Three-Team Trade Helps Brooklyn Immensely

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 9, 2014

Three-Team Deal Helps Brooklyn Immensely

chatsports.com

The LeBron James 2014 off-season factor made its way to Brooklyn on Wednesday, as the Cleveland Cavaliers in need of clearing cap room to offer James his max contract, basically just handed players away. The three-team deal also included the Boston Celtics, who acquired Marcus Thornton from the Nets, Tyler Zeller, and a 2016 protected pick from the Cavaliers. The Nets made out excellent in this deal, receiving Jarrett Jack to replace Shaun Livingston, and 2013 first round pick Sergey Karasev.

Even though James isn’t coming to Brooklyn it shows the effect that he is having on the off-season with many players and teams waiting on him to decide. For Brooklyn his interest in the Cavaliers allowed them to get the Point Guard they wanted in Jack, and a 20-year old with a lot of potential in Karasev.

Jack, was the Nets first option for quite a while when it became apparent that keeping Livingston was going to be unlikely. Jack is coming off a bit of a disappointing season with the Cavaliers after a great post season with the Warriors the year before. Jack averaged 9.1 PPG on a poor 41% shooting from the field to go along with 4.1 APG, and 2.8 RPG. If Jason Kidd was still coaching the Nets, you would certainly a lot of Jack and Deron Williams playing on the court together, but Lionel Hollins tends to go with a more traditional lineup so it will be interesting to see how Jack is used. Jack has two years left on his deal worth $12.6 million, and a team option for the 2016-17 season.

Karasev is a very interesting pickup for the Nets, with Karasev being a 6-7 Shooting Guard that was the 19^th overall pick last June. The Nets had a lot of interest in the Russian in that draft, which they eventually picked Mason Plumlee with the 22^nd pick. Karasev only played in 22 games last season, but brings the Nets a great shooter and ball-handler. He does however need to add some strength to his frame, which will come with him being only 20 years old. Getting Jack and Karasev for Thornton’s expiring contract is a good haul for the Nets, who have added a lot of young players this off-season. The Cavaliers will now be able to offer James what he wants money wise, and after just giving away players, they better hope he is indeed interested in coming back home.

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Nets Narrowly Defeat Raptors in Game 7

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 4^th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors Game 7 Recap

Final Score: Nets 104 Raptors 103

In a win or go home Game 7 in a hostile arena in Toronto, the Brooklyn Nets were able to survive the young Raptors for a thrilling Game 7 victory on Sunday. A few missed free throws at the end of the game for the Nets nearly cost them, but a block by Paul Pierce on Kyle Lowry sealed the deal for the Nets, as the advanced to the next round.

nydailynews.com

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Easily the best player for the Nets throughout the entire series was Joe Johnson, and Game 7 was no different. Johnson finished with a team-high 26 points on 11 for 25 shooting, with four rebounds, and four assists. The Raptors threw the kitchen sink at Johnson with multiple defenders guarding him and frequent double-teams, but Johnson made the right pass out almost every time, as he could have a lot of hockey assists.

Positives:

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were in different roles in this Game 7 than previous seasons. They both only played 25 minutes, but it was an effective one from both of them. Pierce finished with 10 points on four for 10 shooting, but made the play of the game for the Nets blocking Lowry's shot in the final seconds. Garnett had a very good game, as he was able to notch a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, as it was his first double-double since February 1^st.

Brooklyn's bench showed up for Game 7 after a mostly disappointing series against the Raptors, as Andray Blatche, Shaun Livingston, and Marcus Thornton all had good games. Blatche, who was in a bit of foul trouble still played well with nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. Livingston in his second straight game coming off the bench was a much bigger factor in the game than he was on Friday night, as Livingston scored 10 points on four for five shooting, and hit two extremely clutch free throws down the stretch. For the first time in the series, Thornton was able to get hot from the field, as he finished with 17 points on four for eight shooting, and went five for six from the free throw line in his best game of the series.

