Brooklyn Nets: Chicago Bulls Hit Heavy Traffic On Flatbush; Game Two Tonight

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - Chicago Suffers Saturday Night Fever. The Hoops Of Flatbush Take No Bull On Home Turf.

 

GAME ONE FINAL

Bulls      89
NETS   106

A little under 18,000 fans watched live, as history was being made on Saturday night.  The Brooklyn Nets basketball team won the first major professional playoff game in the Borough since 1956, when the Brooklyn Dodgers last played the Bronx Bombers in the 1956 World Series.  Saturday night's game inside Brooklyn's new downtown arena was only a first round affair against the Chicago Bulls, but was a huge inaugural step for the  club and its fans, not to mention an enormous benchmark for the billionaire owner who's primary goal is to secure the Borough a championship by the 2015 season.

For just over two and a half hours inside Barclays Center, the home team played like a championship caliber club.  In running through the Chicago Bulls by a seventeen point margin, the Hoops of Flatbush did everything near perfectly, and finished the game convincingly.  From the opening tip to the final buzzer, Brooklyn remained relentless.


Six Nets players ended in double-digit scoring versus just one, Carlos Boozer (25), for Chicago.  Deron Williams led Nets scorers with twenty-two points, and also distributed a game high seven assists.  Brook Lopez was next high with twenty-one points, and led all players with three blocked shots.  Joe Johnson dropped sixteen points, and Crash played a very solid game with fourteen points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.  The only starter who failed to score in double-digits was Reggie Evans.  As usual, his game contributions came in the form of a game high thirteen rebounds - the only player with double-digit boards.  Twelve of Reggie's rebounds came on the defensive end.  Unlike Tom Thibodeau, Coach P.J. Carlesimo made almost full use of his bench.  C.J. Watson scored fourteen and Andray Blatche added another twelve points in supporting roles.


The Nets shot 55.8% from the floor versus 47.4% for Chicago.  The Nets are very simple to figure - when they shoot like that, they usually win, for this has been a season riddled with too many 33% nights.  Brooklyn also won the battle of the boards by a 39-35 margin - something they are more accustomed to doing. The Nets additionally shot 82.4% from the free throw line, while Chicago struggled through 68.2% shooting.


Moving forward, if Joakim Noah is going to be hobbling around all series, then it sure makes sense to keep Brook Lopez and Reggie Evans on the floor together.  The two dominated down low as a tandem, and were chiefly responsible for outscoring the Bulls 56-36 in the paint.  Deron Williams also played a part in Brooklyn's paint domination, driving at will, pun intended.  His outside shooting solid, as was Joe Johnson's.  If Williams continues shooting nine for fifteen as he did in game one, the Bulls have to respect the outside.  Joe-Jo was seven for thirteen from the field.  Together, they shot 50% (four for eight) from three point land.

 

GAME TWO

 

Chicago Bulls

vs.

BROOKLYN NETS

FROM

Barclays Center, Flatbush Avenue

BROOKLYN

Point to the absence of Derrick Rose, and the present health of Joakim Noah if you will.  Success is relative.  I get that.  In game one however, Gerald Wallace appeared determined to become a factor.  He was five of seven from the floor, and three of five from the stripe.  In thirty-seven minutes, he did a little bit of everything.  He factored with points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.  It was a complete night for him.  While it is perfectly clear this is Deron Williams' team to run, if the Gerald Wallace that played with Saturday Night Fever continues to suit up for the Nets, Brooklyn can make noise.  Before he gets to don his white suit when the series shifts to Chicago, first, the Hoops need to continue the Black-Out, and take care of business right here on their home turf of Flatbush.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Pull Within One Game Of First Place

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - Sweep Home and Home from Bucks.

FIRST PLACE IS JUST A GAME AWAY

Like night and day - or in this case, from night to night, or like I said the other day - from quarter to quarter, the Brooklyn Nets were stricken for portions of the game by a bad case of poor shooting percentage, out in cold Milwaukee.  Then like flicking a switch, they turn it on.


