Brooklyn Nets: Payback; Nets Fall By Thirty To Celtics

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

May 2011

BROOKLYN NETS: Boston Came To Brooklyn And Served Up Some Payback After Nets' Second Unit Buzzed Celtics In Tuesday's Game.

PRE-SEASON:

GAME FOUR FINAL

Celtics   115

NETS     85

 

Nets Record - 3-1

 

It's pre-season for everybody.  Trust me.  The fans are just getting started too.  Before long, they will be in full swing and ready for tip-off.  For the Nets players, in addition to playing the Celtics, they were given something else to contend with - a small smattering of boooos.  Imagine once the Barclays faithful get warmed up?  Play well fellas.  It comes with the territory.


In the team's first national broadcast appearance as the Brooklyn Nets, the team played what Webster's defines as a stinker.  The 115-85 final would suggest that.  But during the TNT telecast, Coach Avery was interviewed and offered the Celtics were playing as if they were in a regular season game, while the Nets were approaching the evening as a pre-season game.  In any case, what we saw wasn't pretty - not terribly ugly as pre-season goes, but not pretty all the same.


Consider this payback for Boston's  starters getting drubbed by Brooklyn's second unit the last time they met in Beantown.  Only problem was this time, the Nets starters were on the floor too.  The Nets are now 3-1 this pre-season.


The Nets shot 37% from the floor, and all players were responsible.  Their free throw shooting continues to be suspect as well.  Thursday night they struggled to shoot 67% on 21/31 shooting from the stripe.  Sure, the starting five all scored in double figures.  But Brook Lopez was high man with only fourteen points.  Meanwhile, the Celtics shot at a 56.5% rate from the floor, and a fairly proficient 80% from the line.


Boston won the overall battle of the boards, forty three rebounds to forty for the Nets.  Andray Blatche (bless him) led all players in rebounds with nine coming off the bench.  He added eight points for good measure, and continues his strong pre-season after playing just twenty six games last season and getting the amnesty treatment from Washington.  Brook Lopez was second high player with seven rebounds.  After four games, his efforts to pull down more rebounds are becoming more noticeable.


In thirty one minutes, Deron Williams scored ten points, and only dished out six assists.  His counter-part Rajon Rondo had nine assists and fourteen points.  Joe Johnson was the Nets second high scorer with eleven points.


Paul Pierce put Brooklyn in an early first quarter hole from which they could never quite dig out from.  Down 59-44 at the half, the Nets won the third quarter 26-25, but the Celtic pulled away with a 31-15 fourth quarter.  Thirty points was the final margin of victory.  Paul Pierce and Courtney Lee tied for game high with eighteen points each.  In all, Brooklyn's defensive breakdowns allowed seven Boston players to score in double digits.  Like I said, not pretty.  And I'm sure Coach Johnson is not too pleased either.


Next up, the Nets host the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night at Barclays.




Mike.BTB