Negatives:

Toronto really pushed the Nets in this series, and could have easily won it in large part due to their back court of Lowry and DeRozan, who played well in Game 7. Lowry finished with a game-high 28 points on seven for 19 shooting, and went an outstanding 12 for 14 from the line in addition to grabbing seven boards. DeRozan didn’t have a monster Game 7, but still played very well scoring 18 points on five for 12 shooting with six assists, and seven free throws, as DeRozan and Lowry lived at the free throw line in the series.

The Power Forwards for the Raptors also stepped up in Game 7, as Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson both put together nice games. Johnson was a beast despite looking a bit hobbled, as he scored 20 points on nine for 12 shooting with 10 rebounds before he fouled out. Patterson was great off the bench most of the series, and in Game 7 he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds on a perfect day shooting from the field.

Nets Point Guard Deron Williams had a tough Game 7, and nearly cost his team the victory down the stretch, as he struggled from the foul line. Williams finished just 13 points and four assists, as yet again it was a disappointing game from him.

Next up for the Nets will be a series against the two-time defending champs in the Miami Heat, who will be well rested before Tuesday's Game 1 in Miami.  

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Knicks Defeat Nets, Win Season Series 3-1

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Tuesday, April 15^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets

Post Game Recap

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets finished up their disappointing season series Tuesday night, as the Knicks defeated the Nets 109-98. It was the third win in the series for the Knicks, who defeated the Nets by 30 and 29 points earlier in the season, while the Nets lone victory came by 23. There was plenty of players not suiting up tonight, and veterans who did played very little as both teams had nothing to really play for. The play resulted in a game that looked more like a preseason game than a regular season meeting. Both teams will be playing their regular season finales Wednesday night, as the Knicks will take on the Toronto Raptors, and the Nets will be going against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks Perspective:

It was yet another solid performance for the Knicks tonight, even though they were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night. Tonight they were without Carmelo Anthony, who it turns out, is suffering from a torn labrum. Several other veterans, such as Tyson Chandler, Pablo Prigioni, J.R. Smith, Raymond Felton and Amar’e Stoudemire came nowhere near to their regular minutes, as head coach Mike Woodson rolled with the reserves and younger players.

The player who performed best tonight in the extended minutes once again was Cole Aldrich. Aldrich came down with a season-high 13 rebounds to go with 13 points, one steal and one block. Aldrich has shown all season that he is capable of producing when on the court, and tonight was no different. He definitely deserves a shot at being Chandler’s backup next season, as he has proved himself a capable backup and spot starter when needed.

Another player who looked good tonight was Iman Shumpert. The much maligned shooting guard has had his struggles this season, but has been coming on since being moved to the bench. His defense has started resembling more of the lockdown performer he was before the knee injury and what he showed during last season’s playoffs.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

He also had two highlight plays tonight, breaking Paul Pierce’s ankles with a crossover into a jump shot in the third quarter that he nailed, and finishing in transition with a dunk off a pass off the backboard from Toure’ Murry. Phil Jackson mentioned Shumpert as one of the players he was impressed with, and he has done nothing to change that thinking.

Tim Hardaway Jr. continued to score well off the bench for the Knicks. Tonight he scored a team high 16 points, making 5-12 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line. Hardaway Jr. looks like he is going to be a great weapon off the bench for the Knicks as a wing scorer. It would not be shocking to see Hardaway Jr. push his per game scoring up to the 12-13 point range as he becomes more accustomed to the NBA game. Where he needs to improve still is on the defensive end, as he offers very little outside of a scoring punch at this time.

Nets Perspective:

It was a letdown of sorts for the Nets, who still had something to play for in the game, but did not look like it from how they played. The Nets still have not locked up the fifth seed, and do not look like they want to as it will result in a matchup with the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

Mason Plumlee was a bright spot for the Nets tonight. With Kevin Garnett missing so much action this season, Plumlee has really grown as a player. He now looks like an important piece for the Nets heading into the post season. He is a big that is active and can keep up with the talented front lines of teams like the Bulls and Raptors, something Garnett does not look like he will be able to do any longer. Tonight Plumlee finished with an impressive 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Marcus Thornton looks to have been a steal for the Nets and real weapon for them off the bench. Tonight he poured in 24 points, and has been much more successful and productive off the bench than Jason Terry was. He gave the Nets a little more youth, and at this stage of their careers, a more dangerous player. He may lack the experience Terry has, but he makes up for it with his explosiveness. It is possible he could lead the Nets in scoring any night off the bench, as he is capable of filling it up from beyond the three point line.

