Nets 101
Sonics 88
Things felt right again for the Nets. Finally.
For two years, they had ruled the Eastern Conference – and at home in their beloved Swamp, they were near invincible.
So when they lost six of their first eight at home this year, there was lots of wonder and worry in Jersey. But no more.
The Nets’ young forwards, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin, had monster games last night. Jason Kidd played like Jason Kidd. There was running and rebounding and defending. There was a team-wide effort on both ends. All normal stuff.
But nothing felt as right as winning at home with a 101-88 romp past the Sonics for the Nets’ first three-game winning streak since late last season.
“I can hear the fireworks going off now,” Kidd (14 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds in 28 minutes) deadpanned about the three-game win streak. “We won three in a row, but the big thing is we won them at home.”
The Nets (10-11), who had routed the Sonics in Seattle at the start of their recent road trip, put away this one with their starters playing the entire third quarter.
Kidd, Jefferson (season-high 31 points), Martin (25 points, his fourth straight game of 20 or more) and Kerry Kittles (13 points) combined for all the scoring in the 31-18 third quarter that upped the lead to 83-63.
“That is a very good team, not some cupcake team that doesn’t know how to win,” said Sonic coach Nate McMillan.
The Nets’ advantage escalated to 31 before their subs gave a new stench to garbage time and were outscored 18-0 to end the game. But again, that was against the subs.
“The reason we’re playing better is we’re defending better and it’s igniting things on both ends of the court,” Kittles said. “When this team defends and locks guys up, we’re at our best.”
After the Sonics, who got 27 points from Flip Murray, unloaded their customary perimeter game early (five trifectas in the first quarter), the Nets answered back. Big.
Jefferson (40 free throws in his last five games) and Martin (seven rebounds, four steals) were superbly aggressive as they rebounded, ran and combined to shoot 22-of-31, a big reason the Nets shot a season-high .551 (38-of-69). When the forwards play well together, the Nets normally win.
“It’s hard to beat us when both of us are going and we’re running with J. Kidd up and down the court,” said Martin. “And with J. Kidd and Kerry knocking down open shots and [Jason Collins] holding people down, we’re tough to beat.”
So the Nets, who last took three straight during a successful four-game run from March 26-31, are feeling good. But they’re not quite ready to proclaim themselves all the way back.
“I think we’re all happy we played better, but if anybody in that room thinks we’ve arrived or we’re there, they’re fooling themselves,” coach Byron Scott said. “We’ve got some things we need to improve on.”
But for one night, at least, Scott could pretty much sit back and relax. Not since a Halloween night rout of Minnesota has he enjoyed that luxury. He was able to sit Kidd the entire fourth quarter.
“It feels like it’s been longer than that because we haven’t been playing well at home,” said Scott.
But last night, everything seemed back to normal.