Brooklyn Nets To Sign Bojan Bogdanovic

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 8^th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets To Sign Bojan Bogdanovic

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The Brooklyn Nets after losing Shaun Livingston, who they were planning on using their mini mid-level exception on, now turned their focus to 6-8 Forward Bojan Bogdanovic, a European sharpshooter. The mini mid-level contract for Bogdanovic will be for two years, with a third year player option that can make the deal worth 10.3 million dollars.

Brooklyn had the rights to Bogdanovic from 2011, as they got his draft rights that season in a trade, and they did try to bring him over last off-season, but were unsuccessful. Last season in Europe, Bogdanovic averaged 14.8 PPG, but did struggle from beyond the arc only shooting 29.8%, compared to shooting over 40% from beyond the arc in his previous two seasons.

Bogdanovic is from the same hometown as Mirza Teletovic, who will surely make his transition to the Nets, and America a bit easier. There is still a lot of uncertainty to whether or not the Nets will be able to keep Paul Pierce and if Pierce leave will that effect Kevin Garnett’s decision to return, so adding some depth to the front court in Bogdanovic makes sense for the Nets.

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Nets Hand Heat First Loss of Playoffs

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 10th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 3 Recap

Final Score: Heat 90 Nets 104

In a must win Game 3 at home for the Brooklyn Nets, they were able to avoid the certain series loss if they fell in Game 3 to the Miami Heat. The victory keeps hope alive for the Nets, as they were able to control the defending champs for most of the game with a barrage of three-pointers.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

As it has been so many times for the Nets in the postseason thus far, it was Joe Johnson who was the Nets best player. In a well balanced scoring attack for the Nets, Johnson led the team with 19 points on seven for 10 shooting, which included five three-pointers made. Johnson continued to do a good job recognizing when to make the pass, as he had six assists.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s bench played a big factor in the Nets victory, as Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche were both in double figures off of the bench. Teletovic was one of the main guys in the Nets three-point barrage, as all of his shot were from behind the arc. He went four for seven from deep for 12 points to go along with six rebounds in 19 minutes. Blatche was a monster for the Nets, as he was able to notch a double-double in just 20 minutes. Blatche finished with 15 points on five for 10 shooting with 10 rebounds in what was his best game by far of the series.

The combination of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were both able to have nice efficient, effective games for the Nets in their supporting roles on Saturday. They were both in double figures, as Pierce finished with 14 points on five for 10 shooting, and Garnett was able to add 10 points on five for six shooting.

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On defense the Nets did a much better job stopping Ray Allen, who scored 19 points in Game 1 and then 13 points in Game 2. Game 3 however Allen scored just nine points on two for six shooting and missed his only three-point attempt. Alan Anderson and Allen got into a little skirmish in the second half that resulted in double technicals for both players.

Chris Bosh was also held in check by the Nets, as Miami’s third weapon had a quiet Game 3. Bosh finished with just 12 points on five for 11 shooting with just five rebounds, as it was the worst game of the series so far for Bosh, and the Heat clearly missed his production.

Negatives:

Trying to stop the great duo of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James is going to be a difficult task, but with the their supporting cast have bad games for the most part, the Nets were able to survive good games from Wade and James. Wade finished with 20 points on nine for 18 shooting. James scored 16 points in the first quarter, as it looked early like it was going to be a special game from James. He finished with 28 points on eight for 15 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.

Next up for the Nets will be Game 4 in Brooklyn on Monday, as Brooklyn will look to even up the series.

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Nets Offense Disappears in Game 4 Loss

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 27th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 4 Recap

Final Score: Raptors 87 Nets 79

In a must win Game 4 for the young Toronto Raptors on the road, they were able to rise to the challenge and win their first playoff game on the road since 2001. The loss for the Nets evens the series up at two games a piece, and the home-court advantage switches back into the Raptors favor.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

In the Game 4 loss for Brooklyn they did receive a strong performance from Paul Pierce, who led the team in scoring. In the low scoring game on Sunday night, Pierce was able to drop 22 points on a great nine of 14 shooting from the field. Pierce added five rebounds and two assists to his final line, but was one of the few Nets to have a good game in the disappointing home loss.

Positives:

Besides Pierce the only other Nets player to turn in a good game was Mirza Teletovic, who had a strong game off the bench. Teletovic was second on the team in scoring with 12 points on five for nine shooting, shockingly none of which came from beyond the arc. Teletovic also added five rebounds, three of which were on the offensive end in a good 17 minutes of play.

Raptors Center Jonas Valanciunas has been a double-double machine in this season, but in Game 4, he was held to his worst game of the series, but noticeably only played 23 minutes. Valanciunas only had six points and six rebounds, far below what he has been doing to the Nets for the series in the first three games.

Negatives:

It was a tough night for most Nets on the offensive end starting with Deron Williams, who had a bad game in the loss. Williams finished with just 10 points on four for 12 shooting, as he went zero for five from beyond the arc, and turned the ball over five times. In his match-up against Kyle Lowry, Williams lost in Game 4 badly, as Lowry scored 22 points.

