February 4, 2001 - Nets 96, Sixers 89
Steph Gets His Wish
This was Stephon Marbury's Super Bowl. Since the Nets have been flirting with the NBA's worst record recently (thank God for Chicago) and have eliminated themselves from any playoff contention, there hasn't been much for Steph to wish for. Except his first appearance at the All Star game, and more head-to-head competition against Allen Iverson, whom he loves to play against. And even though it wasn't a blowout, Steph got his wish - Marbury outplayed Iverson, winning their continual one on one duel, the Nets played defense and rebounded, and Marbury, Kenyon Martin and the Nets came up HUGE in the fourth quarter and won the game.

What makes this win different, aside from the fact that the Nets beat the #1 team in the conference, is the way they pulled it off. Once again the team shot poorly in the first half (35%), but found themselves only down by 5 at the half, mainly thanks to Marbury's 16 first half points. The Nets actually led 22 -20 after one, but the second quarter malaise took hold and lasted through most of the third (oh, those third quarters), putting the Nets in a 10 point hole after three, 72 -62. What followed that was inconceivable - the Nets, led by Marbury, both on offense and defense, as well as Lucious Harris, who also guarded Iverson, outscored Philly 34 - 17 to ice the win. Tough defense and rebounding led the way. And the Nets didn't let it slip away at the end - no, Marbury wouldn't let it. It was the most exciting game played at the arena this year.

Lord, it doesn't get any better than this. To understand how improbable this Nets win was, given the way the team has played in the seven game losing streak, you have to start with the fact that the Nets held an opponent to under 90 points for the first time since the January 17 win against the Wiz (and they scored 89 as well). Then bring in the astounding 53 - 36 rebounded edge against the team that destroyed the Nets on the boards last time around. The Nets played aggressive defense, knocking down Iverson numerous times, often getting away without a foul call. And they didn't unravel at the end, in fact they increased their shooting percentage in the second half.

Now, how to keep it up. The Nets are setting themselves up for a major letdown as the Hawks, proud owners of a 16 - 30 record, come into town on Tuesday. Here's hoping the Nets can keep the feeling going. Wishes can come true sometimes, even if you're a Net. For one night, anyway.

Chill Factor
0:00 - No one dared move. With about 6 minutes to play, the Nets were down 79 - 78 after a three point play by Keith Van Horn, erasing 9 out of a 10 point deficit in 6 minutes. There would be no rush by Philly fans secure in their win. There would be no rush by Nets fans, cursing their fate. No, this one was good 'till the end.

Gary Sussman Speaks
"Esch-sch-sch-sch-sch!" - Heavy emphasis on the "sch" part. Get used to it.
"Esch-sch-sch-sch-sch from Steph!" - nice, rolls off the tongue. Want to hear more of that as well.

Joe's Free Advice
Hey, Freddie Kerber - I love you man, but where were you going with 6 minutes or so left in the game? Back to the press room? Have you been crushed by the string of bad play to the point where you ANTICIPATE another Nets collapse? I know you watched from the inner sanctum, but c'mon, stay with us, already!

What Joe Liked
Marbury - Why he's an All-Star despite playing for a losing team: 34 points, including 10 huge ones in the fourth, on 11 - 23 shooting, 9 assists, and tough defense on Iverson. He simply refused to give in. It's amazing how much bigger Marbury gets when he's playing a fellow All Star, especially Iverson.
Kenyon Martin - Once again, thought he'd disappeared for a few games, but he's back with a vengeance. Played terrific defense and was active on the boards. Even hit a few 15 footers. Tonight's line" 20 points on 9 - 17 shooting, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots in 36 minutes. A beaut - I would say his best all around game so far.
REBOUNDS GALORE - Hey, easy boys, sure you don't want to store some of those up for some other games? 53 - 36 edge included 11 boards each from Martin, Evan Eschmeyer and Aaron Williams.
The Seven Deep Rotation - OK, so 9 guys played. But really, Scott chose to go with the best seven players: Marbury, Van Horn, Martin, Eschmeyer, Harris, Williams and Johnny Newman, with cameos by Stephen Jackson and Sherman Douglas.
A Special Shout Out for Lucious Harris and Defense - No points, but 6 rebounds and tough defense against Iverson (9 - 30 from the field). One of those games where the contribution does not show up on the score sheet. But man, even though he got shut out, and Iverson scored 32, the Sixers would have won this game if not for Harris. Oh, I loved to see Iverson being put on his ass...

What Joe Didn't Like
Too Many Damned Philly or Iverson Fans - Once again, outnumbered in our own home. Will it ever end? Will I see endless seas of Jason Terry or Dikembe Mutombo jerseys on Tuesday?
Let's Not Get Carried Away - Still shot 41% from the field, better but not great. Turnovers were 17, much too high. More work to be done.

Star of the Game
Martin was the pick at the Arena, but I'm going with Marbury. Without him, there IS no win.