Joe Netsfan Game x Game 14 - Nets 102, Lakers 100

Top that, Kobe

Nets 102, Lakers 100
Game 14 File
A wild finish in LA as the Nets start poorly, rev it up in the third quarter, take the lead in the fourth, then watch Kobe almost single-handedly destroy what they had built. But, even crazier, Kobe misses a big free throw, and the game ending defense by NJ helps to hold on to the win. That makes 3 straight, and a 3 - 1 West Coast record.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 7 - 7
Home Record: 3 - 5
Away Record: 4 - 2
Division Record: 1 - 3
Conf. Record: 4 - 5
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Richard Jefferson, 27.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 14.
• Rebounds: Kidd and Williams each had 7.
• Steals: Jefferson and Williams each had 3.
• Turnovers: Jason Kidd, 8.
• Blocks: Sean Williams, 3.
• FG Percentage: Vince Carter, 75.0% (6 - 8).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 46.7%
• FT Percentage: 68.3%
• Rebounds: 41
• Rebound Differential: +4
• Turnovers: 17
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 18
• Bench points: 45
• Bench points Differential:+23
• Steals: 10
• Blocks: 8
• Points in the Paint: 34
• Double-Doubles: 1 (Jason Kidd: 15 points, 14 assists)
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 14
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 33.3% (5 - 15).
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -5
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: +7 (Gill)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 7
• Triple Doubles this Season 3:
• Career Triple Doubles:90

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

Lakers Media:
Los Angeles Times | Lakers

Game 14: Nets 102, Lakers 100 – November 25, 2007
That's Show Biz
Well, here he was, Mr. Show Biz himself, Kobe Bryant, leading the Lakers back late in the fourth quarter with an impressive display of F-U long-range bombing. Who better to be on the free throw line after having dramatically convinced the refs that he was in the act of shooting on the inbounds with 6 seconds to go and the Lakers down 3 points? Well, there was no Showtime in LA tonight, as Bryant flubbed his line and missed the third free throw that would have tied the game, then after Boki Nachbar was split a pair of free throws to give the Nets a 2 point lead with 3 seconds to play, Kobe was denied the basketball on the inbounds and Vlad Romanovic threw an awkward shot at the basket that missed.

And the Nets had themselves a 3 - 1 road trip with an improbable victory at the Staples Center. You want the white hot spotlight? Well, sometimes it burns. That's show biz.

How did the Nets find themselves here after a sloppy, listless first half in which Kobe was mostly contained but still NJ was down by 12 at the break? Well, after that first half performance full of turnovers (Jason Kidd, Kobe's would-be partner in LA, was the chief culpret), bad shooting (especially from the foul line) and a hot Derek Fisher, the Nets suddenly and without warning found themselves in another gear entirely to start the second half.

That spark was provided by Kidd, who came out with a more decisive performance, Richard Jefferson, who attacked with every opportunity, Vince Carter and Boki Nachbar, with a strong assist from the energy, defense and shot-blocking of Sean Williams. That small ball lineup went on an absolute run-out of a 35 point quarter while playing manic defense on Kobe and the rest, tying the game at the end of the third quarter with Vince Carter's last second three and setting the stage for the wild finish.

The Nets, to their credit, weren't satisfied merely getting even with the Lakers but continued to take it to them in the fourth, with the same small ball lineup showing major star power for the first six minutes of the quarter. Up by 12 after Carter hit two successive jumpers and Josh Boone hit a layup with less than 6 minutes remaining, the bright lights of LA shone brightly on Kobe, and he delivered mightily. Kobe delivered an 8-0 run that featured 5 points from Mr. Bryant and an assist on a Fisher 3, and in the blink of an eye (or less than 2 minutes of game time) it was a 4 point game.

But Mr. Show Biz wasn't done yet. After a Carter free throw (the Nets were terrible from the stripe all night, again), Kobe hit the first of tTwo in-your-face threes over Kidd (who was switched on to Kobe in the fourth after a marvelous defensive job by Antoine Wright for the first three quarters), the second of which came after 2 more Carter free throws, and it was a one point game with 2:02 to play. Kidd then missed a three, and Sasha Vujacic (say that 3 times fast) stepped up and hit the shot of his life, another three that gave the Lakers a two point lead with 1:28.