Joe Johnson also had a tough time getting going on Sunday, as the Raptors threw lots of double-teams at Johnson, which forced the ball out of his hands. Johnson finished with just seven points on two for seven shooting, in what was easily his worst game of the series thus far.

Amir Johnson had his second good game in the series, as he is emerging as an x-factor for the Raptors, as in both games he has scored in double-digits they have won. Johnson finished with 17 points on seven for 11 shooting with five rebounds. Johnson did hurt his knee which will certainly be something to keep an eye on before Game 5. DeMar DeRozan started off hot like the Raptors in Game 4, although he did struggle in the second half after starting the game seven of 10 from the field, but he still finished with a game-high 24 points

Excluding Teletovic, Brooklyn’s bench had a poor night scoring the basketball, as Andray Blatche and Alan Anderson combined to go a dreadful two for 11 from the field. Off the bench for the Raptors it was yet again another good game from Patrick Patterson, who early had a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

The experienced Nets missed a golden opportunity to take a 3-1 lead at home on Sunday, as the turnovers really piled up for Brooklyn. The turnover battle has been an advantage for the Nets in the first three games, but in Game 4 the Raptors only turned it over 10 times compared to the Nets 16, which was certainly a difference in Game 4.

Next up will be a few days of rest before a huge Game 5 with the series tied on Wednesday night in Toronto.

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Raptors Defeat Nets to Even Series

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 22nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors Game 2 Recap

Final Score: Nets 95 Raptors 100

The Brooklyn Nets after a big Game 1 win in Toronto fell a little short in Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors. In what was really a must win game for the young Raptors, not wanting to head to Brooklyn down two games in the series, but they avoided that and tied the series at a game a piece with the victory.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Once again for the Nets their best player against the Raptors was Joe Johnson, who led the Nets in scoring in the Game 2 loss. Johnson finished with a team-high 18 points on seven for 13 shooting to go along with three rebounds and two assists. Most of Johnson’s damage came in the third quarter, as he scored 12 points in the Nets best quarter of the game. In the fourth quarter however Johnson did struggle against Landry Fields, in what was a change in the Raptors rotation that we will likely be seeing again in Game 3.

Positives:

Coming off the bench Mirza Teletovic was the first man in for Brooklyn, as Paul Pierce picked up two fouls very quickly in the first, but in extended minutes Teletovic played well. Teletovic was the only Net in double-figures off the bench, scoring 14 points on five for 11 shooting, which included him going three for six from beyond the arc.

After a difficult Game 1, Center Kevin Garnett bounced back with a much better performance on the offensive end in Game 2. Garnett finished with 13 points on five for six shooting with four rebounds in 19 minutes. Shaun Livingston also came through with a strong Game 2, as he finished with 12 points on four for eight shooting to go with five assists and three rebounds.

For the second straight game, Terrance Ross was completely shutdown, as the young Ross is having a difficult start to his playoff career. Ross scored just two points on one for eight shooting, and for the series now is just two for 12 with five points.

Negatives:

In his playoff debut, DeMar DeRozan looked a bit shell-shocked and nervous, but in Game 2 it looked like the DeRozan that was in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring. DeRozan finished with a game-high 30 points on nine for 21 shooting, and went an impressive 12 for 14 from the free throw line. In the fourth quarter DeRozan exploded for 17 points, which included some big baskets and clutch free throws to earn the victory.

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The big men in the Raptors starting lineup were great in Game 2, as Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas both dominated the Nets on the glass, helping them win the rebounding battle 52-30. Johnson finished just shy of a double-double with 16 points on eight for 10 shooting, and nine rebounds. Valanciunas had yet another big double-double, as he finished with 15 points on five for nine shooting to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds.

Similar to Game 1 the Raptors got big performances from their bench, as the small rotation is working well for the young Raptors. Greivis Vasquez did very well again, scoring 10 points on five for 10 shooting, with eight assists, and three rebounds. Patrick Patterson continued to be a scoring threat off the bench, as he finished with 12 points on five for nine shooting, and he also helped dominate the glass with nine rebounds. Fields may not have scored, but his defense against Johnson was a major factor in the fourth quarter.

Deron Williams coming off a strong Game 1 had a tough time getting it going in Game 2. Williams struggled to score 15 points on five for 15 shooting with only five assists. Paul Pierce also struggled to get it going after a clutch fourth quarter in Game 1. Pierce finished with only seven points on two for 11 shooting, as it took him until the fourth quarter to get his first field goal.

Next up for the Nets will be a few days off as the series shifts to Brooklyn for Game 3 on Friday night.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets April 15th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 15^th, 2014

W2W4: New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets

Pre-Game News and Notes

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The Brooklyn Nets will be hosting the New York Knicks in their final meeting of the season on Tuesday night in a game that looking at the schedule in the beginning of the season would have possibly been for the Atlantic Division, but with the Knicks out of the playoffs, it will be a game for in state bragging rights.

- Season Series

The Knicks have bested the Nets twice this season already including once in the Barclay's Center, as they are up 2-1 this season, and with the Nets heading into the playoffs they would like to also not lose the season series to the team that they share the city with. So far this season their hasn’t been one good game between them, as in the first meeting the Knicks won by 30, followed by a 23-point Nets win, and then most recently a 29-point Knicks win on April 2^nd. The Knicks missing the playoffs and having such a disappointing season is good for the Brooklyn brand, but losing the season series would hurt that.

