 13 boards. The rest of the starters (RJ, Kittles, Rogers and Lucious Harris) were all in the low-30's range. And our friend Zoran Planinic was able to see 19 minutes of daylight, and aside from a few hair-brained attempts at wildly running down court, he acquitted himself well (6 points, 2 - 4 shooting including a long three, only 2 turnovers).
Brothers In Arms
The beaten-up, broken-down but refusing to bend Nets put up the good fight tonight, but thanks to the Pacers ace in the hole Ron Artest (ok, some would call him "joker" instead of ace), the Nets can only be thankful that they hung together and didn't get hurt. Only three more games remaining, so if you're as tired as I am of watching meaningless regular season games, you're ready for the playoffs to begin.
- Joe
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