Still, the Nets weren't dead. RJ drove the lane and was fouled and made one of two, then RJ stepped in front of a Bryant pass and was fouled in a clear path manner, giving him 2 free throws (he made both) plus possession. But the Nets couldn't convert, Fisher hit 2 freebees to retake the lead, and then Nachbar was fouled on a drive, converting both FT's to give the lead back to NJ with only 28 seconds to play. This set up the final sequence, where Kobe missed a jumper, Carter was fouled intentionally and made 2 free throws, giving the Nets that 3 point lead.

With the bad acting on that final sequence, it serves Kobe right for missing that last free throw and giving the Nets the game. Though they were wildly uneven, the Nets deserved to win this one, mostly because as talented as Kobe is, he's that unlikable.

Home then, to the Izod, for a game against the Grizzlies on Tuesday. Mission accomplished here, time to close this road show and bring it back to New Jersey. Probably not a moment too soon, because if Kobe had about 3 more seconds, who knows how this would have ended...

Bad Little Actors
Narrow Escapes – Yes, Hollywood couldn't have scripted this one better (especially with the writers on strike), both teams leaving everything on the court for one last desperate attempt at a win. The Nets got a gift on the Kobe missed free throw, but it was a questionable call at best, and with the last second defense the Nets showed, they deserved the win legitimately and without controversy.
Prop Comic – Even Jason Kidd must have been laughing at his first half performance, one of turnovers and the inability to get the Nets inspired. He was a virtuoso in the second half, scoring 9 points and handing out 11 assists. He was damned near a triple double again tonight, though not exactly the kind he'd like, with 15 points, 14 assists, and 8 turnovers, many of which were forced into tough Laker defense. Thankfully, it all worked out in the end.
Glowing Reviews –Great game for the small lineup of NJ. They took command in that third quarter and into the fourth, with lots of running, shot making, and best of all, defense. And who was the linchpin? None other than Sean Williams, who sealed off the paint and finished with a team best +18. Antoine Wright was killer against Kobe for 3 quarters, forcing him into a 3 - 14 performance (not counting that fourth quarter). Vince Carter gave the Nets room to roam coming off the bench,and he's been quietly efficient with the basketball (he took only 8 shots, made 6 and got to the line 8 times. And Richard Jefferson was again a force, getting to the line repeatedly (and unfortunately, struggling), scoring 27 points, and doing what he could to help the Nets get back into it after a lousy first half for all.
Lead Hands and Feet – The Nets were dreadful at the charity stripe, going 28 - 41. Imagine how much easier this game might have been if they had made 8 or 10 more free throws. And the turnovers hampered the Net attack in the first half and made it even easier for the Laker defense. No way the Nets can win consistently with those two problems lingering (and we have no idea how the Nets were even in the game in the first half, that's how bad it was).
Read All About It – Amazing what some controversy can do for your rep. Kobe Bryant has for the most part tried to make it work this season in LA, with a supporting cast that is talented but not quite what Kobe needs to deliver a championship. Since the off-season outburst, Kobe has mostly shut up and played, and despite a hideous line through three quarters, he forced his will on the game in the fourth and look what happened.
Dramatic Performance - Ain't it great to look in the boxscore and see the Nets had 10 steals and 8 blocked shots?

Drama Award
The Award For Best Late Night Drama goes to the NJ Nets, who managed to have three fairly exciting finishes in a row while on the West Coast, none better than tonight's duel with Kobe Bryant. Thanks in no small part to Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, VInce Carter, Sean Williams, Boki Nachbar and Antoine Wright, the Nets go home secure in the knowledge that they've righted the ship after it starting listing mightily in Utah on Monday. A 3 - 1 record for this annual torture test is unheard of by Netsfans, even in the Kidd era, and though there was enough drama to go round, it's high time the Nets did more than have just a 3 game winning streak. Time to strap it on, beat the Grizz on Tuesday, enjoy the long rest, and then pick it up on Saturday with another strong performance. Hey, we can hope, can't we?
-Joe