- Woodson's Future

Knicks Head Coach Mike Woodson will most likely be coaching one of his last games with the Knicks on Tuesday, as after the extremely disappointing season and a new president in Phil Jackson, Woodson is as good as gone. With just two games left for the Knicks and being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs it will be interesting to see how Woodson decides to handle his rotation, as he may go with his normal veterans to try and get a victory or possibly give some young players more playing time against Brooklyn.

- Center Audition

With just two games to go for the Nets, Jason Kidd has some decisions to make regarding what will be a smaller rotation come playoff time, as Mason Plumlee has forced his way into the fold with his great play of late. The Center position will without a doubt have Kevin Garnett starting, but it will be interesting to see if Kidd will have faith in the rookie Plumlee or go with Andray Blatche, who has also had a very good season. The smaller lineups with Paul Pierce or Mirza Teletovic have worked so well all season, so going away from that seems silly, but if the Nets do match-up against the Bulls having some healthy size at the Center position will be very helpful if Kidd decides to go with a bigger lineup.

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Nets Snap Two-Game Losing Streak Against Magic

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 13^th, 2014

Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Magic 88 Nets 97

The Brooklyn Nets were able to snap their two-game losing streak on Sunday, and also get some revenge on the Orlando Magic from a loss in Orlando recently. The win moves the Nets to (44-36) on the season, as now the Nets will just be scoreboard watching to see if they will be playing either the Toronto Raptors or Chicago Bulls in the first round.

Player of the Game: Mirza Teletovic

Coming off the bench, Teletovic scored a game-high 20 points in the win for Brooklyn, as he shot seven for 12 from the field, which included him going four for seven from beyond the arc. Teletovic also grabbed six rebounds in 29 minutes, as come playoff time Teletovic can be an X-factor for the Nets with his ability to stretch the floor from the Power Forward position.

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Positives:

Mason Plumlee had yet another good game for the Nets, as lately Plumlee has been looking really good whether it is coming off the bench or in the starting lineup. In 26 minutes off the bench, Plumlee notched a double-double with 17 points on six for eight shooting, as he went five for eight from the free throw line, while grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.

Brooklyn's back court of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson both looked sharp on Sunday against Orlando, which is a good sign seeing both of them playing well at the same time heading into what will be a difficult first round match-up. Williams finished with 16 points on five for 10 shooting, which included him going four for seven from deep, with five assists and four steals. For Williams it was his 29^th straight game with at least one steal, which is the longest active streak in the NBA. Johnson finished with 17 points on six for 13 shooting, including going three for seven from beyond the arc. Johnson moved into second place on the franchise's single-season made three pointers list with 160 for the season, Williams is in first place with 169 last season.

Negatives:

In the third quarter the Nets and Paul Pierce suffered a bit of a scare, as it appeared he got yet another stinger after getting hit hard by Kyle O'Quinn. Pierce stayed on the bench instead of going to the locker room but he never returned. Kevin Garnett also had a bit of a scare as he was nearly flipped in the second quarter landing on his back, but he stayed in the game. Garnett however didn’t play particularly well, scoring just three points on one for three shooting from the field with five turnovers.

Next up for the Nets will be their final meeting with the rival New York Knicks on Tuesday night in the Barclay’s Center.

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Nets Complete Season Sweep of Miami Heat

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 8th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 88 Heat 87

The Brooklyn Nets were able to complete the season sweep of the Miami Heat, as with the victory on Tuesday night; the Nets have beaten the defending champions four times this season. The win moves the Nets to within two games of the Toronto Raptors for the Atlantic division’s top spot with five games left for each team.

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Player of the Game: Marcus Thornton

For the Nets on Tuesday, it was one of their main bench players that stood out against the Heat, as Marcus Thornton in his 28 minutes of play made a big impact for Brooklyn. Thornton finished with 16 points on six for eight shooting, which included him going four for five from behind the arc. He also added six rebounds, and a game-high four steals to high the highest plus/minus of any player, going +8.

Positives:

Kevin Garnett was given the day off against Miami, which led to Mason Plumlee being moved back into the starting lineup, and late in the game he made the play that gave the Nets the win. In the final seconds with LeBron James looking for a game-winning dunk, Plumlee stepped in and made the play to stop James with a huge block that sent James into a frantic outburst looking for a foul. Besides the game-saving block, Plumlee led the Nets in rebounds with eight, and added eight points on four for six shooting with three blocks and one steal.

Scoring wise, Joe Johnson was the main gun for the Nets on Tuesday, as he scored a team-high 19 points on nine of 17 shooting from the field. Paul Pierce was the only other Nets starter in double figures, as he finished with 14 points on five for eight shooting. Pierce will be heading into Orlando five points shy of reaching 25,000 career points, which he will almost certainly reach on Wednesday. Coming off the bench besides the big game from Thornton, it was Mirza Teletovic who helped the bench scoring in the absence of Andray Blatche, as he scored 11 points on four for eight shooting.

