Joe Netsfan Game x Game 20- Rockets 96, Nets 89

The Nets go splat at home once again

Rockets 96, Nets 89
Game 20 File
No matter that Jason Kidd was back in the lineup after missing the last game - the Rockets follow T-Mac and Yao, build a double digit lead in the first quarter and never trail, picking up the easy win. Again, the Nets are useless at home...
• Box Score

Nets Record: 9 - 11
Home Record: 4 - 8
Away Record: 5 - 3
Division Record: 2 - 4
Conf. Record: 6 - 7
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Vince Carter, 32.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 7.
• Rebounds: Jason Collins, 8.
• Steals: Jefferson and Collins each had 2.
• Turnovers: Vince Carter, 5.
• Blocks: Sean Williams, 2.
• FG Percentage: Richard Jefferson, 55.0% (11 - 20).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 42.2%
• FT Percentage: 85.7%
• Rebounds: 46
• Rebound Differential: +8
• Turnovers: 17
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 12
• Bench points: 14
• Bench points Differential:-4
• Steals: 6
• Blocks: 4
• Points in the Paint: 24
• Double-Doubles: 0
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 4
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 33.3% (4 - 12)
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -6
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: -1 (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

Rockets Media:
Houston Chronicle

Game 20: Rockets 96, Nets 89 – December 7, 2007
Lost In The Trees
It's like the Nets are in a forest, lost in the trees, and unable to find their way out to a better place. If that forest is the Izod Center, then the Nets are certainly on their way toward a dark place after the latest home court loss to the Rockets. With Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady doing all the axing of the Nets fragile psyche, this time the Nets couldn't even make it out of the first quarter without a double digit deficit. And as the losses mount, inexplicably on the home court, the Nets are certainly going to be felled with change, and soon, if it continues.

With the Nets frontline again unable to contribute much of anything on either side of the ball, Yao had his way inside, helping himself to 25 points and 10 boards (as part of the Rockets 40 points in the paint) as Jason Collins, Jamaal Magloire and Sean Williams were powerless to stop him. He had help, too - Tracy McGrady made the Nets look bad with 13 first quarter points (he had 24 for the game), setting the tone, knocking the Nets back on their heels and basically allowing the Rockets to clear cut the Nets' forest by never relenting on the lead. It was a 10 point hole after a quarter, and the Nets were never in this one after that. Don't let the final score fool you - the Nets late comeback attempt was far too little, far too late.

Even with Jason Kidd back on the floor, the Nets lacked any offensive cohesion, despite Vince Carter getting a season high 32 points and Richard Jefferson totalling 29. There was very little help for those boys, as Kidd had 3 points until the aborted late comeback, and Boki Nachbar once again struggled in his role of instant offense. Looking for anyone else to help out? They weren't home tonight, not by a long shot.

So the home court record stands at 4 - 8, in this easiest part of the schedule, one that was filled with home games. It gets much harder from here, as the Nets hit the road throughout December and much of January. Maybe that's a better sign, since they've been better on the road that at home...

Shadows And Tall Trees
Wooden Words –Let's start with the aftermath of the Jason Kidd migraine. Kidd claimed he really did have a headache and couldn't go, and that it wasn't some sort of a protest for a contract extension or a trade. But face it - with the Captain acting irrationally, his credability (or at least his untouchable nature to the franchise) has taken a serious hit. The leader doesn't go on strike, and he doesn't leave little calling cards with others that say he wants to play with LeBron or Kobe or whomever. It's ok to dream, but keep those dreams to yourself. You can't really blame Kidd for wanting to compete for a championship somewhere as his window starts to close, but then again, you can't blame Rod Thorn for wanting to wait to offer him an extension. So where do we go from here? Chances are, it's time for Kidd to move on, and Rod Thorn has to find the best value he can. Such a shame, really, since Kidd did help resurrect the franchise, but all good things come to an end eventually.
Treed Like A Cat –How about that Nets' frontline, which was going to be a strength, at least in terms of the number of options available to Lawrence Frank? Well, no one could contain Yao or any other Rocket inside (really, 40 points in the paint is not good, people), and if it weren't for Jason Collins' 2 points and 8 rebounds, the Nets would have gotten absolutely nothing from the center position (Jamaal Magloire scored nada, and Sean Williams had 2 points in 11 minutes of PT). If they can't stop anyone, and they can't score, then what the hell are the Net centers doing? Might as well play Williams more minutes and see what he produces, since the end is near for Collins and Magloire.
Bark And Bite – The Nets continue to be horrible at the Izod, which is really sad considering the Nets have always been good at home in the Kidd era. What is going on, exactly, except the Groundhog Day moment that continues to occur? Perhaps it's just the fact that they're a bad team, home or away, and they can't seem to find the energy in front of the home crowd to get out to good starts against determined opponents. We should explore this further at a later date, since the Nets are so awful at home, but for now, let's just chalk it up to a bad team missing a few pieces that might help (Krstic, Williams) or might not.
Out Of The Woods – Looks like the slow start by Vince Carter is about over, as his injuries are healing (or at least manageable). He seems to be able to get to the cup more often, is all over the court again, and while he's still struggling mightily with his defense, he worked hard for his 32 points but wasn't forcing every shot, which is a good sign for things to come. Now, if he only had some help besides Richard Jefferson, who's intent has been good from the opening tip of the first game...

Trouble In The Forest
What the hell is the point of playing home games if you're no damned good there? Again the Nets allow an opponent to walk in and control their floor - this time it was the Rockets, and Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming - and make them look silly by pounding a double digit lead into their collective heads one quarter into the game. The bigs are non-existent, the Big Three have to do too much, and the bench hasn't been much help throughout this turbulent season, and now with Jason Kidd's status somewhat shaky, the Nets find themselves at an early cross-roads once again. Is this team good enough to get through this and make the playoffs? Or is it time for the Big Three to move on? We think we know the answer at this point, but not unless the Nets can get value in return will it happen. Another disappointing start, but hopefully, this time the status quo is not maintained.
- Joe