Brooklyn Nets: Will The Real Flatbush Five Please Stand Up

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

The Phantom of 2013 Strike Again!

Raptors lead Series 3-2

GAME FIVE FINAL:

Nets        113

Raptors  115

BROOKLYN NETS: They Almost Pushed The Rock All The Way Up The Mountain, But Ultimately Watched It Roll Back Into The Valley.  No One Cares How Close They Came. They Just Want The Freakin' Rock On Top Of The Mountain.

BROOKLYN FACING ELIMINATION ON HOME COURT

GAME SIX

Toronto Raptors

vs.

Brooklyn Nets

FROM

Barclays Center

Flatbush Avenue at Atlantic Avenue

Starting at 101-101, the score in the 4th quarter was tied several times.  This came with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on the bench.  After the Nets came back the way they did, you can't really knock Jason Kidd for putting them there.  But, just as I said after Game One....

....more than anything, he (KG) combined with Paul Pierce in handling the ball with very sure hands in the closing three minutes of the game. His ability to gain the high elbow, and pass back and forth with Paul Pierce on the wing, without panic, exemplified their respective playoff experience at its finest.

Too bad much of the blame for Sunday's loss went to Andray Blatche for misplaying the ball in the closing seconds. I'll just say that in the closing moments, Jason Kidd had less sure players on the floor.  But, please point to an otherwise miserable team performance before everyone piles on Blatche.

The Brooklyn Nets must now win two in a row, or get bounced from the post-season.  They get to play at home tonight, but must travel back to Toronto and win there as well, should they prevail in Barclays Center first.

Now we'll get to see if investing in all this experience will pay off.  Billy King took a a major gamble and spent a lot of dollars assembling this team.  For them to get bounced in the first round would be a colossal failure.

The GM of the Raptors hasn't said too many bright things, but, among his more rational musings was, be careful what you ask for - in reference to the Nets positioning themselves for a first round match-up with Toronto.  That plan is now only 60 minutes away from backfiring.

We know what needs to be done.  No use beating Deron Williams over the head.  He'll have enough to deal with regardless whether the Nets win or lose this series.  His criticisms have piled high since Game One.

Keep the team of 2013 in the closet, and unleash the team we saw between January and April.




Mike.BTB