Joe Netsfan Game x Game 2- Raptors 106, Nets 69

For shame!

Raptors 106, Nets 69
Game 2 File
The Nets hung in with the Raptors for about a quarter and a half, but after falling behind by 15, then mounting a small rally, Chris Bosh's halftime-beating 60 footer absolutely destroyed what was left of NJ's pride. The second half was an embarassment as the Raptors blew out the Nets for the first loss of the young season.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 1 - 1
Home Record: 1 - 1
Away Record: 0 - 0
Division Record: 0 - 1
Conf. Record: 1 - 1
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Richard Jefferson, 27.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 6.
• Rebounds: Jefferson and Carter each had 5.
• Steals: Carter, Jefferson, Nachbar and Wright each had 1.
• Turnovers: Nachbar and Armstrong each had 3.
• Blocks: Sean Williams, 4.
• FG Percentage: Richard Jefferson, 57.1% (8 - 14).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 36.8%
• FT Percentage: 72.2%
• Rebounds: 34
• Rebound Differential: -3
• Turnovers: 19
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 12
• Bench points: 24
• Bench points Differential:-21
• Steals: 4
• Blocks: 6
• Points in the Paint: 26
• Double-Doubles: 0
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 1
• Nets Fast Break Points: 4
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 20.0% (1 - 5).
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -15
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: -22 (Armstrong)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 0
• Triple Doubles this Season: 0
• Career Triple Doubles: 87

Nets Media
Bergen Record | Nets
Newark Star-Ledger | Nets
Newsday | Nets
NY Daily News | NBA
NY Post | Nets
NY Times | Pro Basketball
YES Network | Nets

Nets Team Pages
CNNSI.com | Nets
ESPN.com | Nets
FoxSports | Nets
NBA.com | Nets
Sportsline.com | Nets

Raptors Media:
Toronto Star
Toronto Sun | Raptors

Game 2: Raptors 106, Nets 69 – November 2, 2007
Raptor Embarassing
OOOH, that's gonna leave a mark. Good thing it's only the second game of the season.

After an impressive, gut-check win on Wednesday, the Nets arrived for their game against the Raptors at the Izod Center with nothing - that is, the Raptors took away anything the Nets tried to do this evening in an embarassing rout. Aside from Richard Jefferson, who has looked brilliant in these first two games, the rest of the Nets had nothing to bring to the party, and it showed in a giant blizzard of zero output that lasted for almost 8 minutes of the third quarter. So much for the hope and promise of a new season.

Maybe it was payback for the early playoff outser, maybe the Raptors are just plain better, but whatever it was, the Nets had no answer from mid-second quarter on, getting outscored a whopping 59 - 30 after getting themselves back in the game with 1:22 left in the second quarter. Jefferson was doing whatever he could to keep them in it, but without much help from anyone else. Once the Nets cut that lead to 9 wiht 1:22 to play in the second, the floodgates opened, hastened by a 60 foot buzzer-beating heave from Chris Bosh that went in and gave the Raptors another 15 point lead. From there, after a Nenad Krstic jumper, the Nets went nearly 8 minutes without scoring, an 18 - 0 run effectively burying the Nets in shame.

And so, the good NBA has scheduled another game with the Sixers for tomorrow evening at 7. Good thing, because spending any time dwelling on this loss, and the myriad ways it wasn't good, would probably doom the Nets for the entire season. It was that bad.

On The Couch
Examining Motive - Were the Raptors really that much better than the Nets? Well, yes and no. We've seen in Game 1 that this team can play better even when shots aren't falling, but tonight there was no defensive purpose, allowing about a million open looks (which the Raptors buried at a scary rate) from the likes of Carlos Delfino, Juan Dixon and Juan Calderon, NBA players all but not exactly the second coming of Bird, Magic and MJ. It all starts with defense, as L. Frank likes to say, and tonight there wasn't any, as every single Raptor on the active roster scored.
Fear Factor - Then look at the Nets offense. It seemed like there was a Raptor in the Nets' grill every single time they touched the ball. Everything was contested, there were no easy shots, and way too many forced turnovers (they made both Vince Carter and Darrell Armstrong at times look slow and foolish, but I digress). Worst of all, the Nets didn't seem motivated to figure out how to get out of someone's way and get an uncontested shot. It was brutal, especially in that long stretch of 3rd quarter where the Raptors appeared to be playing 7 on 5. Maybe the Nets offense is too slow and plodding to be able to overcome Toronto's young, fresh legs...that would be a very bad thing...
Seeing Red - This is not a game that you want to go looking at the stat sheet, but if you look at the newly added plus/minus stats for the Nets, it's absolutely a train wreck. Playing through the worst of the second half to get a break for the starters, Boki Nachbar was -30 (and he shot poorly again), Malik Allen -25, Armstrong was -24 (and couldn't seem to keep up with the young and athletic Raptors, but then again, neither could Kidd) and Antoine Wright was -23. Hell, even Carter was -19 (Carlos Delfino was murder on Carter - what's up with that?). If you do look at the stats, you'll see Kidd had 2 points and 6 assists, Carter had 7 points on only 2 - 6 shooting, and Krstic was 4 -10 for 9 points. Only one Net (Jefferson) reached double figures.
Young And Impressionable - Sean Williams got his first taste of the NBA, carving out 20 minuntes of PT when all hope was lost. He acquitted himself well, getting 4 impressive blocks and 4 points and 4 rebounds. Best of all, he looked like one of the few who belonged on the court with the Raptors tonight.
Older And Full Of Milestones - Congrats to Vince Carter, who managed to pass the 15,000 point mark for his career...

Red-Faced And Red-Assed
A bevvy of Raptors, led by Andrea Bargnani, absolutely ripped to shreds for the moment any impressions we had of a Net juggernaut this season. OK, we knew they wouldn't go 82 - 0, but then again, we thought they would compete with the best of the East. Tonight was a non-compete, from the biggest competitor Jason Kidd on down the roster. The only thing the Nets can do is come back tomorrow night in Philadelphia and show the league that this was the most off-of-nights that anyone could imagine. I would think getting Vince Carter untracked would be a priority, as well as keeping that chip on Richard Jefferson's shoulder. Before you jump in despair, Netsfans, let's see how it all turns out.
-Joe