Half way through the third quarter, the Nets were behind by ten points.  They were trailing 64-54, and shooting 33% from the floor.  Brook Lopez was only 3/13 shooting.  Deron Williams and C.J Watson were keeping things respectable.  Deron had twelve points and five assists to that point.  And C.J. Watson had eleven points off the bench.  Meanwhile, Milwaukee was launching shots with a 58% rate of success.  The Bucks were out-scoring the Nets in fast break points by a 21-6 margin, and out-scoring Brooklyn 30-16 in the paint.  The Nets were getting out-rebounded, and the Bucks handed out more assists.  For a second consecutive night, Brandon Jennings was leading all scorers.


Brooklyn made a series of defensive stops, and Crash actually scored a pair on transition during a 9-2 Brooklyn run, which closed the Nets gap to five points, in a 66-61 game and 3:40 to play in the third quarter.  At 3:07, Brandon Jennings buried his twenty sixth point of the evening making the score 71-61, and giving Milwaukee a ten point lead again.  From that point, Brandon Jennings would not score again until there were less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.  The third quarter ended with the Nets behind by a 76-68 score.


At 10:46 of the fourth quarter, Marshon Brooks nailed a big three which brought the Nets within one point.  At the 10:00 mark, Brooklyn enjoyed its first lead; 77-76; since very early in the first quarter.  A pair of Marshon Brooks free throws made the score 79-76 Nets.  The Nets shooting improved to 42% in the second half.  And the Nets started to flex themselves on the defensive boards.  By the seven minute mark, the Nets were up to 52% shooting from the floor.


After Milwaukee tied the game at 81-81 all, Kieth Bogans nailed a huge three-pointer at the 5:40 mark.  Kris Humphries soon followed with a mid-range jumper, drew a foul, and converted the three point play to put Brooklyn ahead by an 87-81 score.  The Nets had played the previous three and a half minutes with Deron Williams and Brook Lopez on the bench.  And speaking of the bench, by the 2:50 mark of the fourth quarter, they had amassed forty five on their forty seven points of the night.  As Brooklyn kept up their defensive rebounding, Andray Blatche Blatche was busy putting the Nets ahead by an 89-81 mark.


Deron returned to the floor and hit a trey at the 1:50 mark, making the score 94-83 Nets.  A couple of turnovers and lapses in defense made P.J. Carlesimo call for a time out.  With 0:32 seconds left, the Nets were still clinging to a 94-92 lead.  C.J. Watson drove the lane with 15.5 seconds left and scored two huge points for a 96-92 lead.


With 4.4 seconds left, the Nets nearly blew an in-bounds pass to Deron Williams.  The Nets maintained possession, and with 3.4 seconds left, Milwaukee fouled and sent Williams to the line.  But Deron only made one of two free throws, leaving the door open for the Bucks in what was then a 97-94 game.  Incredulously, Deron Williams was called for a questionable foul on a three point attempt.  But Milwaukee's Monta Ellis missed all three free throws, and Brooklyn rebounded the last shot to secure a three point win.


In the end, it was Milwaukee's shooters that went cold in the fourth quarter.  At one point, they were 2 of 16 from the field.  The Nets pulled themselves together, and finished shooting an even 40% for the game.  The Nets swept both games of the home and home.


Deron Williams led the Nets with twenty three points and eight assists.  He was 7/16 from the field.  C.J. Watson was big off the bench with seventeen points.  Andray Blatche posted a double-double with twelve points and twelve rebounds.  On the night after toasting the Bucks, not once, but twice, with last second shots, Joe Johnson was limited to eight points on this night.


The Nets are winners of their last four in a row.  They now sport a 33-22 record this season.  The Brooklyn Nets are now just one game behind the Knicks for first place of the Atlantic Division.  The Knicks by the way, got crushed by the Indiana Pacers by a 125-91 score.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: The Shots Heard Round The Borough

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - Joe Jo Blows The Roof Off Barclays.


Take that....!  And THAT!  Joe Johnson nailed a fourth quarter, last second, three-point shot to tie Tuesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.  Then with the final seconds ticking away in over-time, Joe Jo nailed the game winning shot.  Barclays Center exploded and claimed its first signature Nets moment of the new calender year.


That's the way the Nets second half starts - with a 113-111 overtime win over the Bucks.  Significant?  Yes, considering Milwaukee abused the Nets in two prior meetings this season by margins of nine, and fifteen points respectively.  Brooklyn will be in Milwaukee tonight for the back end of a home and home.


