Joe Netsfan Game x Game 21- Wizards 104, Nets 89

You can dress them up...

Wizards 104, Nets 89
Game 21 File
Well, even if they are consistent, now they're mixing it up A slow start in the first quarter, a dominating second quarter, a slow slide in the third, and absolute cluelessness in the fourth. Caron Butler destroys the Nets late, and they fold like a cheap tent, making this three straight losses (again).
• Box Score

Nets Record: 9 - 12
Home Record: 4 - 8
Away Record: 5 - 4
Division Record: 2 - 4
Conf. Record: 6 - 8
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Vince Carter, 30.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 13.
• Rebounds: Jason Kidd, 10.
• Steals: Kidd, Jefferson, Wright, Nachbar and Boone each had 1.
• Turnovers: Kidd and Jefferson each had 5.
• Blocks: Vince Carter, 1.
• FG Percentage: Vince Carter, 64.7% (11 - 17).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 48.6%
• FT Percentage: 68.8%
• Rebounds: 38
• Rebound Differential: -1
• Turnovers: 18
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 9
• Bench points: 33
• Bench points Differential:+11
• Steals: 5
• Blocks: 1
• Points in the Paint: 32
• Double-Doubles: 1 (Jason Kidd: 13 points, 13 assists)
• Triple-Doubles: 1 (Jason Kidd: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists)

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 3
• Nets Fast Break Points: 13
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 45.5% (5 - 11)
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -22
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: +7 (Armstrong, Gill)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 9
• Triple Doubles this Season: 5
• Career Triple Doubles:92

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

Wizards Media:
Washington Post | Wizards

Game 21: Wizards 104, Nets 89 – December 9, 2007
The Butler Did It
Done in by the Butler - that is, the Wizard's own Caron Butler - on the road in the Nets version of Clue isn't the worst thing that could have happened to the Nets. Unfortunately, after finally stringing together some decent basketball, their fourth quarter finish leaves the Nets with three straight losses. Tell me, Netsfans - whodunit?

This one fit the overall pattern of a crime being committed, although unlike past Net efforts it was almost in reverse. A weak start (what else is new?) found the Wiz stepping over the Nets bodies on their way to an early double digit lead, as the inside was a path to a basket or a free throw. Meanwhile, Richard Jefferson was already finding it hard to operate, looking more like Professor Plum than the Nets' leading scorer. A late run closed the gap to four after a quarter, and then things got interesting for the first time in a while.

The Nets had a Major offensive outburst, and we were all actually there to see it. Starting with a Jefferson dunk off a run out, the Nets scored 14 straight points in the midst of an 18 - 2 run to take an 11 point lead. Can you imagine that that was the Nets? It was keyed by Vince Carter's 7 points, and even though the Wiz eventually righted themselves (by living at the line, a common theme tonight), the Nets six point halftime lead was the most encouraging sign in weeks.

Until the Nets turned into Miss Scarlet, apparently. Oh, it was subtle at first, with the third quarter still trending the Nets way, VC hitting everything in sight (he had 15 points in the third quarter), Jason Kidd on his way to yet another triple double, and the Nets still leading by 6 halfway through the third. But the Wiz were establishing their pattern - bash the Nets over the head with a candle stick and get to the line at every opportunity. It was working beautifully.

And then there was the Butler - again, Caron Butler, for those with very short attention spans. He started things with two innocent free throws - but those free throws started a quarter-ending 19 - 9 run that put the Wiz up by six. But it wasn't over there, as Butler, playing the role of the player who would not be denied, went on a tear in the fourth, leaving the Nets watching a murder in progress. Scoring 10 straight points to give the Wiz a 15 point lead not five minutes into the fourth, Caron Butler turned out to be the one "whodunit" to the Nets chances of revival. The Nets, looking shattered, could only swipe helplessly at the pieces on the board as the Wiz went to the free throw line, made the shots they needed to make, and closed out the clueless Nets with a 62 - 41 second half domination.

Another classic whodunit game turned ugly for the Nets.

Case File Confidential
This Murder Is No Mystery – A new twist on a tiresome case - the Nets falling behind by more than 10 points, and struggling to get in or stay in the game. Tonight, things looked great from the second quarter until the mid-point of the third, and then the floodgates opened. Unable to close out this one after finally looking like they had a clue is more than disappointing, it's downright confusing. What happened, exactly? How did energy and effort - missing at the start, exploding in the second quarter - disappear so easily once again? The bigs couldn't handle anything down low (if I were the Nets opponent, I'd send everything but the kitchen sink that way), shooters were left wide open (this isn't HS, guys), and there is absolutely no big play ability on the floor defensively right now (where the hell was Sean Williams?). It's just plain inexcusable.
Colonel Mustard –He's the perfect compliment for any team, that Jason Kidd. Another triple double tonight (that's 5 on the season, 92 on the career), with 13 points, 10 boards and 13 assists, but he was unable to rally the troops when they needed rallying. That's yet another disappointment to this season - even with the return of competent backup point guards (Darrell Armstong played his first game in nearly a month and was +7, Marcus Williams is expected shortly, at least we think he is), Kidd's still playing too many minutes and he's not having the impact that was expected. Still, there aren't many like him, unhappy or not...
That Professor Plum – It was easily the worst game of the season by Richard Jefferson, as a combination of double teams by Eddie Jordan and a lot of Deshawn Stevenson in his grill slowed RJ to a crawl. He was 4 - 12, scored only 9 points (that's the first time in 21 games he didn't make double digits) and had 5 turnovers to boot. He can't carry this team all the time, but they would have needed a better effort than this in crunch time to get it done. And he didn't.
Other Suspects – Well, it's always about the front line and what it can't do this year, isn't it? Attack the likes of Jason Collins, Jamaal Magloire, Malik Allen, and Josh Boone night after night and see what happens, goes the strategy. Or, double the other Nets on offense and force Collins or Allen or whomever to shoot, usually without success. Zone them up, press full court, whatever - it's easy to see the Nets are playing about 3.5 on 5 on the offensive end, and about 4 on 5 on the defensive end most of the time. And that math will never, ever work. Let's get something from the bigs and soon, or start making changes and playing Sean Williams for 35 minutes a game and let the life's learning lessons begin.
Mr. Green - A great effort by Boki Nachbar in the first half, but true to form this year, he was off in the second half. Great second and third quarter for Vince Carter, scoring 28 points through 3 quarters, but then a disappearing act when he was needed most in the fourth. Frustrating night once again.
Get A Line On Them - The refs were in love with the whistle tonight, at least when it comes to the Wiz. I'm not saying it was entirely wrong, but the Wiz had 36 free throws (making an amazing 32) while the Nets had 16 (and many no-calls)

A Classic Detective Game
WCould you spot all the flaws in the Nets game against the Wiz tonight? We knew you could. Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and their pals sliced and diced the Nets tonight, even after things were starting to look bleak for them. A great second half/fourth quarter hangs the Nets out on the loser's line, and it was plain to see that the Nets continue to struggle in all facets, especially when trying to put together 48 minutes of even decent basketball...where do they go from here? That's the big mystery, as rumors of chemistry issues seem to be having an effect on their play (right along with their amazing inconsistency from game to game or even quarter to quarter). We can psychoanalyze all day, but at the end, here's what it comes down to: the Nets are a bad basketball team right now, one that can't seem to sustain their energy or make the plays necessary to win in the NBA. There is certainly talent here, but it seems to have maxed out at this point. Time for change, or they'll be more whodunits uglier than this one before long...
- Joe