Joe Netsfan Game x Game 43- Clippers 102 , Nets 101

Reduced to snake eyes once again

Clippers 102, Nets 101
Game 43 File
Three for three in California - three straight one-point losses, anyway. This time, the Nets change it up a bit, fall down by 18 before rallying to go ahead with a minute to play. But, as we've learned by now, the Nets can't hold up their end of the deal at crunch time, and Cuttino Mobley sinks a three to win it at the buzzer.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 20 - 23
Home Record: 13 - 10
Away Record: 7 - 13
Division Record: 5 - 2
Conf. Record: 16 - 9
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Vince Carter, 33.
• Assists: Jason Kidd, 8.
• Rebounds: Bostjan Nachbar, 7.
• Steals: Carter, Collins, Moore and Williams each had 1.
• Turnovers: Vince Carter, 5.
• Blocks: Jason Kidd, 2.
• FG Percentage: Mikki Moore, 72.2% (13 - 18).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 50.0%
• FT Percentage: 72.0%
• Rebounds: 35
• Rebound Differential: -2
• Turnovers: 15
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 13
• Bench points: 39
• Bench points Differential:+2
• Steals: 4
• Blocks: 3
• Points in the Paint: 42
• Double-Doubles: 0
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 2
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 62.5% (5 - 8).
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: +5
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: -6 (Williams)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 17
• Triple Doubles this Season: 8
• Career Triple Doubles: 83

Nets Media
Bergen Record | Nets
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Newsday | Nets
NY Daily News | NBA
NY Post | Nets
NY Times | Pro Basketball
YES Network | Nets

Nets Team Pages
CNNSI.com | Nets
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Clippers Media:
Los Angeles Times | Clippers

Game 43: Clippers 102, Nets 101 – January 25, 2007
Thrice Is Not Nice
The saying goes that bad things come in threes. From Robinson, Boone and House having off-season surgury, to Kidd, Carter and Jefferson all going through personal trauma off the court, the 2006-2007 Nets have managed to illustrate that point time and time again. (Notice I'm staying away from mentioning that there have only been two major injuries to Nets players this season. Wait, I just mentioned it. Crap.)

Well, our beloved Nets have managed to continue the curse of the magic number. Last night's 3 by Cuttino Mobley was the 3rd straight game the Nets have lost in the final seconds, losing all three games by a combined score of......three.

First off, let me say that if you HAVE to watch a Nets loss, the way to do it is in the Staples center VIP area. Thanks to some powerful friend of a friend and some very shoddy security, I managed to weasel my way into the very swanky Arena Club, and watched the first half of the game while eating pork loin and braised veal. Continental Airlines Arena this was not, folks. If you have the means (read: if you have a rich friend you can convince to pick up the tab) I highly reccomend checking it out. It is so choice.

But on to the game.

The Nets certainly looked like a team that had played the night before. Things started out OK, and the game was relatively close for the first 10 minutes or so. But then Vince, as he is apt to do, picked up a second foul and was forced to the bench. Ditto for Jason Collins, and the Nets' front line could not compete with the more physical Clippers. At one point in the second quarter (after Vince came in and immediately picked up his third foul), the Nets had a team of Williams, House, Nachbar, Robinson and Moore. Without Vince in there, the offense ground to a halt, and without Collins, the interior defense was nonexistant. Taller perimeter players like Shawn Livingston and Tim Thomas (Fugazi?) penetrated and finished at will with no help side defense coming over. A couple of spin moves in the lane later, and the Nets found themselves down 17 at the half.

But this is the NBA, and every team makes a run, and the Nets came out in the second half and calmly chipped away at the lead. A very efficiant Vince Carter (13-18 from the floor, only 2-3 from 3) constantly blew past LA defenders and took the ball to the heart of the D for easy floaters and short pops. Nice to see. Boki played great off the bench, draining 4 of his 5 shots from downtown to continue to put pressure on the Clips. Marcus Williams continued his solid play of late and contributed a very Kidd-like stat line: 16 points, 5 boards, 4 assists and a steal.

Once again it was defense that got the Nets back in this game. They were suddenly active and quick with their rotations, closing out on defenders and collapsing in the paint. With about 4 1/2 minutes to go in the game, Elton Brand (who the Nets kind of kept in check this game) picked up his fifth foul, and the Nets exploited it, sending Vince right at him on at least three straight possessions. Each time, they resulted in a bucket or a trip to the free throw line. (Speaking of which, how about this stat: Kidd, Nachbar and Vince were a combined 7-13 from the free throw line, a big reason they lost this game. Twin, meanwhile, was 5-5, including two clutch free throws late to tie the game. Go figure).

The turning point in the game, however, came at about the 4 minute mark when Dunleavy pulled the suddenly overmatched Shawn Livingston and went back to ol' alien head himself, Sam Cassell. The poise and leadership he displayed down the stretch was the difference. After Nachbar drained a corner three to put the Nets up 3 with less than a minute remaining, the clips cut the lead to 1 with :35 seconds to go. The Nets called a timeout, and drew up a patented "Give it to Vince at the top of the key and stand around" plays, which went about as well as expected. After getting doubled teamed with about 3 seconds left on the shot clock, Carted dished to Kidd who fired up an off balance three that didn't catch the rim. Despite a nasty little scrum where it looked like Nachbar was tackled, the refs called a 24-second violation and the Clips called a timeout.

With 8 seconds to go, Cassell simply drove across the lane, drew the defenders to him (namely, Vince, who should have stayed home on Mobley, a deadly three point shooter) and kicked it out to Cuttino, who drained the three with .6 left on the clock. The Nets had one last chance and went with the backscreen lob to Vince at the rim, which looked awfully close to going in, but it rimmed out, and the Nets were heartbroken once more. What happened to Eddie House and Mikki Moore in this game? Moore I can kind of forgive, as he was going against Brand most of the night, but Eddie House was nowhere to be found. Every shot was forced and rushed, kind of how he looked in the beginning of the season. He always had the 6'5" Mobley or the 6'6" Magette on him, and couldn't seem to get off a shot. We certainly could have used his offense.

Tough to choose a player of the game for this one. I'd love to give it to Vince, who put up 33 in a pretty effortless manor. Magette, who is right at the top of the league in free throw attempts, didn't disappoint, getting 12 of his 18 points at the line. Brand is always reliable, and he put up a workman like 18 and 8. But I've got to give it to Sam I Am, who didn't dominate offensively (15 points on 5-13 shooting), but handed out 10 assists, none bigger than the last one to Mobley. He knew exactly what to do to get his man free, and executed down the stretch, something the Nets have been painfully unable to do for most of this season, most obviously in the last three games.

What's the answer, Netsfans? Or rather, who is to blame (because in the NBA, doesn't it always come down to blaming someone?) Is it Coach Frank's fault for not getting Kidd enough rest (he played a pretty managable 34 minutes last night)? Does the onus fall on Kidd's shoulders for not controlling the team down the stretch? Rod Thorn? Bruce Ratner? Keith Van Horn (I just love picking on that kid)? I can't tell you, but I can say with some certainty that this team is not cutting it. Despite winning 9 of their previous 11 before this current 3 game skid, they haven't looked great at all this season ( can you remember the last time the Nets had a blowout? A blowout they held on to that allowed L. Frank to play his scrubs? Neither can I) Something's going to happen here, folks, and I have a sneaking suspicion that our own magic number of three, Kidd, Carter and Jefferson, may soon be, at best, a dynamic duo. Time will tell....

- Brian "The Duck" Maillard, West Coast Correspondent