Joe Netsfan Game x Game 49 - Magic 100, Nets 84

Serving up more slop in sunny Florida

Magic 100, Nets 84
Game 49 File
Looks like the Nets might be gearing up for another skid - after playing well for about the first 15 minutes, the wheels come off, and the Magic dominate for the easy win. It came in stages - first, the Magic bench brought energy, the three's started falling, and then Dwight Howard got rolling - and the Nets never knew where it was coming from next. No defense and no shot-making, sound familiar?
• Box Score

Nets Record: 20 - 29
Home Record: 10 - 15
Away Record: 10 - 14
Division Record: 2 - 7
Conf. Record: 15 - 15
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Vince Carter, 18.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 7.
• Rebounds: Kidd, Boone,Wright and Krstic each had 6.
• Steals: Josh Boone, 2.
• Turnovers: Vince Carter, 4.
• Blocks: Josh Boone, 1.
• FG Percentage: Josh Boone, 100.0% (4 - 4).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 41.8%
• FT Percentage: 81.3%
• Rebounds: 42
• Rebound Differential: Even
• Turnovers: 17
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 12
• Bench points: 28
• Bench points Differential:-7
• Steals: 6
• Blocks: 1
• Points in the Paint: 32
• Double-Doubles: 0
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 5
• Nets Fast Break Points: 12
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 45.5% (5 - 11)
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -12
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: -4 (Armstrong, M. Williams)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 26
• Triple Doubles this Season: 11
• Career Triple Doubles:98

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

Magic Media:
Orlando Sentinel | Magic

Game 49: Magic 100, Nets 84 – February 6 , 2008
Second Helpings
Well, the Nets are sure cooking up another potential long losing streak, aren't they? And it's the same recipie - moldy defense, stomach-churning offense, and a whole lot of nothing with the occasional subtle spice. All in all, after watching the Magic methodically serve up a stew of Net mistakes and turn them into second helpings, well, we're really not so hungry any more.

Neither are the Nets, by the look of things. After a strong start, a double digit lead within the first six minutes behind Vince Carter and an impressive display of jumping all over the Magic, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy got his role players in, and the game changed. Methodically, first Keyon Dooling and then Brian Cook torched the Nets (Cook was left wide open for 3 threes, his specialty) and even though the Nets were clinging to a two point lead after a quarter, the pot was getting stirred. The Nets went on a 6 - 0 to start the second, and then, it was too many cooks (and Cooks) in the kitchen. From that point on, the Magic went on a 25 - 8 run to close out the half, take a 9 point lead, and never have to worry again about what was being served.

The second half was a long, slow slide, as now Dwight Howard got rolling, and the Nets had no answers but poor defense, plenty of turnovers, and so-so shooting. The lead expanded to 15, then 17 and as high as 20, and the so-called Big Three (including a one-eyed Richard Jefferson, for all intents and purposes) couldn't break an egg, let alone stop the pressure-cookin' Magic.

So with a losing streak at 3 (and 12 of 14), the Nets head next to Charlotte, one of about 15 Eastern Conference teams in the playoff hunt (and all about to pass the Nets at this rate), to try and correct the menu. Of course, when there is garbage in...

Leftover Hell
Refrigerator Of Doom - Oh oh, did the Nets stop playing in this one during the second half? After an intial burst that seemed to catch the Magic off guard, the Nets were taken out of their game and put into Orlando's comfort zone, and that wae BEFORE Dwight Howard got rolling. Once the changeover occurred, the Nets seemed to lay down. Not a good sign from a team that has trouble playing all 48 minutes, is being held hostage by its captain, and often looks like its going through the motions anyway. When they can't bring it against one of the better teams in the East, then we're just kidding ourselves about this team making a run or grabbing a playoff berth. Might be for the best as the Nets look to change it out in the off-season.
Big Three Gone Stale - Vince Carter again show life (and hops), but he still can't get his shot to fall (he was 6 - 14, better but...). Richard Jefferson continues to suffer from having one eye almost closed (you have to think his peripheral vision is shot) and he could only muster a 5 - 15, 11 point nightmare (he was -20 as well). And Jason Kidd? Well, aside from being abused by the combination of Keyon Dooling and Jameer Nelson (they combined for 22 points and 8 assists), he was again a non-factor after the first quarter. No way the Nets can win without consistently excellent performances from 2 of their 3 nightly, and they often can't get one...
Indigestion - The Nets killed themselves with turnovers (they had 17, many again either unforced, or because of trying to do too much) while not forcing nearly enough (can anyone get anything going on the defensive end for NJ?), they didn't shoot well enough (42%), they allowed too many easy paint touches (and too many easy dunks for Dwight Howard, who muscled around Josh Boone - still wonder why Jason Collins had worth?), and overall, their desire and effort would seem to be in question after the first quarter. It is what it is, as they say, but changes need to be made...
Corn Dog - Boki Nachbar continues to be a scorer off the bench of late (tonight he was 6 of 15 for 13 points) but he's a sieve defensively (he was brutal, folks), and so what's the net result of his contributions?
Clear Cupboards - Nenad Krstic got 15 minutes of run, buried an outside jumper just like we remember he could, but otherwise was clearly stil feeling his way. The rest of the bench was a whole lot of nothing, really, and Stromile Swift still hasn't made his debut yet (perhaps Friday? I mean, how complicated could things be?). Can Swift help out? Remains to be seen (I remain skeptical).

Second-Day Sale
Good start, poor finish for the second game in a row. Only the good didn't last much longer than 15 minutes or so, as everyone from Dwight Howard to Rashard Lewis to Hedo Turkoglu to Brian Cook and Keyon Dooling contributed to the winning gumbo. This isn't getting better any time soon, really, because everyone on the Nets (with the exception of Vince Carter over the last two games, and RJ always) seems to be waiting for something to happen to the roster. Too easily pushed around, too ready to drop focus and get run out of the building, the Nets are beyond searching for an identity - they're just searching for a way out. And with the February schedule (interrupted by the All Star break, of course) lined up the way it is, it could be a whole lot worse by the beginning of March. Only time will tell, but we think we've got some indications already...
- Joe