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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.

sbnation.com

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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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Charlotte Bobcats March 26th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 26th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Charlotte Bobcats

Pre Game News and Notes

The Brooklyn Nets after two straight overtime games will be heading to Charlotte to play against an Eastern Conference playoff hopeful in the Bobcats. The Nets are just 1.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, and the Raptors will also be playing on Wednesday against the Celtics.

nba.com

Match-Up of the Game: Al Jefferson vs. Mason Plumlee

In the last two games the Nets have been roughed up on the inside by opposing team’s big men, and on Wednesday they will be going against one of the best Centers the NBA has in Al Jefferson. Jefferson has come on in his first season with the Bobcats, as he is averaging 21.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. After the games that Samuel Dalembert and Anthony Davis put up the last two games, it seems that the Nets will have their hands full yet again against Jefferson, as it will be a tough night for Plumlee. Plumlee has been doing well filling in for Garnett, as in March he is averaging 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, but he is undersized and inexperienced to be asked to stop Jefferson.

- Really Banged Up

On the final game of their three-game road trip the Nets are all of a sudden very banged up with injuries, as yet again Kevin Garnett will be out with back spasms, and yet again Andrei Kirilenko will be out with a sprained ankle. In the loss to the Pelicans, Marcus Thornton was forced to leave the game early with a back injury, and didn’t seem overly optimistic that he would be able to play on Wednesday, but is listed as a game-time decision. On top of all the injuries, Deron Williams is also listed as a game-time decision, as he is battling an illness, which if he can’t go the Nets may find themselves very short-handed.

- Season Series

So far this season the Nets are up (2-1) in the season series against the Bobcats, and Wednesday gives the chance for the Nets to win a season series against a possible Eastern Conference playoff team. The Nets have won both games at home against the Bobcats, but in November were defeated in Charlotte 95-91. In that loss it was a very different looking Nets team, but with all the injuries and the uncertainty of Williams playing, the Nets will be in for a tough game against a hungry Bobcats team.

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Nets Pull Out Overtime Victory in Dallas

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 23rd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 107 Mavericks 104

The Brooklyn Nets were able to turn their momentum that they have been riding at the Barclays Center into a huge road win against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. The overtime win has given the Nets a (37-31) record on the season, but with the Toronto Raptors coming back to beat the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon they are still 1.5 games behind them in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Marcus Thornton

Coming off the bench for the Nets was the difference maker in the comeback victory; as Marcus Thornton continues to make the trade that Billy King did at the trade deadline a great one for the Nets. Thornton didn’t lead the Nets in scoring, but was their most efficient scorer in 24 minutes of play, as he scored 20 points on seven for 11 shooting, which included him going four of seven from behind the three-point line. Thornton also did a great job helping out on the glass, as he tied for the team-lead in rebounds for the game with seven.

espn.go.com

Positives:

Scoring was a real struggle for the Nets on Sunday in the win, especially in the starting lineup, but Joe Johnson was able to come through with a good game shooting from the field. Johnson led the Nets with 22 points on eight for 16 shooting in 37 minutes of play. Johnson came up big in the clutch for the Nets, as he had the game tying lay-up with less than 10 seconds to go, and then in overtime scored six of his 22 points to help lock up the win.

On defense the Nets really stepped up against one of the better offensive teams the NBA has to offer, which included them really shutting down the future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki was held to easily one of his worst games of the season, as he scored just 10 points on a surprisingly bad two for 12 shooting. Nowitzki wasn’t alone in the Mavericks shooting woes, as their bench really struggled as well. Two former Nets in Devin Harris and Vince Carter both shot the ball poorly against their former team off the bench. Harris went four of 15 from the field with just 11 points, and Carter shot four of 13 from the field with 12 points.