The Heat were without Dwyane Wade, but still have another great player besides James in Chris Bosh, and the Nets did a very good job containing him. Bosh had a tough game scoring only 12 points on a poor five for 13 shooting day from the field, and for going against the small lineups of Brooklyn, Bosh only grabbed six rebounds.

Negatives:

Although James had his attempted game-winner stopped by Plumlee, he was very good during the game. James scored a game-high 29 points on nine for 16 from the field and 11 for 14 from the free throw line. When facing James, he does a lot more than just score, as grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and dished out six assists in the losing effort.

Next up for the Nets will be the second half of a back to back against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

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Nets Clinch Playoff Berth Against Rockets

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 1st, 2014

Houston Rockets vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rockets 96 Nets 105

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pick up yet another win at the Barclay’s Center, as with the victory against the Rockets on Tuesday night the Nets have now won 14 straight games at home. The win moves the Nets to (40-33) on the season, which is 1.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, and it also clinched the Nets a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

nba.com

In the win on Tuesday, the Nets got a huge performance from Joe Johnson, as he notched his fourth 30 point or more game this season. Johnson finished with a game-high 32 points on 13 for 21 shooting, which included him going four of eight from three-point range. In addition to the monster scoring game from Johnson, he was able to record four rebounds, three assists, and one steal to help him have the highest +/- of any player, with +17.

Positives:

Shaun Livingston put together a great game for Brooklyn, as normal he filled up the stat sheet, but on Tuesday he also broke out with big scoring game. Livingston finished only behind Johnson on the Nets in scoring with 17 points on six for 12 shooting. As expected Livingston did more than just have a good scoring game, as he had six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

The bench for Brooklyn continued to be good in the win, as once again they were able to have two players in double figures. Andray Blatche led the Nets bench with 13 points on six for 12 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Mirza Teletovic also played well off the bench, as he scored 10 points on four for seven shooting, with seven rebounds.

Negatives:

Even without one of the best Center’s in the NBA in Dwight Howard, the Rockets were able to do well on the glass against Brooklyn, as possibly the best backup Center in the NBA; Omer Asik had a big game on the glass. Asik finished with a double-double, as he scored 12 points on five for eight shooting, but most noticeably was the eye-popping 23 rebounds Asik had. The Rockets did win the rebound battle 44-42, which isn’t all bad for Brooklyn, but it is still a work in progress.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip to Madison Square Garden to face the rival New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday night.

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Nets Win 12th Straight at Home

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 28th, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Cavaliers 97 Nets 108

philly.com

The Brooklyn Nets were able to return home to the Barclays Center after an extremely tough road-trip that the Nets had to play three overtime games. On Friday they were able to avoid a fourth straight overtime game, and extended their winning streak at home to 12 games with the victory against the Cavaliers. The win moves the Nets to (39-33) on the season, and keeps them 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, as the Raptors defeated the Celtics on Friday as well.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce was the Nets best scorer on Friday in the win, as he only had to play 20 minutes, but had a huge impact on the game. In his limited time Pierce led all scorers with a game-high 22 points on five for six shooting from the three-point line, and going a perfect seven for seven from the free throw line. Pierce scored 17 of the 22 points in the first quarter, and all of Pierce’s points came in the first half. He also was able to extend his 100 three-pointers made in a season to 14 straight seasons a remarkable feat for Pierce.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s starting lineup did a pretty good job along with Pierce having a great game in the easy win. Joe Johnson was also very efficient shooting the basketball, as he went six of eight from the field, which included him going two for three from three-point range to extend his streak of a game with a three-pointer made to 20 straight, in route to him scoring 14 points. Deron Williams played well too, as in 26 minutes he scored 13 points on five for 10 shooting to go along with five assists, two rebounds, and two steals.

Shaun Livingston was the do it all guy for Brooklyn on Friday, as he led the team with 34 minutes and also had the highest +/- of any player going +28. Livingston finished with just eight points, but was efficient going four for five from the field, and like in a lot of games this season it was more than just scoring for Livingston. Along with the eight points, Livingston added eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

In the battle of the bench’s, Brooklyn had the advantage going into the game, and it showed on the court. The Cavaliers bench only combined for 18 points compared to the 48 points for the Nets. Alan Anderson was the leading scorer for the Nets off the bench, as he scored 13 points on six for 10 shooting. Andray Blatche was also in double figures, as he scored 10 points on four for five shooting.

On the road-trip the Nets really struggle to defend opposing team’s frontcourts and rebound, but on Friday the Nets did a much better on the glass, as they out-rebounded the Cavaliers 41-35. Mirza Teletovic was the Nets best player on the glass, as he grabbed 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. Mason Plumlee also did pretty well rebounding, grabbing seven in 20 minutes.

