Joe Netsfan Game x Game 16 - Nets 117, Sun 109

Fancy shootin' out west

Nets 117, Suns 109
Game 16 File
The Nets come up with their third straight (somewhat improbable) victory in Phoenix, a place they last won back in 1994. Using the drive of Devin Harris, an ejection of Amare Stoudamire, and late-game defense, the Nets outscore the Suns 17 - 9 in the last two minutes to bring home the win.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 9 - 7
Home Record: 3 - 4
Away Record: 6 - 3
Division Record: 1 - 0
Conf. Record: 5 - 4
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Devin Harris, 47.
• Assists: Devin Harris, 8.
• Rebounds: Lopez and Harris each had 7.
• Steals: Carter, Anderson and Hassell each had 2.
• Turnovers: Devin Harris, 4.
• Blocks: Simmons, Yi, Lopez, Carter and Williams each had 1.
• FG Percentage: Devin Harris, 56.0%.(14 - 25).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 50.0%
• FT Percentage: 90.6%
• Rebounds: 29
• Rebound Differential: -9
• Turnovers: 12
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 22
• Bench points: 11
• Bench points Differential:-7
• Steals: 9
• Blocks: 5
• Points in the Paint: 40
• Double-Doubles: 0
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Harris Report:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 9
•Devin Harris' FG Percentage: 56.0%
• Scoring Differential Harris in the game: +10
• Scoring Differential Harris out: -2 (Dooling, Carter)

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

Nets Team Pages
CNNSI.com | Nets
ESPN.com | Nets
FoxSports | Nets
NBA.com | Nets
Sportsline.com | Nets

Suns Media:
Arizona Republic | Suns

Game 16: Nets 117, Sun 109 – November 30 , 2008
How The West Was Won
Simply put – Devin Harris. Essentially, Devin Harris was the reason why the Nets won tonight in Phoenix, and primarily the reason the Nets have won three straight, the last two after amazing performances from the newest gunslinger in town. Against a tough bunch of hombres in Phoenix, the Nets again got lucky when Amare Stoudamire was double-T’d and ejected, taking away the Suns’ mojo and allowing Harris to absolutely, positively crush their hopes in the final two minutes. Out-hustling, out-executing and out-Harrising, the Nets leave the west coast the proud owners of a 9 – 7 record and one amazing point guard.

The Nets again showed some surprising spunk in this one, hanging tough despite getting pounded by Stoudamire inside in the first half. Up by double digits early, the Suns appeared to be in control until a late second quarter burst by Harris (21 first half points) and Carter (14) brought the Nets to within six at the break. Of course, with this being the second game of a back-to-back out west, no one was under any illusion that justice would be served and the Nets would shoot their way into a gunfight.

The second half brought more of the same - the Nets would dig in and try to dig out of the hole they were in, and the Suns would come riding over the horizon, guns ablazing. But it was one of the least expected deputies, Trenton Hassell (in the game for defense, which was otherwise lacking by both squads), that may have taken the biggest shot at all, and it wasn't even with a basketball.Stoudamire took exception to a late whack from Harris and starting jawing with Harris, only to be helped by Hassell, who continued the conversation and earned Stoudamire a technical. This would come in handy later, as Harris was scoring at will (the first 10 Net points of the fourth) and leading the comeback. It was close and getting closer before Carter hit a jumper to pull the Nets to within two with less than four minutes to play, and then it happened - Stoudamire, astounded that he was called for travelling after a no-call a bit earlier, again took exception and started jawing, earning him a second T and an instant ejection.

Perfect - not like the Nets weren't threatening anyway, but with Amare out of the way the Nets could finish the job unimpeded. Carter hit a three to tie the game at 102 after a Matt Barnes bucket, and then Harris hit a beauty of a step-back rhythm jumper to give the Nets a lead they wouldn't let go of. From there, it was a 6 - 0 run to give the Nets some space, then a spate of free throws from Harris (who went 17 - 17 from the line) and Carter plus the first defensive stand by either team all night to ice it.

It was a shootout, allright - but for once the Nets had the faster draw. Devin Harris has basically been unstoppable, last night against Deron Williams, tonight against Steve Nash, two of the NBA's best point guards.

And that's how the west was won.

The Cowboy Way
Sheriff's In Town - Devin Harris set a career-high in scoring with 47 points for the third time this young season, and along with the ankles he broke (and the nightmare he gave Steve Nash), Harris was Mr Do Everything as well, leading or tying for team lead in rebounds and assists as well. He's been unconscious, that's the only way to describe it, a dream flow of offensive prowess that is impossible to stop. He's too fast to guard one on one, if you double him Carter will kill you, and he's got some shooters on the floor to make shots on the drive and kick, leading to the most potent offense the Nets have seen since their ABA days. Harris will likely be Player of the Week in the East (he was), and he is deserving not just for the offense but the three wins he piloted in three different ways. He's also Mr Clutch in the fourth quarter of games - let's not forget that as well.
Wounded For Now - Face it, though, despite the big win the Nets still give up too many points, and have too many moments where someone on the opposition is left wide open. They give up an average of more than 104 points per game, which is simply too many no matter how you look at it. I shudder to think what happens when this team hits a shooting slump or a scoring drought - how are they going to win games? By keeping turnovers low like they have, they can contain a lot of damage, but if the shots stop falling...
The Littlest Cowboy - What Trenton Hassell, forgotten man, contributed tonight won't make any fabulous boxscore reading, but his contributions on defense and in getting under Amare's skin cannot be downplayed. The Nets may have won this game anyway, but having him out of the way opened the door for the Nets to dominate, and they did. Hassell isn't much to look at, but he's a good defensive presence on a team that basically has none (Eddie Najera, the other defensively oriented Net, hasn't seem much court time either because of injury), and he did a good job when finally called upon. That might be the credo of this year's Net squad - be prepared to play and play well when called upon.
Miscellaneous Post-Game Analysis - Again I'll mention it - Devin Harris went 17 - 17 from the line, after going 8 - 13 in the previous game. He also shot lights out again (14 - 25), and seemed fresher at the end than he did at the beginning. There was a Chris Douglas Roberts sighting - though he didn't play, he was dressed and on the bench, so hopefully we'll see him soon. What exactly is Bobby Simmons' role again? The shooting continues tough for Ryan Anderson of late - he was 0 - 4 from three, bringing his last two game totals to 0 - 6 from deep. Time to go back home, where the Nets have played worse than on the road (6 - 3 on the road, 3 - 4 at home - with a lot of home games scheduled in December).

The Shootest
Once again tonight it was too much Devin Harris for the Suns to handle - and with that comes a big win in Phoenix for the first time in forever. Outduelling Steve Nash, running the offense and getting key buckets when they were needed, and going out and playing solid defense, especially late, the Nets return home a proud and confident bunch, a team that's led by the brilliance of Harris and his running mate Vince Carter. How long can this last? Probably not forever, everyone has to come back to earth, but for now enjoy the Nets and their amazing performances. The defense needs a lot of work, at some point someone other than Harris or Carter wil have to carry them, and it's not at all a given that this team will continue to overachieve, but at 9 - 7, the Nets are far more than we expected. And that's been fun to watch, right?
- Joe