Negatives:

The Nets small lineup was noticeable against the Mavericks with their two starting seven footers in Nowitzki and Samuel Dalembert, as Dalembert was able to produce a big double-double and was a major factor on the defensive end. He finished with 12 points on four for five shooting to go along with 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots. This was defiantly a game where the Kevin Garnett injury hurt the Nets, and why they need him back.

Shooting Guard Monta Ellis was the main gun for the Mavericks on Sunday night with basically everyone else on the team struggling. Ellis finished with a game-high 31 points on 11 for 24 shooting. In overtime Ellis hit two three-pointers, which along with some Nets missed free throws gave Ellis a chance to tie it u if he was able to make three straight, but he couldn’t pull off buzzer beater.

Next up for the Nets will be the second half of a back to back against the red hot Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.

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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.

espn.go.com

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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Nets Shooting Woes Cost Them in Boston

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 7^th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 84 Celtics 91

The Brooklyn Nets were unable to stay above the .500 mark on Friday night, as they were defeated by the Boston Celtics. The loss moves the Nets to (30-30) on the season, and they now trail the Toronto Raptors by four games in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Shooting Guard Joe Johnson was questionable to play on Friday with an illness, but was able to play, and along with Deron Williams was good for Brooklyn. Johnson finished with a game-high 21 points on nine for 21 shooting. He also grabbed seven rebounds, which was a quarter of the Nets total rebounds as the Celtics dominated the glass, holding the Nets to just 28 as a team. It was the third straight good game from Johnson, which is important for the Nets heading into the stretch run.

Positives:

Deron Williams was good once again for Brooklyn, but with most of the team struggling it just wasn’t enough to get past a poor Celtics team. Williams finished with 20 points on seven for 15 shooting, but did have four turnovers with only four assists. Off the bench for Brooklyn the only positive was the play of Andray Blatche, who scored 11 points on three for seven shooting, and was one of the few Nets to have a positive +/-.

scores.go.espn.com

Negatives:

It was the second game back in Boston for Paul Pierce, but although he played better on Friday than he did on his first trip back to Boston, it was still a poor game from him. Pierce finished scoring just 11 points on four for 11 shooting with three rebounds and one assist. In three games now this season against the Celtics, Pierce is averaging just 6.7 points per game, while shooting a dreadful 25% from the field.

Shooting from three-point land was a complete nightmare for the Nets on Friday, which was a large part for their lack of scoring. In the first half the Nets went zero for 17 from deep and for the game they finished hitting just four on 30 attempts. Marcus Thornton had a rough night going zero for six from beyond the arc, and Pierce went zero for four. Even the good games from Williams and Johnson didn’t exclude them from the poor percentage from three-point range, as they combined to shoot three of 15.

Celtics Point Guard Rajon Rondo looked good once again, as he seems to be getting healthy from his knee injury. Rondo came close to a triple-double, as he scored 20 points on six for 14 shooting with nine assists, seven rebounds, and four steals. Rondo even went three for six from three-point range, which is a rare thing from generally a poor jump shooter. The only downside to Rondo's game on Friday was that for the second consecutive game he turned the ball over seven times.

Next up for the Nets will be an off day on Saturday before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

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Nets Reach Above .500 After Defeating Grizzlies

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 5th, 2014

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Grizzlies 94 Nets 103

For the first time in the 2013-2014 season, the Brooklyn Nets are now an above .500 team after their victory on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. The win moves the Nets to (30-29) on the season, and they now sit three games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Brooklyn got a nice game from Joe Johnson, who when he plays well for the Nets they win. In the victory Johnson scored a game-high 21 points on eight for 13 shooting, which included him going five of seven from three-point range. He also added four assists, and had the highest +/- in the game going a monstrous +30. Two straight good games of scoring for Johnson against two very good teams in the Chicago Bulls and Grizzlies both resulted in impressive Nets victories.