Next up for the Nets will be a home game on Sunday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Nets Road-Trip Concludes with Overtime Loss to Bobcats

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 27th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Bobcats Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 111 Bobcats 116

For the third straight game on their road-trip the Nets played an overtime game, but like Monday against the Pelicans the Nets came up short in the extra session. The loss moves the Nets (37-33) on the season, which is 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

The availability of Deron Williams was questionable heading into Wednesday’s game, as Williams was feeling under the weather, but Williams was able to play very well in the overtime loss. Williams was able to score a team-high 29 points on 11 for 21 shooting, which included him going five of 11 from three point range. 18 of Williams’ 29 points came in the first quarter that the Nets were able to win 28-24. Williams was also able to extend his steal streak to 20 games with one steal to go along with seven assists and four rebounds.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s bench was able to give them some good production without one of their main guns in Marcus Thornton, who was out with a back injury. Mirza Teletovic was able to pick up the scoring the Nets were missing without Thornton, as Teletovic scored 22 points off the bench on six of 12 from three-point range to go along with his four free throws, as Teletovic didn’t register an attempted shot inside the three-point line. Alan Anderson was also in double figures, as he notched 10 points on three of eight shooting.

Joe Johnson was able to help Williams with the scoring load in the starting lineup, but it was only those two in double figures. Johnson finished with 18 points on seven for 16 shooting with five rebounds and three assists. Johnson went four of seven from three-point range, as the Nets as a team were firing away going 17 for 37 from deep, and in the last two games have attempted a franchise record 77 three-point attempts.

Negatives:

As expected the Nets had no answer at all for Bobcats Center Al Jefferson, who put together a monster game. Jefferson finished with a game-high 35 points on 15 for 27 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds, as for the third straight game the Nets have given up a big double-double to an opposing teams big man. The need for Kevin Garnett to get healthy is becoming more and more apparent.

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Jefferson wasn’t the only player to hurt the Nets, as they got some good guard play from Kemba Walker and Chris Douglas-Roberts. Walker scored 20 points on eight for 21 shooting to go along with 12 assists, five rebounds, and one steal in 45 minutes. Former Net, Douglas-Roberts provided a boost off the Bobcats bench with 16 points on six for 14 shooting with five rebounds.

Next up for the Nets will be a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the Nets will look to keep their great play at the Barclays Center going.

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Nets Unable to Win Second Overtime Game in as Many Nights

sportsspyder.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 24th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New Orleans Pelicans Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 104 Pelicans 109

The Brooklyn Nets coming off an overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday found themselves in the same situation on Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, but this time they were unable to pull off a second straight overtime win in as many days. The loss moves the Net to (37-32) on the season, which is two games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

Coming off a relatively quiet night on Sunday, Deron Williams was very good against the Pelicans on Monday evening. Williams scored 23 points on eight for 17 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists in what was an all around good game. Williams was able to get one steal, which makes it 19 straight games that Williams has got a steal, the longest streak of any player in the NBA.

Positives:

Paul Pierce was the Nets leading scorer on Monday night, as Pierce had 24 points on seven for 16 shooting. Pierce was firing away from three-point range, as he took 11 shots from behind the arc, and hit four of them. In the third quarter he did appear to do something to his right shoulder again, which is the one that has been giving him issues the last few weeks, so that will be something to keep an eye on.

Off the bench for Brooklyn they were able to get some good production from their big men in Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche. Teletovic scored nine points on three for seven shooting and Blatche scored 12 points on three for eight shooting with five rebounds.

Negatives:

After a big night for Samuel Dalembert on Sunday night it had to be expected that Anthony Davis would put up a monster game, and he didn’t disappoint. Davis finished with 24 points on nine for 17 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds and three blocks. The size and skill of Davis was just simply too much for the small Nets lineup to handle on Monday.

Davis wasn’t the only one to have a big game against Brooklyn, as Tyreke Evans came out of nowhere with his best game of the season. Evans scored a game-high 33 points on 13 for 19 shooting. Evans did more than just score, as he had 10 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. The only downside to a terrific night from Evans was the fact that he did turn the ball over seven times.

Next up for the Nets will be another road game, as they will be heading to Charlotte to play Al Jefferson and the Bobcats.

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Pierce and Nets Shock the Heat in Miami

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 12, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 96 Heat 95

The Brooklyn Nets were able to head down to Miami and beat the Heat for the third time this season despite being heavy underdogs on the road. The victory makes the Nets the only team to beat the Heat three times this season, and is the first win for the franchise in Miami since its New Jersey days in 2008. With the win the Nets are able to stay three games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division with their (33-30) record.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

Nets Forward Paul Pierce was fantastic in the win on Wednesday, as for the most part he carried the Nets, and he especially carried them in the Nets 31-point third quarter with 17 points. Pierce finished with a game-high 29 points on nine for 12 shooting, which included going five for seven from three-point range, and six of seven from the free throw line. It was the first game since February 23rd against the Los Angeles Lakers that Pierce scored more than 20 points, but it was good time for the Nets that he did it on Wednesday against Miami.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s big men off the bench did a very good job helping the Nets earn the victory, as Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche both had very nice games. Teletovic led all bench scorers with 17 points on six of 11 shooting with four rebounds and three blocks in just 16 minutes of play. Blatche also scored in double digits, as in 26 minutes he scored 11 points on five for 10 shooting. Everyone on Brooklyn’s bench had a positive +/- compared to just Ray Allen going +1 for Miami.

miamiherald.com

On defense the Nets were able to contain LeBron James quite nicely, as the MVP candidate was held to just 19 points on six for 13 shooting. They also forced LeBron in five turnovers, which helped the Nets hold the Heat to under 100 points keeping their streak alive.