The Nets are now 5-0 in overtime games, and 4-0 at home.  Their lone OT road win came against Washington.  The biggest overtime victory came over the Knicks in the first game between them back in November.  The first OT game Brooklyn played this season resulted in a big win over Boston.  The Nets also own overtime victories against the Clippers, Pistons, and Pacers.


Last night, Brandon Jennings was the game's high scorer with thirty four points.  The Nets however had five players in double digit scoring.  The man of the night, Joe Johnson, led the Nets with twenty four.  Deron Williams and Brook Lopez each chipped in nineteen points.  Off the bench, C.J. Watson contributed eleven points, and Andray Blatche dropped fourteen.


There was good team ball distribution.  Deron Williams led all players with nine assists.  Joe Jo and Gerald Wallace each had five assists.  Reggie Evens and Brook Lopez tied for game high with nine rebounds.  The Nets out-rebounded Milwaukee by a 49-43 margin.  Nets received a team effort on the boards.  Blatche, Joe, Humph, and Crash combined on another twenty four rebounds.


The Nets start the second half by shooting considerably better than they have in past games.  They shot an improved 47.3% from the floor.  Milwaukee also shot 47%, but Brooklyn killed them from three point land.  The Nets hit 10/19 for 52.6% shooting.  The Bucks only hit 7/20, for 35% from behind the arch.

TONIGHT

 

BROOKLYN NETS

vs.

Milwaukee Bucks

From

Somewhere Cold

Wisconsin

 

 

 

Go Brooklyn!

 

Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: A First Half Struggle For Respect

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - It's Halftime At Barclays Center.


For the denizens of Kings County who aren't familiar with the NBA calendar, this is called All-Star weekend.  The first half of Brooklyn's inaugural season as a member club of the National Basketball Association is complete.  In his fourth full season on the court, Brook Lopez will be the Nets lone representative in this season's mid-winter hardwood classic.  Brook Lopez is currently the NBA's highest scoring center, averaging nineteen points per game.  Not incidentally, he is also the Nets highest scorer.  The big man is averaging 7.4 RPG, and 2.2 blocks this season.


As for the rest of the Nets, over the first half of the season, they are either still learning how to play with one another, or, they are a very flawed team.  The truth probably lies somewhere in between.  But for now, many are calling the Nets merely the best of the rest.  And it is hard to argue with that assessment.  They have defeated damn near every team (18-2) with a sub .500 record.  However, against the league's better clubs and contenders, the Nets have struggled mightily.  Against them, they have only achieved a 13-20 record.  That places a distinct cloud over Brooklyn's playoff aspirations.


The Nets enter the break with a 31-22 (.585) record on the season.  They currently occupy second place in the Atlantic Division, 2.5 games behind the New York Knicks.  Brooklyn is the fourth seed behind the division leaders in the Eastern Conference standings, and one half game better than the Chicago Bulls.  The Brooks have a 16-8 record under P.J. Carlesimo.  With three more victories, the Nets will tie a five-season high, when they last won thirty four games back in the 2008-2009 regular season.  They won a combined forty six games in their last two seasons in Newark, and fifty eight games in the last three.  This season, Brooklyn stands a chance to win fifty games.  Twenty nine games remain in the regular season.  The Nets are 18-2 versus teams with sub .500 records. Seventeen of their remaining games will come against them.


So where do the Nets go from here?  For Mikhail Prokhorov, that is the billion dollar question.  The Nets are at the exact mid-point of the owner's five year plan.  From here on out, it is playoffs or bust.  Most feel the Nets are indeed a post-season contender, but question how far can they go.  That could be problematic for a few people.  In dismissing Avery Johnson himself after being named coach of the month in November, the owner offered a glimpse as to how much autonomy may really exist under him.  Therefore, Mikhail Prokhorov's doomsday clock is ticking on Billy King's reign, and his Lugs of Flatbush. 