Positives:

Nets Point Guard Deron Williams had yet again another good game, as since the All-Star break he looks like the Williams the Nets pay him to be. Williams played 33 minutes, while scoring 16 points on seven for 13 shooting, with seven assists, four steals, and three rebounds. Going against a good Point Guard in Mike Conley, Williams totally dominated the match-up. Conley was held to just two points, while going zero for eight from the field, and he turned it over six times.

With Zach Randolph unable to play due to the flu, the Grizzlies started Ed Davis against Paul Pierce. Pierce however wasted no time making the most of Randolph being out, going at Davis early for eight points before Davis was finally taken out. Pierce finished with 14 points on three for six shooting, as he went a perfect six for six from the free throw line, and he grabbed eight rebounds.

Brooklyn’s bench got has got a nice scoring duo off the bench now with Andray Blatche and Marcus Thornton, who on Wednesday both played very well. Blatche scored 12 points on four for six shooting with four rebounds in just 16 minutes of action. Thornton played a bit more getting 26 minutes of floor time, as he scored 20 points on eight for 13 shooting, including him going four for five from three-point range. Brooklyn as a team had it going from deep, as they shot 57% percent from three-point range as a team.

nytimes.com

Negatives:

After heading into the fourth quarter with a 27-point lead there was a bit of a letdown for Brooklyn, as they allowed a lot of junk time points for the Grizzlies who outscored them 34-16 in the final quarter. It would have been extremely hard to blow the whole lead, but the way the Nets played through the first three quarters, they should have had a double-digit victory.

Next up for the Nets will be in Boston playing against Rajon Rondo and the Celtics, as Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett return to their former home.

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Nets Lose by Nearly 50 in Portland

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 26th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 80 Trail Blazers 124

The Brooklyn Nets, who were looking to get within one game of the .500 mark with a win on Wednesday night, but were dominated by the Portland Trail Blazers without LaMarcus Aldridge. The loss moves the Nets to (26-29) on the season, and they are now five games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

On a night when the Nets almost lost by 50 points there are basically no positives, but Deron Williams did look healthy yet, as the bounce in his step is defiantly there, and he was looking very good driving to the basket. Williams played 24 minutes, and scored a team-high 12 points on four for 10 shooting to go along with three assists, three steals, and one block.

Negatives:

The Nets bench figured to have a pretty sizeable advantage against the Blazers, but in the blowout loss Brooklyn’s bench was destroyed by Portland’s. Mo Williams led the scoring barrage for the Blazers bench, as he scored a game-high 21 points off the bench, with seven assists, six rebounds, and one steal in 27 minutes. Williams however wasn’t the only 20-point scorer off the bench for Portland, as Will Barton exploded for 20 points on eight for 13 shooting with 11 rebounds and four assists. Barton had the highest +/- in the game going +39. C.J. McCollum added 11 points and Victor Claver added 13, as Portland had four players off the bench finishing in double figures.

nydailynews.com

For the second straight game the Nets main gun off the bench Andray Blatche really struggled. Blatche went one for six from the field, scoring just three points, and in his last two games is shooting just three for 16 from the field. Marcus Thornton picked a bad game to makes his Nets debut, as off the bench he had a poor shooting performance from deep, shooting just one for six from three-point range, and finished shooting four for 11 overall with nine points.

The starting lineup for the Blazers played very well without their best player. Damian Lillard didn’t need to score 30+ points, but he had a nice game none the less, scoring 14 points on six for 11 shooting in 29 minutes. Nicholas Batum was the leading scorer for the Blazers starting five, as he scored 19 points on six for 12 shooting with six rebounds, and six assists in 29 minutes.