Negatives:

For most of the game two of the Nets main guns in Joe Johnson and Deron Williams struggled to do much of anything. Johnson scored just eight points on two for 10 shooting with a team-high five turnovers, in what was just an all-around bad game for him. Deron Williams also struggled to shoot the ball, as he scored just six points on two for eight shooting, but hit a clutch shot to give the Nets a 96-92 lead with 35 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

Next up for the Nets will be a few days off before the head the Washington to play against John Wall and the Wizards.

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Nets Get Back to Over .500 Against Kings

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 9^th, 2014

Sacramento Kings vs Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Kings 89 Nets 104

The Brooklyn Nets were able to bounce back on Sunday night against the Kings after a tough loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night. The Nets victory on Sunday put them back over .500 at (31-30), which makes them four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Marcus Thornton

The main player involved in the trade between the Nets and Kings before the deadline was Marcus Thornton, and on Sunday night he torched his former team. Thornton scored a team-high 27 points on 11 for 15 shooting, which included him shooting five of eight from three-point range after a tough shooting game in Boston. Thornton also had the highest +/- of any player going +22, as he was instant offense of the bench for Brooklyn.

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Positives:

Joe Johnson came through with a nice game for Brooklyn, as he was the leading scorer in Brooklyn's starting lineup, and saved them in the third quarter after the Kings were making a run with 11 points in the quarter. Johnson finished with 18 points on seven for 12 shooting with five assists, and two steals. Deron Williams also played well for Brooklyn, as he did a good job setting up his teams with seven assists, and was effective scoring with 10 points on four for eight shooting in the lopsided game. Williams also did a good job on defense chasing around the speedy Isaiah Thomas, as Thomas had a bad game, shooting three for 14 from the field with seven turnovers.

Along with the great game from Marcus Thornton, the Nets got pretty good play from their bench in the victory. Alan Anderson played well in 24 minutes of play, as he scored 10 points on four for 10 shooting, with three three-pointers and four rebounds. Mirza Teletovic also played well scoring nine points with four rebounds, and three assists. Teletovic also had quite the underhanded scoop in the second quarter on a post move.

Negatives:

The Kings duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay was very good in the loss, as they combined for 48 points. Cousins was the games leading scorer with 28 points on 13 for 19 shooting with 20 rebounds, as he was an absolute monster in the paint, as his 20 rebounds were just seven less than Nets as a whole team. Gay was also very good despite having to leave for part of the game with a sprained ankle after landing on the foot of Shaun Livingston on a three-point attempt. Gay finished with 20 points on nine for 18 shooting in 32 minutes.

Brooklyn came into Sunday's game without Kevin Garnett, who has been dealing with back spasms, and the injury bug hit the Nets again during the win. Just a minute into the game Paul Pierce was forced to leave the game with a shoulder injury to his right arm where he has been dealing with a stinger that forced him to miss time in the game in Boston. Later in the game Andrei Kirilenko sprained his ankle and had to leave, so the Nets may very well be playing in one of their biggest games of the season on Monday without three rotation players.

Next up for the Nets will be one of the biggest games of the season against the Raptors on Monday night in Brooklyn.

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Pierce Leads Nets Past Bobcats

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 12th, 2014

Charlotte Bobcats vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Bobcats 89 Nets 105

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pickup a nice win at home against the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night in their home game before the All-Star break and the upcoming Circus road-trip. The win moves the Nets to (24-26) on the season, and are still three games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

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Easily the best player for the Nets in their victory on Wednesday night was Paul Pierce, who in just 22 minutes left his mark on the game. Pierce had a game-high 25 points behind a great night shooting the basketball, going nine for 11, which included him going a perfect five for five from three-point range. Pierce scored 14 of his 25 points in the third quarter, as the Nets put away the Bobcats in the third, outscoring them 35-19. Pierce also had the highest +/- on the Nets going +26, as when he was on the court not much went wrong for Brooklyn.

Positives-

On defense the Nets did a great job against the Bobcats two main scorers in Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson, who both played below their normal against Brooklyn. Walker, who was questionable to play on Wednesday with an achilles injury, scored 16 points, but struggled shooting the ball, as he went just six of 17 from the field. Without having a true Center, the Nets figured out how to slow down Al Jefferson, who came into the game averaging 20-10. On Wednesday Jefferson did get a double-double, but was held to just 12 points on five for 13 shooting, which was huge for the Nets to keep him in check.

Andray Blatche was able to lead a bench unit that has been so great in the Nets turn around this season. Blatche scored 13 points on six for 11 shooting, with five rebounds, one steal and one block in 24 minutes. Mirza Teletovic was also good again off the bench, as he also scored 13 points, as he shot five for 11 from the field, with three three-pointers and eight rebounds.

