Harris miracle shot redeems weak game from Yi and Nets

February 23, 11:21 PMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Yi shot over Andre Iguodala, though tonight it was
usually the other way around (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

In an amazing finish, the Nets bailed themselves out of an early hole and some late errors to sink the Philadelphia 76ers, 98-96, ending their five-game losing streak.

New Jersey had to change something up after losing Friday, 107-96, to the Washington Wizards, one of the worst teams in the league.

They looked awful on Friday, and not even a late surge could save them from the twelve-point hole they'd dug for themselves in the first quarter.

Coach Lawrence Frank inserted Yi Jianlian back in the starting lineup, but the Nets didn't get much of a boost from that move. He'd picked up 4 points and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes coming off the bench Friday night, and scored just 7 points with 6 rebounds in 30 minutes tonight.

Devin Harris was the biggest difference, hitting an incredible last-second three-pointer to save both his and New Jersey's late-game blunders. He finished with 39 points and 8 assists, on a night when the Nets' All-Star Vince Carter could only muster 10 points.  

As for Yi, he's been trying to find the groove he was in before his pinky injury, and tonight saw him playing aggressively, but not in control, leading to foul trouble.

He picked up his first foul just 32 seconds into the game, then kept a clean slate for a good stretch, quickly redeeming himself by scoring five straight points soon after that first foul.

But Yi and the first unit couldn't seem to get it going in the first period, and Philadelphia jumped out to a quick 19-9 lead, as Yi missed his next two shots and Carter went 1-4 with three turnovers. The 76ers finished the first quarter with a 31-19 lead.

Frank took quick action, leaving Yi and Carter on the bench in the second quarter, as the Nets came back to take the lead 38-37. Yi returned then, but Carter wouldn't see more time until a few minutes later and the score was tied at 45.

It seemed the Nets, Carter and Yi had new life. They grabbed the lead early in the second half, with Carter scoring right out of the blocks and Harris racking up nine straight.

The game had become physical, however, and Yi responded by picking up three fouls in four minutes, two against Andre Iguodala, a tough matchup for anyone. While Yi can block—he picked up two tonight—he's not yet a defensive threat and can sometimes overcommit to the play, as he did tonight.

The fouls earned him a seat on the New Jersey bench, and even when he did return, with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, he picked up his fifth foul ninety seconds later. He remained in the game, but any player's effectiveness is diminished when he's worried about fouling out.

That left the victory, and the heroics, to Carter and Harris. The 76ers and Nets traded the lead back and forth until the last several minutes, when Philly got the upper hand. Trailing by two with 35 seconds left, Bobby Simmons (packaged with Yi in the Reggie Jefferson trade) hit a three-pointer and drew a foul, but missed the subsequent free throw.

Philly responded with a driving hook shot by Marreese Speights to take a 94-93 lead, but the Nets had the ball and 26 seconds to score. Devin Harris took the inbound pass, drove into the lane—and threw the ball right into the arms of Andre Miller. Harris was clearly crestfallen at having let his team down, apparently losing the game.

Keeyon Dooling quickly fouled Miller, but he could only hit one of two free throws, so the Nets still had a gasp, trailing by two with 19 seconds left. This time, Carter took the ball and drove the lane, but didn't dish, delivering the ball to the hoop with a nice up-and-under finger roll. 

With the game tied, Philly held the ball until 7 seconds remained, when Iguodala drove to the hoop into a pack of Nets, drawing a foul from Harris with 1.9 seconds in the game. Once again, the game seemed over.

But Iguodala, a career 76% free-throw shooter, missed one of two from the line, giving New Jersey a chance.

Harris got the inbound and drove to midcourt before preparing to heave the ball for a desperation shot. Iguodala knocked the ball from his hands, fouling him, but no whistle came, and Harris quickly and miraculously gathered the ball, and got off a shot as time expired.

Swish.

The referees gathered for several minutes to review the tape, to see if he'd actually gotten the shot off in time. From all accounts, the ball left his hands a nanosecond before the clock ran out.

The shot was good, and the Nets won.

Thank goodness for Harris in so many ways—only he, Carter, and Dooling managed to score in double digits, while Philly had six players who did so, including their entire starting five. Though he seemed to give the game away, Harris redeemed himself and New Jersey's playoff hopes.

As for Yi, the good news is that Ryan Anderson, who started in his place during his injury, didn't do much better. He did score nine, with four rebounds, as well as three personal fouls. Though he shows more athleticism, Anderson doesn't shoot as well as Yi from the perimeter and is only a rookie. The Nets just aren't as versatile with Anderson in the lineup, at least for now.

In Milwaukee, Yi was being constantly pushed by Charlie Villanueva, someone who's played much better than Yi this season. But with the Nets, Yi has done better without that pressure. What he must do now is find the game he had before his broken pinkie, or else he might find himself on the bench once again.

New Jersey's heading into a tough stretch ahead, with games against Chicago, New Orleans and Boston in the next week. Let's hope that Yi figures things out quickly.