Yankees
Nets
PHILADELPHIA – This could have been the play-in game for the NCAA Tournament or an early NIT game minus the fanfare and, well, fans. But that should have been expected for two teams a combined 74 games under .500.
It wound up being like a 2-15 or 3-14 matchup because the Nets never were really in this game after the first quarter and there was no reason for that.
Both teams are terrible. But the Nets were that much worse, falling 108-97 in a game that showed the record for worst season ever is in jeopardy.
The Sixers are not a good team, at all, and they were without Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights. Yet they blew out the Nets, leading by as many as 22.
The Nets didn’t have Devin Harris or Yi Jianlian, but that’s no excuse. Just like Tuesday night against the Hawks, the Nets didn’t have any energy or fight. It could be any number of reasons:
Maybe they miss Harris, who has been playing well lately. Still, other players have to lift their games.
Maybe they’re low on gas because of the heavy minutes they’re logging and how much energy they’re expending to try and come back from all these big deficits.
Chris Douglas-Roberts had the most bounce in his step, as he looked more like the player he was earlier this season, scoring 23 points off the bench.
Some of it was probably because he wanted to make the most of his opportunity and show he deserves to play. Part of it also could be he had fresh legs from not playing as much lately.
Maybe the Nets are pressing because the record is on their mind. The last few games they have looked like the team that had little fight earlier in the season when they were approaching the mark for most consecutive losses to start a season.
Maybe they just can’t turn it on the way some of us are expecting them to, believing them when they say they don’t want to be the worst team in NBA history.
Maybe these are excuses, but some of them could be valid, especially the last two. The record is on their minds, though. It’s being talked about more, and gaining more momentum.
The Nets have 14 games left and need to win three games to avoid the record of 9-73, set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. This was a game I had penciled in a while back, but four losses this season to the Sixers, three to the Wizards and two to Minnesota are just some of the reasons the Nets are in this situation.
Now the next five games – four of them at home – become huge.
The Nets play the Raptors on Saturday, Heat on Monday, Kings on Wednesday, Pistons on Friday and are at Chicago Saturday. They have to get at least one if not two and Harris back is going to help.
“I want to make sure we stay competitive,” interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe said. “We’ve been so competitive over the past three or four weeks and that's where you've been able to stay in ball games. But you have to keep being competitive, keep the pressure on them.”
Harris was a big part of that, desire also was a big part. But neither was in the building for the Nets the last two nights.
The Nets should get Harris back, but it’s more important they get their desire back or else that dreaded record will be theirs. Even with desire, it may not be safe.
Al Iannazzone covers the Nets for The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)
