TORONTO — When the Nets shipped several draft picks and dramatically expanded their payroll to bring Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn last summer, they were supposed to provide the Nets with the kind of know-how necessary to deliver them to victories in close playoff games.
But as the Nets mounted their massive comeback in the fourth quarter of Game 5 against the Raptors Wednesday night — going on a 32-10 run to begin the final quarter to tie the game before losing 115-113 to fall behind 3-2 in the series — Pierce and Garnett were spectators for the entire 12 minutes.
"It is what it is," Garnett said after finishing with four points and two rebounds in 11:40. "I thought that group in there was going. I think it's the best team and best group to play, and they had the momentum."
To Garnett's point, the Nets went with the same five players — Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Alan Anderson, Mirza Teletovic and Andray Blatche — from the start of the fourth until Nets coach Jason Kidd made a couple of late defensive substitutions in the final 10 seconds.
"I thought the guys on the floor were fighting," Kidd said. "They got us back in the game. I asked were they were tired and those guys weren't tired, so they wanted to continue to keep playing.
"So it was more of a rhythm [thing], and also guys were knocking down shots. … When you have guys playing the way they did and fighting, you've got to leave those guys out there."
Like Garnett, Pierce supported the decision.
"I wasn't really thinking about it," he said. "I was on the sidelines cheering on my teammates. They did a really good job getting us back in the game and giving ourselves a chance. That was the unit that was out there. They deserved to be out there to give us a shot at winning it. While we are on the sideline, we have full confidence in them."
The Nets, like everyone else around the NBA, were thrilled by the way commissioner Adam Silver quickly and definitively dealt with the controversy surrounding Clippers owner Donald Sterling Tuesday.
Silver banned Sterling from the league for life and also said he will advise the league's Board of Governors to vote for him to be forced to sell the franchise as soon as possible.
"I was happy, honestly," said Shaun Livingston, the lone former Clipper on the roster. "I think it was a step forward for the league. I think it was progression in making this a better league."
Livingston, who scored nine points and had four assists Wednesday, said he was a bit surprised by how severe the punishment against Sterling was.
"I was surprised a little bit, just to see it," he said. "To see him actually make that stance, and I was very impressed with how firm he came out on kind of his first swing. This was his first real test, and that will set the tone for him moving forward."
Livingston's stance was echoed by the rest of his teammates.
"He's definitely setting the tone for [dealing with] ignorance, and that is what it was," Garnett said. "I thought [Silver] came out very aggressive, and I think you obviously needed to make a statement, and I think he did."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Nets’ Kidd benches Pierce, Garnett in fourth quarter
Dengan url
http://makananrasaenak.blogspot.com/2014/05/netsa-kidd-benches-pierce-garnett-in.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Nets’ Kidd benches Pierce, Garnett in fourth quarter
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Nets’ Kidd benches Pierce, Garnett in fourth quarter
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar