Nicky Knicksfan performing like a pantalooned clown
Nets 99, Knicks 81
Round 1
Game 2
File
Tim Thomas could not play, after being injured
by Jason Collins' hard-foul in Game 1. The Nets took this game away from the
Knicks (who were determined to play physical) in the second quarter tonight,
and kept up the punishment. Cool heads prevailed – techs were meted out,
but no fights erupted (a distinct possibility). Martin double-doubled, the
Nets shot 53.5%, and the Knicks were run out of the building. The Nets have
not lost a quarter to the Knicks over the course of two games (the closest
the Knicks have come is a tie in the 3rd of this one).
• Box
Score
Series Record: Nets lead 2 - 0.
Nets High Men:
• Points: Kenyon
Martin, 22.
• Assists: Jason
Kidd, 8.
• Rebounds: Kenyon
Martin, 16.
• Steals: Kerry
Kittles and Kenyon Martin each had
3.
• Turnovers: Jason
Kidd, 6.
• Blocks: Jason
Collins and Kenyon Martin each had
2.
• FG Percentage: Aaron
Williams, 100% (3 - 3).
Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 53.5%
• FT Percentage: 66.7%
• Rebounds: 44
• Rebound Differential: +2
• Turnovers: 25
• Opponent's Turnovers: 19
• Bench
points: 24
•
Bench points Differential: +10
• Steals:
12
• Blocks:
8
•
Points in the Paint: 42
• Double-Doubles:
1 (Kenyon Martin, 22 points, 16 rebounds).
• Triple-Doubles:
0
The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring:
5
• Nets Fast Break Points: 20
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 54.5%
(6 - 11).
• Scoring
Differential Kidd in the game: +19
• Scoring
Differential Kidd out (Lucious Harris at PG, even; Planinic at PG, -1):
-1
• Double-Doubles
this Season: 25
• Triple
Doubles this Season: 9
• Career
Triple Doubles: 59
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Can't Touch This
After preening like MC Hammer, circa 1990, this was the best New York could do?
"Can't touch this," said the Nets. Kenyon Martin double-doubled with 22 points and 16 boards, Richard Jefferson had 20 points, Jason Kidd had 15 points, 8 assists and 6 boards, and Kerry Kittles had 16 points. The Nets were still able to attack, fast break and have their way with the braggadocious Knicks. The Knicks, aside from chirping at the officials, did nothing.
The Nets once again dominated their clearly overmatched opponent for the second game in a row, using strategic blitzes instead of fast breaks, toughness and defense instead of easy transition buckets, in blowing out the Knicks. Give them some credit – despite losing Tim Thomas to the unfortunate injury in Game 1, the Knicks hung in there longer than Hammer ever did, ultimately failing when Stephon Marbury stopped scoring (again, no points in the third quarter, and only 5 in the second half after being shut out in the second half of Game 1).
The Nets once again took a 9 point first quarter lead before the Knicks, and Marbury, responded. The Nets finished the quarter up only two. The second quarter would see the Nets defense kick in with a vengeance, forcing turnovers and creating in transition. Before it was over, the Nets had a 13 point lead and could do nothing wrong.
The lead got as high as 20 in the third quarter before the Knicks laid down their last rap, holding the Nets without a field goal for over 7 minutes and cutting the lead down to 10 points before order was restored. A Rodney Rogers three got the record spinning again, and the Knicks would slink away, bankrupted again by the Nets' chart dominance.
Can't touch this, Isiah Thomas. Can't touch this, Jim Dolan. Can't touch this, Lenny Wilkins. Can't touch this, Knick fans. See you at the Garden.
Hammer Time
I Feel Good - What's not to love, Netsfans, about two straight whippings on Nicky Knicksfan? You want physical? The Nets took what little the Knicks had to give, and gave it back and more. Don't be wagging that finger over here, Dikembe. Running? The fast break wasn't as overwhelming, but you look at the stat sheet and the Nets still had 20 fast break points. The rebounding? Got it, 44 - 42 advantage. 54% shooting tells me the Nets still had their way with the porous Knick defense. Despite the 25 turnovers, the Nets weren't in peril from mid-second quarter on.
All Alone #3 - Think Stephon Marbury's ready to write on his sneakers again? Hey, injuries robbed him of two running mates, but methinks they were a tad bit overconfident in Knicksland that Steph could lead them. He had 18 points in the first half, but the Nets adjusted to his move over to the two guard, and took that away as well (nice job once again, Kittles and Kidd). Then, "Third Little Piggy" Steph threw up enough bricks to build a starter house. Knicks can't live with him, can't live without him (they did not make a basket the entire time Marbury rested in the second quarter). Speaking of children's stories, how about that one some folks have told themselves, that ends with the Knicks winning this series?
