Joe Netsfan Game x Game 24- Knicks 94, Nets 86

Another sad tale, this time at the Garden

Knicks 94, Nets 86
Game 24 File
Another sad tale to tell - a night after playing one of their best games of the season, the Nets throw one up against the hated Knicks at the Garden. Edide Curry pushes around the Nets front court, Zach Randolph shoots and scores, and Jamal Crawford bombs away to send the Nets to another defeat.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 10 - 14
Home Record: 5 - 9
Away Record: 5 - 5
Division Record: 2 - 5
Conf. Record: 7 - 9
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Vince Carter, 24.
• Assists: Kidd and Carter each had 7.
• Rebounds: Jason Kidd, 7.
• Steals: Jason Kidd, 4.
• Turnovers: Richard Jefferson, 4.
• Blocks: Williams and Boone each had 2.
• FG Percentage: Josh Boone 100.0% (5 - 5).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 46.3%
• FT Percentage: 43.8%
• Rebounds: 37
• Rebound Differential: -11
• Turnovers: 10
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 13
• Bench points: 26
• Bench points Differential:+22
• Steals: 6
• Blocks: 5
• Points in the Paint: 36
• Double-Doubles: 0
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 6
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 50.0% (8 - 16)
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -1
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: -7 (Armstrong)
• Double-Doubles this Season:10
• Triple Doubles this Season: 6
• Career Triple Doubles:93

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

Knicks Media:
Newsday | Knicks
New York Post | Knicks
New York Times | Pro Basketball

Game 24: Knicks 94, Nets 86 – December 15, 2007
One Step Up And Two Steps Back
The Nets went to a Garden party, but all they seemed to be able to come away with was the notion that this team can't seem to take a step forward without taking two steps back. In the second game of a back-to-back, the Nets looked listless and without energy, watching Eddie Curry destroy the Nets inside, Zach Randolph handle the short stuff, and Jamal Crawford bomb away from outside to bring them yet another defeat. The Nets have now lost two games to the Knicks this season, which is unheard of in the Kidd era.

Unable to build on the strong game the front court brought against the Cavs, the Nets let Eddie Curry (held scoreless the evening before by his former team, the Bulls) start this party with some strong moves inside against Jason Collins. Jason Kidd, perhaps sensing the troubles to come (Boki Nachbar was already out of the lineup with the ankle injury), was the offensive catalyst early for the Nets, scoring 10 first quarter points (and matching Curry's 10). An early Net lead was erased in the second quarter, though, as Crawford started getting hot and the Nets once again forgot how to get the ball in the basket. Even with Crawford and Randolph pitching in, and the Nets having a seriously hard time getting stops, it was a still a two point game (for the Knicks) at the half.

Vince Carter took over the third quarter for the Nets, finding his way to nine points, but again stopping the Knicks proved challenging, as they made a living inside. The Knick lead stretched to eight after three, and even with plenty of game time remaining, the lack of energy (or trips to the free throw line) from Richard Jefferson and the rest of the Nets was ominous. The Nets managed to get the lead down to four in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks always had the answers, singing the same songs over and over again (Curry low, Randolph middle, Crawford from outside). The big chorus was usually provided by Crawford, as he sang from outside several times to stunt Net rallies, and the night ended with a whimper as the Nets couldn't close the gap.

So then, what are we left with? That the Nets can't play two good games in a row, and suddenly can't handle the likes of the (now) 7 - 16 Knicks? Good teams will close out bad teams - the Nets showed no spark in that or almost any other regard tonight.

Same Old Story
House Was Cold – Too may easy baskets for the Knicks at the Garden leads to a loss. Eddie Curry destroyed all who took him on inside, Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford had far too many easy looks, and overall the defense was again suspect. Jason Collins was among the culprits, so if we build his resume on defense, then perhaps it's time to take a long look at Jamaal Magloire, Josh Boone and Sean Williams in a regular rotation. The interior of the Nets will likely continue to be a dangerous place until Nenad Krstic proves he is back to form, but in the meantime, Lawrence Frank needs to go to the younger combo plus Magloire and take his chances. If this team doesn't defend, with the offensive mired in the high 80's and low 90's most games, they aren't going anywhere.
We Ain't Learnin – Since we're already dumping on them, the Nets bigs got outrebounded by 11 to the Knicks. Often, when the Nets are on offense, they throw up a shot and there is one Net and four opponent (in this case white) jerseys in position for the rebound. On defense, well the Nets allowed 14 offensive rebounds, too many second chances, and too many easy looks inside (the Knicks had a whopping 38 points in the paint). While Josh Boone and Sean Williams again played well overall, everyone has to step it up in the middle.
Slipped Off The Track – How about only 16 free throw attempts tonight (vs. 36 for the more aggressive Knicks)? Richard Jefferson, who AVERAGES 9.75 per game, had none, part of the overall malaise that seemed to hit RJ after chasing LeBron around the night before. He was 7 - 21 from the field, 0 - 3 from behind the arc, and had 4 turnovers and generally wasn't the help he normally is, especially playing off Carter lately.
Faded To Black – Meanwhile, Vince Carter carried the offense, going for 24 points and 7 assists, but he was also -13, not a good stat. His defense still won't be what gets him his highlight reel, but he needs to be more consistent on that end of the floor as well.
That's A Fact - When Kidd is leading the offense (he had 14 of his 18 points in the first half, 10 in the first quarter), that is never a good sign for the Nets. He finished at 18, 7 and 7, with 4 steals and only 1 turnover, but he was powerless to power up anyone else.

Same Old Act
What the...? Not more than 24 hours after putting on an impressive display against a much better team, once again the Nets play down to the level of competition, get beaten by the likes of Jamal Crawford, Eddie Curry and Zach Randolph, and lose to a team they should beat. It's a broken record at this point - the Nets can't get stops on defense, can't get good shots often enough on offense, and generally can't perform with any kind of consistency or with any kind of set rotation. It's gone beyond disheartening to near dispair, frankly, as this team is neither fun to watch most of the time, nor easy to give a pass to. Sure, there are injuries, and there are issues, but the good teams find a way to keep going. Clearly something is broken on this team, and without some sort of change out, whether it be in the rotation or even via trade, the Nets are stuck in the same old rut, racing to make up lost ground as the schedule gets tougher and hoping to have something left if they are able to qualify for the playoffs.
- Joe