Joe Netsfan Game x Game 15 - Grizzlies 110, Nets 103

Not even a homeward triple double from Kidd can save them from their lethargy

Grizzlies 110, Nets 103
Game 15 File
Another lethargic performance in the first half, an almost stellar third quarter, and nearing a lead in the fourth - sound familiar? Unlike the LA game, the Nets get within a point but falter at home as the Grizz beat the Nets in the endgame despite a triple double from Jason Kidd and Vince Carter's best game of the season.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 7 - 8
Home Record: 3 - 6
Away Record: 4 - 2
Division Record: 1 - 3
Conf. Record: 4 - 5
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Vince Carter, 32.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 12.
• Rebounds: Jason Kidd, 15.
• Steals: Richard Jefferson, 2.
• Turnovers: Richard Jefferson, 4.
• Blocks: Sean Williams, 2.
• FG Percentage: Antoine Wright, 55.6% (5 - 9). Jason Collins was 3 - 3 (!)

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 45.2%
• FT Percentage: 76.9%
• Rebounds: 45
• Rebound Differential: +6
• Turnovers: 11
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 10
• Bench points: 13
• Bench points Differential:-20
• Steals: 5
• Blocks: 3
• Points in the Paint: 50
• Double-Doubles: 1 (Jason Kidd: 12 points, 15 rebounds)
• Triple-Doubles: 1 (Jason Kidd: 12 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists)

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 9
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 35.7% (5 - 14).
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: Even
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: -7 (Gill)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 8
• Triple Doubles this Season: 4
• Career Triple Doubles:91

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

Grizzlies Media:
Memphis Commercial Appeal | Grizzlies

Game 15: Grizzlies 110, Nets 103 – November 27, 2007
Broken Home
Coming home to sleep in their own beds did the Nets absolutely no good, as they appeared to be sleeping on a sidewalk grate in an awkward first half that doomed them to another bad home loss, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies. Almost a repeat of the Laker game on Sunday night, this time the Nets had no fully formed comback (they got within a point in the fourth quarter) after falling behind by 18 points as late as the third quarter, and certainly no fortitude for any mental toughness in the end game despite one more triple double from Jason Kidd. And so the Nets fall back under .500 on the season, bring up more questions about just what this team is all about, their home court "advantage" and leave us doubting they have the stuff that playoff runs are made of.

A big win in LA, a long, red-eye flight home and a re-adjustment to East Coast living apparently didn't treat the Nets well, as they opened up with another tepid first half performance. Slow to close out on shooters, bombed away from behind the three point line, and an offense that seemed intimidated by the defensively challenged Grizzlies were just some of the ills afflicting the street urchiin Jersey-ans, and it showed on the scoreboard with an early 18 point deficit. A bad second quarter of slow rotations and a lack of interest on both ends of the floor put them in that 18 point hole, and if it weren't for the work of Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd, the Nets might have fallen further behind. They did managed to close the gap to only 13 at the break.

And like that Laker game, they started chipping away at the deficit, just after the Grizz again opened the lead to 18, because they started running the floor and getting easier baskets. For a time it was like the old days, as the Nets went on an extended 31 - 17 run led by Carter's 13 points to close it to within four. The Nets couldn't handed success, though, and after working hard to close the gap to two, and then a single point, the Nets failed to execute anything in the end game. That single point deficit, at 99 - 98 and two minutes to play, evaporated as NJ went 1 for 6 from the floor while the Grizz capitalized, falling behind by an insurmountable eight with 10 seconds to play.

Home is a cold, dark place for the Nets, as they fall to 3- 6 at the Izod Center. A bad loss no matter how you look at it, as the Nets were finally starting to show some constitution and ability to get out of the rain. Now they're back in a cardboard box even with plenty of opportunities for a dry roof over their heads, and that's just not a good sign 15 games into the season. A few days of rest, before a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, at home vs. Philly and on the road at Detroit.

Sidewalk Sleeping
Beds Made Of Newspaper – What's with the home performances this year? You could say that four of those six losses were a bit tainted, since they came with Vince Carter out of the lineup, but c'mon, that's no excuse. You have to man up and win games on your home floor. The lethargy continues there, as if the Nets somehow feel they can turn it on in front of the home town fans and get the W. Their inability to win on the home floor is not exactly inspiring for Netsfans, and one wonders how much prosperity this team can handle come Spring.
Park Benches Made For Resting, Not Sleeping – Very strange rotations tonight by Lawrence Frank (which was commented on by Mark Jackson in the post game). The bench, which had helped reduce minutes of the starters while also contributing, was whittled down to Boki Nachbar and Sean Williams (Vince Carter got his first start since he returned from injury, by the way, in a smaller lineup with Antoine Wright instead of Malik Allen), with cameos from Eddie Gill and Josh Boone. No Malik Allen, no Jamaal Magloire, and no Nenad Krstic. Even more intereresting, 32 minutes for Jason Collins tonight (he did go 3 -3 from the field for 6 points). Strange, with the jet lag and the athletic lineup the Grizz play. What's the thinking there, L. Frank? I'm sure we'll hear about it tomorrow.
Home Boy – It's not all that often that a Jason Kidd triple double takes the third spot in this lineup, but despite his 12 points, 15 rebounds (he was huge, rebounding and turning into a one man fast break), and 12 assists, the Nets lost. Kidd turned it on in the second half (he was 5, 9 and 7), but still he couldn't use his famous will to force this one into the Nets hands. That does make 91 career trip doubs, and 4 this season (in only 15 games).
The Man With The Plan –It was good to see Vince Carter's game return tonight. He was huge in that third quarter, looking more like the VC we knew back in '05 - '06 in getting 13 of his 23 points. And his offense didn't come at the expense of Richard Jefferson, who had 27 points of his own, but unfortunately, there wasn't enough help after the Big Three to close it out (they combined for 71 points, 28 rebounds and 24 assists). RJ was somewhat shaky with the ball as well, though he had only 4 turnovers he never seemed confident with the ball in has hands tonight.
It's Cold Outside – Problems from the past, closing out on opponent shooters, especially from outside. That was the Nets tonight, reliving some of those awful nights last season where they couldn't get near the open shooter. The Grizz tortured the Nets from beyond the arc - they went 11 - 22 for the game - with the Nets slow to react almost each and every time. Give 'em credit, they were open, and they made them, but shame on the Nets for reverting back to form.

Not Housebroken
So it's still very cold at home for New Jersey, after this uninspiring loss to the Grizz brings the end of the changed-ways three game winning streak. Pau Gasol, Mike Miller Damon Stoudamire, and someone named Juan Carlos Navarro (wasn't he the king of Spain back when I was a kid?) just shot up the Nets home court advantage and maybe helped convince us that things are still not quite what they should be for the Nets. Time to get over this loss (that gives them a sub-.500 first month of the season) and move forward, hopefully to get some wins at home in December.
-Joe