Kidd and Kenyon, Super Freaks - I won't get into details about what Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin (and Kidd and RJ, and Kidd and Kittles, etc) did as a duo tonight, but as usual it was funky fresh and creative. Put some genie pants on that man Kidd! Kidd was all over the court, helping to force many of those 19 Knick turnovers, and he even picked up the rare 4 point play when Penny Hardaway stupidly fouled him on a three early in the first quarter. Martin did his part on the boards, blocked 2 shots and gathered 3 steals, and of course had the requisite number of dunks (3 by my count, 5 buckets in-close in total). The All Stars are certainly healthy, and leading the Nets' postseason charge.
Work This - Dikembe Mutombo was going to fix all that inside scoring by the Nets, right? Ha, that's a laugh. Ol' Deke looked like the Tin Man without the oil, having his pocket picked multiple times, having a shot blocked by the much shorter Rodney Rogers, and jawing with KMart after a hard Martin foul. Plus, he picked up a technical and got a facial from Aaron Williams.
Let's Get It Started - The Nets are certainly in Stephon Marbury's head (Marbury blew at least two easy lay-ups, and airballed a three that missed the rim by at least two feet), and in the Knicks' collective head, as the Nets do whatever they want, whenever they want. All those glazed-over looks, all those easy Net baskets, all those Knick misses around the rim, all those traps, steals and turnovers, all those balls the Nets are beating the Knicks to...think any of that is going to change at the Garden?
Here Comes The Hammer
Two games, two blowout victories, two consecutive bitch-slappings of the Knicks at the hands of Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and Kerry Kittles. The Knicks are going south faster than Hammer's career, going softer than Hammer's rep, and falling from grace in the same, quick career flameout as the one-time hip-hop sensation. The NBA's as cold as the music biz, Nicky...
- Joe
Champagne's Smashes and Trashes
Smash - Trapping Marbury. Worked swell in Game 1, and just as good tonight. Kittles hounds him, and Martin lags off Kurt Thomas to further bedevil the former Starbury. The Nets got Steph to cough rock up in the first with this little musical interlude.
Trash - When the low-man on any broadcasting totem-pole tries to convince you a lower-seeded team that's now down 2 - 0 in any series is going to come back and win it all. Tonight the dishonor of putting the corporate happy-face on this obviously Nets-dominated series fell to Rex Chapman, ex-Sun and former Kidd teammate. Puppet heads John Thompson and some chap named Gary Bender compounded the embarrassing spectacle – I mean, who are you trying to fool, some mythical slow-kid demographic of insatiable sneaker-purchasers? – by mocking Chapman's bogus Knick-defending (which also contradicted every remark Chapman had made in the TNT broadcast previously), as if Thompson and Bender didn't know what the shuck was. TV Networks know that some of their onscreen talent are so eager to please (and build a career) that at their bidding, they'll implausibly argue that undertalented, packed-it-in teams have the edge in any contest. It's an insult.
Smash - Martin's sarcastic finger-wag after a big dunk over Deke. Should have had that trademarked, Mutombo. The crowd ate it up.
Smash - Jefferson's split-second, middle-of-the-air decision-switch from going to Kidd to going to Kittles during a 1st quarter fast break. Kittles laid it in.
Smash - Rodney Rogers' continuing rocking play. Lets' see: hit 2 of 3 from 3-point Shangri-La, stripped Deke in the 2nd and blocked him in the 3rd, shot 5 - 7 from the field, scored 12 points in 21 minutes. Like a band dismissed by critics (guilty!) that puts it all together on their third album. Rodney's live show is getting more and more consistent.
Trash - The appearance of DerMarr Johnson. It says, "Knicks down double-digits in the 4th!" I take nothing away from his "story;" that of coming back from a horrific car crash in 2002 – I'm happy he's healthy, believe me. But a DerMarr sighting says that all the good ball of the evening has already been played.
Smash - The Kidd-to-Martin connection. You might think Kenyon shared Jason's bed, not Joumana, the way they duet together. Kidd had three seconds to inbound the ball in the third, and he zipped it to Martin for a short pop, then almost immediately found himself on the break, whipping the ball to him behind his back, Which Martin slammed through. Kidd hits his men Jefferson and Kittles just about as well, but there just seems like something extra special going on between the Nets' number 5 and 6.
Trash - Stephon's pouty demeanor. It's no way to lead a team – looking disappointed in your teammates. Isiah Thomas might be getting a clue, right about now. We've already learned his deal. We loved to watch him play when he was a Net – he was the only highlight we had – but did we ever win? We were suckers, just like Zeke. Why am I trashing this? I love it when the Nets beat the Knicks, but I'd also like exciting, competitive games – makes victory taste all the sweeter. This round could just be getting sadder and sadder for the blue and the gold, and for fans of playoff intensity.
- Champagne
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