Negatives-

Mason Plumlee, who was coming off against his best game of his career in their win on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans, only played 10 minutes against the Bobcats. In the 10 minutes of game-time, Plumlee scored just two points, with zero rebounds, in what was a polar opposite game from Sunday’s great performance.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip to Chicago on Thursday for their final game before the All-Star break against the Bulls. The Nets are just (2-9) on the second half of back to backs, and the availability of Kevin Garnett is unknown, as he will likely get his rest day.

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Plumlee Has Career Night Against Pelicans

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 9^th, 2014

New Orleans Pelicans vs Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Pelicans 81 Nets 93

The Brooklyn Nets behind a great first half were able to knock off the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday evening. The victory over the Pelicans moves the Nets to (23-26) on the season, which put them just 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Mason Plumlee

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Rookie Mason Plumlee had his best game as a pro on Sunday night, as the young big man brought a lot of energy for the Nets off the bench. Plumlee had a career-high 22 points on eight for 10 shooting, while doing a pretty good job getting to the free throw line nine times, where he hit six free throws. In addition to the career-high scoring night, Plumlee tied his season-best 13 rebounds too. Plumlee was the recipient to Jason Terry's 5,000^th career assists on an alley oop. Plumlee was also a factor on the defensive end, as he recorded two blocks, one being a ferocious swat off a Jeff Withy shot, and also had three steals to round out the best game of his career thus far.

Positives:

Plumlee wasn’t alone having a great game off the bench, as Mirza Teletovic had a great game as well. Teletovic was able to record a double-double despite struggling from three-point land, where he went just one from eight. He finished with 13 points on four for 12 shooting, and grabbed 11 rebounds. Alan Anderson also scored very well off the bench, as he added 13 points on five for nine shooting. The Nets bench finished with 59 points combined, easily outscoring their starters.

What gave the Nets such a huge lead going into halftime, was their excellent defense against the Pelicans. A 14-point first quarter was followed up by a 14-point second quarter for the Pelicans, who entered the locker room trailing 51-28. amazingly for the first time in Nets history they won a game with no starter scoring in double-digits, which shows how great the defense was, and how well the bench played on Sunday night.

Negatives:

The third quarter was a scary one for the Nets, as they started it with a 23-point lead that they quickly saw vanish. The Pelicans were able to cut the huge deficit down to a manageable 11-point game heading into the fourth, and if it wasn’t for the Nets bench getting into the game, it may have been a single-digit game heading into the fourth. The fourth quarter the Nets were able to play much better defense after allowing more points in the third quarter than they did in the entire first half, and held on to a 12-point victory.

The best player on the court by far for New Orleans was last years number one overall pick Anthony Davis, who had a great game despite the rest of his team playing so poorly. Davis finished with a game-high 24 points on 11 for 19 shooting, with nine rebounds, three steals, two assists, and one block. If Eric Gordon was ever able to provide some help for Davis this could have been a much different game for the Pelicans.

Next up for the Nets will be a few days off before playing the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday in Brooklyn.

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Nets Snap Three-Game Skid Against 76ers

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 3rd, 2014

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: 76ers 102 Nets 108

The Brooklyn Nets were able to end their three-game losing streak on Monday night with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at home without Joe Johnson. The win was a good one for the Nets, as they needed to beat a bad 76ers team, and the win moves them to (21-25) on the season, which is four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

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Nets Forward Paul Pierce was the go to guy for the Nets on Monday night in the win, as he was the games leading scorer. Pierce scored 25 points on just five for nine shooting, as he did a great job getting to the foul line. When Pierce got to the foul line he made the most of it too, as he went a perfect 14 for 14 from the charity stripe. In the last four games Pierce has been getting to the line a lot, as in the three previous losses he was at the line seven times in each game. Without Johnson’s scoring in the starting lineup, Pierce did a great job helping out in the scoring department for Brooklyn

Positives:

Back in the Starting lineup for the second straight game, Deron Williams played much better than his three for 12 shooting performance in Indiana against the Pacers. On Monday, Williams scored 21 points on eight for 19 shooting, and he was good from three-point range, going three for seven. Williams also dished out six assists to round out a nice bounce back game after his struggles against the Pacers.

Off the bench for the Nets their wasn’t a whole lot of production without Andray Blatche or Andrei Kirilenko, but Mirza Teletovic did a good job picking up the slack scoring for Blatche. Teletovic scored 20 points on seven for 12 shooting, which included him, going five for nine from three-point range in 28 minutes.

Going against who is possibly the Rookie of the Year in Michael Carter-Williams, the Nets did a very good job defensively against the young Point Guard. Carter-Williams did score 21 points, but struggled with his shooting going six for 17 from the field. He also didn’t do a good job protecting the ball, as he turned it over six times, while only dishing out four assists. Overall it was a poor game by Carter-Williams, as the Nets did a great job defending him.

Shaun Livingston had yet another great game coming off his season-high of 24 points against the Pacers, as on Monday he didn’t score as much, but filled up the stat sheet nicely. Livingston scored 13 points on four for nine shooting with six rebounds, eight assists, and a career-high seven steals. A great all-around game from Livingston led to him having the best +/- of any player at +23.

