The New Jersey Nets failed to score 80 points for the second straight game, but they still had a shot to take the Philadelphia 76ers into overtime.
Unfortunately for the Nets, the game against the 76ers ended like 41 others this season. Trailing, 80-77, with 22 seconds remaining, New Jersey hurriedly exchanged the ball around the three-point arc before Jarvis Hayes finally forced an attempt at the basket. The shot didn't fall, but the Nets did, 83-79.
With the Sixers leading, 80-74, with 23 seconds left to play, Yi Jianlian flushed a straightaway three-pointer to pull the Nets within three. After a foul sent Philadelphia to the free-throw line, Elton Brand subsequently clanked a pair, allowing the Nets an opportunity for overtime.
Nets' interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe diagrammed a play that he described as "a little tricky" and something that his players were not accustomed to in a half-court set.
Vandeweghe's play focused on the Nets running a series of flares designed to get an open look for a three-pointer. Hayes said the play wasn't hard to understand, but he admitted it was difficult to run in that situation.
"I wouldn't say it was confusing, it was just a little difficult to run at that time," Hayes said. "That's more of a full-court play, and we tried to execute it in the half-court. They switched out on it and just bogged down on everything."
After struggling to find an open shot, Hayes forced a three-pointer that never stood a chance.
"I did [get a good look on the shot], but they defended it pretty well," Hayes said. "The chances of that shot going in are slim to none anyway, but I had to take it."
Sixers' guard Willie Green sank two free-throws to extend Philadelphia's lead to 76-69 with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter. Hayes scored five straight points before Andre Iguodala drained a long jumper to push the lead to four with 1:31 left.
The Nets missed consecutive three-pointers that would have pulled New Jersey within one.
Hayes credited Philadelphia for executing down the stretch when the Nets failed to.
"They played better down the stretch," Hayes said. "They made plays and we didn't. They got the key stop, rebound at the time...and we lost another close one."
Both teams struggled to score and shot the ball below 40 percent. Hayes contributed a season-high 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds. Hayes and Nets' center Brook Lopez combined to score a game-high 18 points. Yi added 15 points while Keyon Dooling scored 13 in place of injured-starter Devin Harris.
The Nets led, 48-46, at halftime but managed just 12 points in the third quarter. Philadelphia guard Lou Williams made a long jumper to give the Sixers a 58-56 lead with 6:43 left in the third quarter. They led the rest of the way.
Williams' jumper came in the midst of a 12-2 run that extended Philadelphia's lead to 66-58.
Philadelphia closed the first half on a 9-2 run, and Iguodala said the Sixers wanted to use that momentum to take control of the game.
"I think the third quarter we came out and established ourselves," Iguodala said. "[We] kind of put the game in a place where we needed to be to just finish them off in the fourth."
New Jersey led by as many 10 points in the first half when Hayes buried a three-pointer to give the Nets a 34-24 lead with 10:03 lead left in the second quarter.
The Nets have lost three game this season to the 76ers by a combined 10 points. Iguodala expected another close matchup.
"I knew it would be a grind," said Iguodala, who scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds. "They always play us tough. They've been struggling this year and they've [kept their games] close against us. [They] probably thought they had some type of confidence that they could get this game, so we had to get it."
Although the Nets accomplished the rare feat of outrebounding their opponent, 50-47 tonight, the Sixers outscored the Nets, 25-2, on fastbreak points. New Jersey turned the ball over 17 times.
The Nets shot 39.5 percent from the field and received limited contributions from Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts. Lee went 2-of-8 from the field and scored four points, while Douglas-Roberts made his only shot attempt, a three-pointer, in 14 minutes.
Despite struggling offensively, the Nets continued to improve defensively. New Jersey has yielded 83.7 ppg on this homestand after allowing 112.8 ppg on its West coast trip.
Williams impresses Iguodala
Terrence Williams has received a marked increase in playing time since the Nets returned from their West coast trip.
Williams logged 27 minutes, the most of any Net coming off the bench. The guard scored six points, dished out three assists, and grabbed 11 rebounds.
His versatility caught the eye of Sixers' star swingman Andre Iguodala. Iguodala and Williams play a similar all-around game and the shooting guard noticed William's potential.
"He's a young, athletic guy who has a good sense of the game of basketball," Iguodala said. "He's not just athletic. He can pass the ball, he can handle it, and he can read the floor.
"When you have all those intangibles, I think that's the formula for a great player in this league."
Comments