The Lugs of Flatbush are a slow, plodding, deliberate, team.  When they face the right opponent, they thrive playing a half court game and crashing the boards, which they do very well by the way.  They like to look for Brook Lopez down low, and usually outscore their opponents in the paint.  When they get that going, they then let the mid-range jumpers and three-pointers fly.  But when the Nets play against up-tempo teams, and can't slow them down, and get forced into playing transition basketball, they look lethargic.  Truth is, Brooklyn has no transition game, or quickness out of their starters, to speak of.  Even when the Nets do play their style of basketball, they are still a wildly erratic shooting team from the field.  From game to game, from half to half, and especially from quarter to quarter, they suffer horrible bouts of inconsistency, not just in their shooting percentage, but through lapses in defensive play as well.  As Deron Williams intimated very recently, that's when the finger pointing starts and team cohesion leaves the building.  Both Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace have been very vocal regarding their team mates' attitudes, moods, and effort.  And were it not for consecutive wins over Indiana and Denver, that is where the first half leaves off.  It is not entirely fair to speak that disparagingly of them however.  Just when they get embarrassed by the better teams around the league, they respond with a #5 overall ranked defensive effort, and change the running conversation again; as they did with the previously noted victories over Indiana and Denver.


Those last two wins incidentally came without Deron Williams on the floor.  The Nets point guard will not be participating in this year's all-star game, not because he is currently nursing two ailing ankles.  Instead, he will not be playing because he is arguably under-performing this season.  Deron's current 7.6 assist per game average is his lowest mark since his 2005-06 rookie year.  Between 2006-07 and the year he was traded to the Nets, Deron averaged 10.3 assists per game.  In his first season with the Nets (12 games after the trade), he averaged twelve assists a game.  Over the last season an a half, he has only averaged 8.1 assists per game.  Deron Williams clearly then, needs to do a better job distributing the ball.  More, he needs to start playing like the star guard the Nets thought they were acquiring from Utah.  That may sound harsh, for Deron seems only a slight adjustment away from playing to that level.  But he has been the first to admit his short-comings.  This is not the first time Deron Williams is dealing with ankle issues.  So his situation warrants more observation.


But you don't need binoculars to see his points are down this season as well. After averaging twenty points per game the last two seasons, Deron is currently only averaging 16.7  points per game - his lowest average since his second year in the league.  In his season and a half as the Nets point guard, Williams has posted the worst two FG% of his career.  He was a .463% shooter with Utah.  With the Nets, Deron Williams FG% has dropped to a .389 mark.  I am not necessarily holding the Nets last season in New Jersey against his record.  But with Billy King's revamped roster heading into this season, the case for Deron Williams weakened.  Bettering their shooting percentage alone will improve the team's overall fortunes immeasurably.  Deron Williams is a part of that.


But a few more things need to happen before the Nets are considered true Eastern Conference contenders.  Among them, the other half of Brooklyn's pricey back-court needs to exert himself just a little more than he does.  Outside of his contract, Joe Johnson is a hard guy to knock.  He has proven to be a clutch shooter.  He has won games with last second shots.  No problem there.  However, Joe needs to establish more of a presence throughout the game like he did against the Denver Nuggets recently, with nine assists and twenty six points.  At thirty-one years of age, the Nets may never get the shooter he was in Atlanta.  But Joe Johnson is not old, and should be closer to that player than he is.  In his last two seasons with the Hawks, he averaged eighteen points a game.  In the five seasons prior to that, Joe was a twenty-plus point scorer.  In his first season with the Nets, albeit in a shared back-court role with Williams, Joe Johnson is averaging 17.0 points per game.  And as with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson's shooting percentage has slipped since joining the team.  He was a 45% shooter in seven seasons with the Hawks.  This season, Johnson is shooting 42% - his lowest mark in ten years.


The Nets have done respectable work on the glass.  They rank 15th in the NBA in rebounding, pulling down 42.2 per game.  Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche have that covered off the bench.  At the point, C.J. Watson did admirable work in D-Will's absence against the Nuggets.  He pumped twenty five points into the Nets win, and also had six assists.


Even though the Nets scored a season high 119 points against Denver, they can stand to add a consistent outside shooter.  The NBA trade deadline is February 21st.  The Nets apparently seem anxious to rid themselves of Kris Humphries and his contract.  He clearly has not been the player the Nets thought they signed to a two year deal.  Truth is, he was an able player, playing huge minutes on a bad team.  With better players around him now, he has struggled to smooth out his game, and find a niche, or fill a role.  Word is, the Nets are reluctant to part with Mirza Teletovic.  Trade rumors involving the Nets and Lakers, and the future of Dwight Howard still have not gone away.  The Lakers' GM has stated they will not be trading their star center.  Due to the Nets cap situation, if Howard still indeed wants to play for Brooklyn, a trade is the only way to make that happen.  In light of the way Brook Lopez has developed, the Nets just might be inclined to stay put regardless of what Dwight Howard wants.


Enjoy the All-Star game, and let's go Brook Lopez.




Mike.BTB

BKN Nets: Flatbush Kicks Off Weekend With Friday Night Win

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH


BROOKLYN NETS - The P.J. Era Keeps Rolling Along.  The Flatbush Hoops Are 7-1 Under Their New Head Coach.

 

Friday Night Final:

Phoenix Suns   79

BROOKLYN    99

So far so good right?  All is proceeding smoothly under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.  Under him, the Nets are 7-1 since the firing of Avery Johnson.  Prior to their Friday night contest against the Phoenix Suns at Barclays Center, several outlets were reporting a Nets source as saying P.J. would be able to finish out the season.  And why not?  That only makes sense.  Three coaches in one season would be absurd.  And besides, P.J. is well equipped to handle the head coaching position, as well as Brooklyn, N.Y. itself.  He is a long time resident of the metro area.  Whether you like him or not is a matter of preference, and something for next off season.  For now, there is an appreciable difference in Deron Williams' game, and that of the overall team.  If this success is coming against the lesser teams of the league, so be it.  You can only play who is on the schedule.


There is no doubt a different atmosphere around the team.  Avery Johnson was always very intense.  Two things about Coach Avery - he was forever going to exert his will, and he would forever be pushing, pushing, pushing.  In a subtle manner, P.J. has given the team a little less structure, and a little more playing time and discretion.


The Phoenix Suns, in the midst of an awful 12-25 season, and sporting a 2-16 road record, gave the Nets more troubles than the home crowd in Brooklyn cared to mind.  After jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead, the Nets were behind 19-17 with 1:42 left in the opening quarter.  Midway through the first, Gerald Wallace had to leave the game after receiving a hard foul by Shannon Brown which was ruled a flagrant.  Brown caught Wallace in mid-air as he drove to the basket.  In attempting to close the angle and block, he sent Wallace spiraling feet over head to the floor.  Gerald's right shoulder and arm took the full impact of the fall.  It was later reported Crash suffered bruised ribs.  The Nets had a chance to tie the game at 21-21 with under 0:30 left in the first, but a travelling violation called on Andray Blatche turned the ball over.  The first quarter ended with Phoenix staked to a 25-21 lead.


With 3:40 left in the half and the Suns holding on to a 40-37 lead, I watched C.J. Watson, Marshon Brooks, and Reggie Evans, run a fast break that made Spain's running of the bulls look artful.  With less than two minutes left in the half, Phoenix opened up a double digit 52-42 lead against the Brooks.  The teams went into the break with the Suns ahead by a 53-46 score.


To begin the second half, the home crowd watched Deron Williams drop to the floor after knocking knees, or perhaps his thigh, with Phoenix guard Goran Dragic at the high elbow.  D-Will limped off the court in very obvious discomfort, but did not leave the game.


Three minutes into the second half, the Nets closed to within 55-54, then went ahead 56-55 on a Brook Lopez rebound and put back after Joe Johnson's drive failed to drop.  Halfway through the third quarter, Phoenix went ahead by four again, 60-54, as Brooklyn started settling for lazy perimeter shots.


Unlike in the second quarter, C.J. Watson and Blatche actually converted on a fast break after a Phoenix turnover, and looked smooth doing it.  Blatche finished with a slam at the other end to bring the Brooks within two.  C.J. Watson factored again on the next possession when he tied the game at 60-60 with a high arching jumper from the left corner.  The teams muddled through scoreless possessions until Andray Blatche broke the deadlock with 2:30 to go.  But Phoenix responded on their next possession with a trey for a 63-62 lead.  But Andray Blatche struck again, driving, scoring, and drawing a foul.  A free throw later, the score was 65-63 Brooklyn.  Then it was Blatche yet again with two more points on a scoop lay-up to make it 67-64 Nets.  Marshon Brooks nailed a three before the period expired.  And the Nets finally won their first quarter of the night.  They held a 74-66 lead heading into the final session.


After the Suns shot 55% from the floor in the first half, the Nets were clearly much more committed to defense in the second half.  They had a series of defensive stops to start the fourth quarter.  Brook Lopez finally scored the first points of the fourth, and gave the Nets a ten point 76-66 lead.  Deron Williams' own scoop layup gave Brooklyn a 78-66 lead, making Phoenix call time out.  After the break, back-to-back three pointers by Joe Johnson opened up an eighteen point 84-66 lead for Brooklyn with 7:30 still left on the clock.  With two minutes left, the Nets were staked to a 93-75 lead.


Finally in the end, Tornike Shengelia, who hadn't seen action all night, made his way on the court and gave the Nets their first twenty point lead of the evening.  The buzzer then sounded making official the Nets defeat of the Suns by a 99-79 final.  The win was Brooklyn's fifth consecutive victory, and sixth in seven games under P.J. Carlesimo.


Joe Johnson led all scorers with nineteen points.  Five Nets scored in double digits.  Marshon Brooks and Andray Blatche contributed handsomely off the bench.  Marshon was next high man with seventeen points.  Andray Blatche dropped another fifteen.  Deron Williams, although somewhat hobbled in the second half also finished with fifteen points.  Brook Lopez dropped thirteen points and came up with several key rebounds.


But Friday night, rebounds were Reggie Evans' department.  He led all players in rebounds with fifteen.  Ten of those boards came on the defensive end.  Brook Lopez pulled down eight rebounds, as did Andray Blatche.  Overall, the Nets out rebounded the Suns by a 44-39 margin.


With only six assists, Deron Williams still managed the game high.  In the second half, the Nets cut down their turnovers, and only lost the ball eleven times for the night.  Phoenix turned the ball over eighteen times.  The Nets pounded Phoenix from the line.  They got to the stripe twice as many times as Phoenix.  The Suns shot ten for sixteen, while Brooklyn buried twenty five of thirty two free throws, good for 78% shooting.


Phoenix shot the ball considerably worse from the field during the second half, and ended the evening shooting 39% from the floor versus a consistent 45% by the Brooks.  Again, credit the Nets' second half defensive effort which clamped down on Phoenix, and limited the Suns to thirteen points in each of the third and fourth quarters.


The Nets next opponents are the Indiana Pacers, who will visit Barclays Center for the first time this Sunday afternoon.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Team Wins Historic Kings County Opener

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS

 

 

"The Hoops of Flatbush"

 

 

GAME ONE

 

Toronto Raptors

vs.

BROOKLYN NETS

From

BARCLAYS CENTER
Flatbush Avenue, Kings County

 

 

FINAL

Raptors  100

NETS     107

 

 

They're here!  They saw!  They conquered!  Fuhgeddaboudit!

 

 

The Brooklyn Nets have arrived.  Commissioner David Stern made the initial introduction to fans attending Barcalys Center for the first ever Brooklyn Nets basketball game and welcomed the Borough to the National Basketball Association.  Members of the team were welcomed to town by former Bedford Avenue Bums players, Joe Pignatano, Ralph Branca, and a special appearance by Gil Hodges Jr.  Brooklyn Dodgers jerseys and Brooklyn Nets jerseys were exchanged between old heroes and new.  Deron Williams then addressed the home crowd.  Both the Commissioner and Deron Williams made sure to make particular mention of all the area citizens who have undergone great hardships brought on by Hurricane Sandy.

 

 

The home crowd was also introduced to their new mascot, the Brooklyn Knight, defender of the court and all things Nets.  Then after player intro's, it was game time.  As expected, the Nets starting five consisted of Joe Johnson and Deron Williams in the back court.  Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace, and Kris Humphries were the starting forwards.  The Nets, sporting their home whites for the first time, took to their new hearing-bone patterned court.  And once Brook Lopez won the opening tip, the Hoops of Flatbush had begun.

 

 

Appropriately, Deron Williams scored the first two points of the night.  When Brook Lopez grabbed an early offensive rebound, drew a foul, and scored the bucket, the crowd erupted.  However, the Nets got off to a somewhat slow start in the first quarter.  Toronto jumped out to an early eight point lead.  After a quarter, the Nets were behind by a 35-27 score.

 

 

The Nets evened things up 38-38 on a pair of MarShon Brooks free-throws midway through the second quarter, then pulled away.  C.J. Watson closed out the half by nailing a three-pointer at the buzzer to put Brooklyn ahead by eight points.  Brooklyn led 60-52 at halftime.