Next up for the Nets will be the second half of their back to back in Denver against the Nuggets on Thursday, as they will look to improve on their (3-10) record on the second part of a back to back.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers February 26th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 26^th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers

The Brooklyn Nets will be continuing their circus road-trip on Wednesday night in Portland against the Trail Blazers. The Nets are now (26-28) on the season, as they are getting close to the .500 mark, but with the Raptors winning seven of their last 10 games, it leaves the Nets 4.5 games behind them in the Atlantic Division.

barclayscenter.com

- Down A Star

On Wednesday night the Trail Blazers will yet again be without their All-Star Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has missed the last four games with a groin strain. In the four games without Aldridge in this stretch the Blazers are still playing well going 3-1 with their only loss coming against the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers are obviously missing Aldridge, who has emereged as one of the best if not the best Power Forward in the NBA this season, as he is averaging 23.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and one block per game.

- Don’t Sleep on Lillard

Aldridge wasn’t the only Blazer to be selected to the All-Star Game however, as with the absence of Aldridge, Damian Lillard has picked up his already good scoring season in the last four games. This season the All-Star Lillard has averaged 21.4 points per game, as last season's Rookie Of The Year has clearly avoided any sort of sophomore slump. In the past four games without his partner in crime Aldridge, Lillard is averaging 30.5 points per game in those games. It will be a great match-up to watch a seemingly healthy Deron Williams against Lillard.

- Second Half Groove

Since the All-Star, like last season Williams seems healthy for the Nets, and has a bounce to his step, which just wasn’t their for the first half of the season. Against the Lakers on Sunday, it was the best game from Williams this season, as he scored a season-high 30 points. Lillard will be a lot more to handle for Williams than anyone the Lakers had to offer, but a healthy Williams is a huge difference maker for Brooklyn as they look to get to within one game of .500

- Bench Advantage

The Blazers bench is the one glaring weakness that the Nets should have a noticeable advantage in, as Brooklyn has one of the better bench units in the league, and it is expected to get better with Marcus Thornton liking making his debut Wednesday after dealing with food poisoning. Andray Blatche struggled against the Lakers, but has been great almost all season, and figures to have a bounce back game against the Blazers. The availability of Shaun Livingston may have an affect on the bench, as if Livingston cant play Jason Kidd maybe starting Andrei Kirilenko again.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Golden State Warriors, February 22nd, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 22^th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Golden State Warriors

The Brooklyn Nets will be facing quite possibly their toughest game of the circus road-trip on Saturday in Golden State against the Warriors. Brooklyn is currently 3.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the Atlantic Division, and would love to be able to get a big win on Saturday.

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- Awaiting a Debut

Only one move was made before Thursdays Trade Deadline for the Nets, as they agreed to trade Reggie Evans and Jason Terry to Sacramento for Marcus Thornton. The trade wasn’t made official until Saturday afternoon, as Terry getting a physical was holding it up. Terry will however not be joining the Kings, as he will be out for the remainder of the regular season with a knee injury, but this will allow Evans and Thornton to both be eligible to play on Saturday. Thornton however is battling a stomach bug so he is listed as a game-time decision for the match-up against the Warriors. Thornton has had a disappointing last two seasons, but has scored over 18 points per game twice in his career, as Brooklyn will hope that he can thrive off their bench.

- Tough Test

Saturday will be no easy task for the Nets, as even though they have defeated the Warriors once, that was the last game of a long road trip for the Warriors. Golden State is currently (33-22), which has them at 7^th in the extremely tough Western Conference. Golden State may have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA led by Stephen Curry, who is leading the team in PPG with 24.4, and APG at 8.9. curry also lit up the Nets in their first meeting this season, as he scored a game-high 34 points. The Nets will be catching a little break, as Center Andrew Bogut is listed as doubtful to play with a shoulder injury that has kept him out of the last six games.

- Healthy Williams?

Going against one of the best and youngest back courts in the league in Curry and Klay Thompson, Brooklyn will need a good game from Deron Williams, who didn’t play in the first meeting. In the victory in Utah, Williams got banged up a bit taking hits to both his head and groin, but going against a quick guard like Curry it will be big test to see just how much the All-Star break helped the ankles of Williams. Against the Jazz Williams scored 19 points, but didn’t shoot particularly well, and for the Nets to get a upset road win, they will need an excellent performance from Williams.

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