Negatives:

The 76ers did a pretty good job keeping this game close despite being double-digit underdogs, as they were led by Thaddeus Young and off the bench Tony Wroten. Young did a good job in the starting lineup, as he scored 17 points on an efficient seven for 11 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Wroten led the charge off the bench with 18 points on six for eight shooting, while going six for nine from the foul line in his second straight game of scoring 18 points.

For the Nets they did have some struggles on the wings in this game without Johnson, as Alan Anderson and Jason Terry both played very bad. Anderson scored just five points in 31 minutes, as he went an awful one for eight from the field. Terry was just as bad off the bench, as he scored three points on one for five shooting. Terry, who was once one of the best bench players in the league, has only scored in double-figures once in 2014.

Next up for the Nets will be a little break before they host the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.

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Nets Win NBA-Best Eighth Game of 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 21^st, 2014

Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Magic 90 Nets 101

The Brooklyn Nets picked up their eighth win of 2014 on Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic, as the Nets are now riding a three-game winning streak, and have the best record in the NBA in 2014. The win moves the Nets to (18-22) on the season, and are closing in on the Toronto Raptors for first place in the Atlantic Division, just two games back.

Positives-

The player of the game for the Nets in Tuesday's win was Andray Blatche, who had his third straight great game off the bench. For the third straight game, Blatche scored in double figures, as he had a game-high 18 points on six for 11 shooting. He did however lose his two-game double-double streak, as he only had five rebounds. In the fourth quarter Blatche got the crowd going with a huge dunk after he blew by Kyle O'Quinn.

All of a sudden the Nets seem to have a very formidable bench unit with the great play from Blatche of late, and the return of Deron Williams, who played his second straight game off the bench. Williams played pretty well again, as its pretty difficult coming back to a back to back, but Williams scored nine points on four for 10 shooting to go along with a team-high nine assists in 28 minutes. Mirza Teletovic provided a nice scoring boost to the bench, as he scored 14 points on five for 10 shooting, which included him going four for eight from beyond the arc.

The new starting lineup of Shaun Livingston, Alan Anderson, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett is now 6-0 together, and in Tuesday's win they played very well on the defensive end, and had a well balanced attack on offense. Johnson and Pierce led the way for the starting lineup in scoring, as they both scored 13 points on a combined 11 for 20 shooting. They both also did a good job on the glass, as Pierce had six and Johnson added five rebounds. Kevin Garnett was very efficient in his 18 minutes, as he had eight points on four for five shooting, with five rebounds.

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Last season the third quarter was a total disaster most of the time for the Nets, but with just a four-point lead heading into halftime Jason Kidd got his guys to play a fantastic third quarter, which essentially won them the game. In the third the Nets out scored the Magic 27-14, as besides a good scoring quarter, the Nets put the clamps defensively on the Magic holding them to three for 21 shooting in the quarter.

Next up for the Nets will be a nice little break before they will be hosting Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.  

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Nets Make It Three Straight With Victory Against Hawks

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 6th, 2014

Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Hawks 86 Nets 91

The Brooklyn Nets for the second time this season are on a three-game winning streak, as on Monday night they were able to beat one of the few Eastern Conference teams over .500 in the Atlanta Hawks. The win moves the Nets to (13-21) on the season, which puts them four games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Positives:

- With Deron Williams missing his 12th game of the season due to his lingering ankle injury, Shaun Livingston stepped into the starting Point Guard role, and came through with a very nice game. Livingston played 34 minutes, scoring 12 points on six for 11 shooting. He also grabbed five rebounds, and had three steals in route to being +15 for the game.

- The Nets got a much needed boost from Joe Johnson, who erupted out of nowhere scoring wise, after not scoring in double-digits since Christmas before Monday night. Johnson finished with a game-high 23 points on 10 for 22 shooting, as he picked up his scoring without Williams. Johnson was clutch in the fourth quarter on a nice run for the Nets, and also had four assists in what was a much needed good game for Johnson, who besides one clutch shot in Oklahoma City had been flat out bad.

- Mirza Teletovic had a big impact off the bench for Brooklyn, as he provided some great scoring. Teletovic scored 16 points off the bench on six for 12 shooting, which included him, going four for nine from three-point range. Jason Kidd stayed with Teletovic down the stretch, and the move paid off, as Teletovic hit a corner three-pointer with 44 seconds left that gave the Nets a 89-84 lead.

- After their disastrous third quarter against the Cavaliers, the Nets bounced back with a great one on Monday against the Hawks, which was desperately needed after being outscored by 12 points in the second quarter. In the third the Nets outscored Atlanta 26-15, as the defense came out looking great in the third quarter, and then yet again in the fourth. The 15 points the Nets allowed in the third quarter was the least amount of points they have given up in any third quarter this season.

Negatives:

- After a nine point first quarter from Paul Pierce, which got the Nets off to a good start, Pierce disappeared for the rest of the game. Pierce finished the game going three for nine from the field, and was the only Net in the starting lineup with a negative +/-. Another former Celtic Jason Terry also struggled in this game, as off the bench Terry played 11 minutes and went zero for five from the field, with zero points.

The Nets will be hosting the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, as they look to make it four straight wins.

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