Joe Netsfan Game x Game 33 - Nets 93, Hawks 91 OT

Just like it was drawn up

Nets 93, Hawks 91 OT
Game 33 File
Vince Carter caps the extremely improbable (they were home, after all) comeback from 20 points down with a last second, buzzer beating bomb from more than 30 feet to defeat the stunned Hawks. A poor first half (29 points, again) is overturned by Devin Harris and gang, and Carter finds some redemption from his ejection (this time L. Frank was tossed) in the last game to put together the first win of 2009.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 16 - 17
Home Record: 6 - 12
Away Record: 10 - 5
Division Record: 3 - 2
Conf. Record: 10 - 12
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Devin Harris, 26.
• Assists: Devin Harris, 11.
• Rebounds: Brook Lopez, 11.
• Steals: Lopez, Hayes and Dooling each had 2.
• Turnovers: Devin Harris, 8.
• Blocks: Lopez and Carter each had 2.
• FG Percentage: Bobby Simmons, 71.4%.(5 - 7).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 38.0%
• FT Percentage: 75.0%
• Rebounds: 52
• Rebound Differential: +10
• Turnovers: 20
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 17
• Bench points: 22
• Bench points Differential:+5
• Steals: 8
• Blocks: 5
• Points in the Paint: 34
• Double-Doubles: 1 (Devin Harris: 26 points, 11 assists)
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Harris Report:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 3
• Nets Fast Break Points: 7
•Devin Harris' FG Percentage: 40.9%
• Scoring Differential Harris in the game: +11
• Scoring Differential Harris out: -9 (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

Hawks Media:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Hawks

Game 33: Nets 93, Hawks 91 OT – January 2, 2009
Miracle On Ice
He shoots, he scores! Do you believe in miracles? Ok, that's way over the top based on a Friday night Nets - Hawks game, but lordy, what a finish, thanks to that miracle man of the last second shot, VInce Carter. And it's a miracle the Nets finally get a home win.

If you had seen this one from the beginning, you would truly think it was a miracle the Nets ever got into a game they had no business being in. The Hawks took it flat out to the Nets, slapping them silly with a host of fine plays on both sides of the ball. New Jersey of course was all to happy to help out, spilling the ball all over the place, getting in their own way and settling into an uncomfortable 1 - 14 skid in the second quarter. It was so bad that Lawrence Frank argued by no means the worst of it and got himself ejected, either because the mess was so bad or it was some rudimentary way to fire up the troops.

The ultimate insult - the Nets inbounded the ball to halfcourt with about 4 seconds left in the first half already down 17, Brook Lopez fumbled it and someone named Mario West hit about a half court shot at the buzzer to extend the misery to twenty. All in a night's work on the ice for these Nets.

Somehow, some way, the Nets decided not to take it anymore and brought a renewed sense of urgency to the second half. Keyed by Devin Harris, the Nets poured it on with a strong third quarter that was the reverse of the second quarter. Starting off on a 22 - 5 run and getting hot from behind the arc, suddenly this was a game to be watched. They cut the Hawks lead down to 8 after three quarters, and then roared back to take the lead less than four minutes into the fourth behind a Devin Harris three. The Nets actually led 85 -80 with 2:29 to play, but they couldn't hold the lead and Carter's last second shot at the buzzer bounced away to overtime.

Overtime was wild, with the Nets taking a 90 -87 lead on a Jarvis Hayes three before the Nets fouled Mike Bibby while attempting a three (he made two of three free throws) with 20 seconds to go, then, clinging to a one point lead, Devin Harris was trapped and turned the ball over, leading to a Josh Smith layup with 11 seconds remaining. IN a one point hole, Carter took off and was fouled, resetting the stage at 4.8 seconds. The inbounds was tipped and went into the backcourt, where Carter calmly retrieved the errant toss, marched his way toward the three point line, and with Smith inexplicably laying back, VC launched about a 33 footer that hit nothing but net as time expired, giving the Nets the improbable two point home victory in overtime.

Do you believe in miracles? Will this be the win that gets the Nets started at home?

All Pucked Up
Icing Called - What the Nets were doing in the first half tonight was the equivalent of icing in hockey - too much standing around, getting pushed around and really no idea of how to get anything working (they scored a mere 29 points in the first half for the second game in a row). That second quarter was about as painful a quarter as you''ll see, and I still can't figure how the Nets managed even 13 points in that quarter. Took 'em almost six minutes to score, and then at least Harris got them some points late. Good thing they changed their approach in the second half (and those threes started going in...)
Stick Save, And A Beauty - Lost in the big comeback was the Nets' second half defensive stand, in which they took a team that had scored 49 first half points to a mere 36 (and 16 in the fourth quarter). True, the Hawks helped out by getting away from the attacking they did in the first half and settling for jumpers in the second half, but still, the Nets deserve some credit.
Pucked Up - When is Yi going to wake up and realize that effort and energy on both sides of the ball is important? He was a non-factor again, shooting 4 - 13 and scoring 8 points with 9 rebounds. The Nets need more out of that spot (at least Bobby Simmons was better tonight).
Miscellaneous Post-Game Analysis - Nice double double from Devin Harris, with 26 and 11. In fact, the Nets had 24 assists on 36 made field goals, which is where they need to be. Not crazy about the 20 turnovers, but a long VC shot at the buzzer can make you forgive a whole lot of sins. Ryan Anderson's lost playing time to Jarvis Hayes, but he hit a big three in the comeback that was important. Stay ready, young man.

Ice, Ice, Baby
Clearly the man has ice in his veins and knows drama. There probably aren't 10 players in the NBA let alone the world that can launch a ball from that distance and feel confident that it's a game winner. Vince Carter was having a nothing sort of game, heating up late in the second half with the three ball, before all the hopes of the Nets were pinned squarely on him. And he delivered in a manner unexpected, and frankly, unbelievable. The Nets will take any home win - no one expected these Nets to come back from twenty behind with the coach in the penalty box - and hope to build on this good feeling of a win to get some more under the home roof before the schedule really starts getting complicated. Let's just hope they don't make a habit out of winning this way - if we have to see another 29 point half from these Nets, I think we'll all gag...
- Joe