 

 

Coach Avery might have been peeved over the initial defensive effort in which they allowed thirty five points.  But the Nets tightened up in the second quarter and limited the Raptors to seventeen points.

 

 

Brook Lopez led the Nets with fourteen first half points.  C.J. Watson scored thirteen off the bench.  Deron Williams led the team with six assists, and scored six points.  Reggie Evans came off the bench and led all players with five rebounds.  Kris Humphries, Lopez, and Joe Johnson pulled down three apiece.  Brooklyn's bench had a strong half with twenty three points.

 

 

*   *   *   *

 

 

The Nets opened the third quarter by extending their lead to ten points on a sweet layup by Brook Lopez off a Gerald Wallace feed.  Midway through the quarter, the Nets were still cruising with a 75-66 lead.

 

 

Toronto made a run towards the end of the third quarter and at 79-74, closed within five points of Brooklyn.  Getting quality minutes in the third quarter, Andray Blatche had eight points in ten minutes played.  However, he missed one of two free throws, and turned over the ball within a minute of each other.  After three complete sessions, Brooklyn's lead was down to four as the Raptors closed with 82-78 of the Nets.  Then at eighty-four points, the Nets went cold.  When Toronto scored at 8:46 to make it a 84-83 game, Coach Avery called time out.

 

 

MarShon Brooks brought the Nets to ninety points.  Halfway through the quarter, Toronto was still close as they trailed by a mere three points.  Kris Humphries started exerting himself under the boards, and on the other end, MarShon scored again.

 

 

Brook Lopez was the only Nets player to get to the line with any kind of consistency.  And he visited the stripe for the twelfth time with less than five minutes left.  He nailed both shots to make it a 94-89 game with 4:45 to go.  The Nets went cold again, failing to score for over two minutes allowing Toronto to pull within two.  At 94-92, and with possession at 2:14, Coach Avery called another timeout.

 

 

C.J. Watson hit a big shot out of the break.  That was his fourteenth and fifteenth points of the night.  Gerald Wallace then took his turn playing strong on the boards.  He gave the Nets a five point lead hitting one of two free throws.  But Toronto came back with a three-pointer.  With a minute left, Wallace fed Brook Lopez, who hit for two and buried another shot from the line to give the Nets a 100-95 lead with fifty nine seconds left.

 

 

Gerald Wallace then went down hard after blocking a shot with 27.7 left.  He rolled his ankle and temporarily stayed in the game.  Coach Avery called a full time out after Toronto converted at the line, to make it a 101-97 game.  Gerald Wallace's strong night was over however, as he left the floor after the timeout.

 

 

Joe Johnson made the score 103-97 with 26.1 left.  But Toronto responded with another three-pointer.  With twenty seconds left and Humphries and Brook Lopez on the bench, Deron Williams sank two shots from the line to make it a 105-100 game.  Toronto launched a three point attempt that careened out of bounds.  The Nets then drew a foul on the possession with ten seconds left.   Deron Williams buried another two shots.

 

 

A change of possession, and then..., Game!  The Brooklyn Nets win their first ever professional basketball game as a member club of the National Basketball Association.  As Ralph Cramden would say - How Sweet It Is!

 

 

*    *    *    *

 

 

Brook Lopez led Nets scorers with twenty seven points.  He pulled down five rebounds.  Reggie Evans was key off the bench pulling down a game high thirteen rebounds.  The Nets out-rebounded Toronto 41-37 with five players contributing at least five apiece.

 

 

Five Nets players also scored in double digits.  After Brook Lopez, Deron Williams dropped nineteen points, and led the team with nine assists.  C.J. Watson was tremendous off the bench.  He scored fifteen points.  Joe Johnson scored fourteen points and Gerald Wallace added ten before leaving.

 

 

Brook Lopez ended the night 11/15 from the line.  Deron Williams buried late free throws to put the Raptors to bed.  He finished 6/8 from the stripe.

 

 

Rookies Mirza Teletovic, Tyshawn Taylor, and Tornike Shengelia did not play.

 

 

It took a few days.  But the crowd was electric all the same.  Let's Go Nets was the chant, but Broook - Lynnn! was the anthem of the night.  This what home sounds like fellas.  It's been a long wait.  But you're finally here.

 

 

The Borough of Kings has a team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB