The next coach of the Nets won’t be Doc Rivers.

ESPNBoston.com reported Thursday night that the Nets reached out to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge about potentially sitting down with Rivers to discuss the team’s head coaching opening, but that Ainge refused to grant them permission.

That Ainge would deny the Nets a chance to sit down with Rivers isn’t at all surprising, given that he still has three years and over $20 million remaining on the extension he signed with Boston back in 2011 – one that made him one of the game’s highest-paid coaches – and is widely to be considered among the league’s best coaches.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Blog)

The world’s biggest stage may have to move in 15 years.

The city opted to renew Madison Square Garden’s lease for a mere 15 years Wednesday, signaling that the iconic arena is not a permanent fixture in midtown Manhattan.

“The best possible outcome would be a relocated Madison Square Garden,” said city Planning Commission chairwoman Amanda Burden.

The commissioners then voted unanimously to approve the 15-year permit.

The owner of the 45-year-old arena, James Dolan, had been seeking a renewal “in perpetuity” while he carried out $1 billion in renovations that upgraded seats, luxury suites and more.

“We are extremely disappointed in today’s vote, especially because MSG meets all of the requirements for the permit,” the Garden said in a statement.

Reported by Stephen Rex Brown and Jennifer Fermino of the New York Daily News

When Blatche was amnestied by the Wizards last summer, some wondered if he would ever get another NBA job again after his tumultuous tenure in the nation’s capital, including sitting out most of last season, first with a calf injury and then because Washington simply didn’t want him around any longer.

But after going to work out with John Lucas in Houston over the summer, Blatche met with then-coach Avery Johnson, who was convinced to give Blatche a chance with the Nets, basically guaranteeing him a roster spot.

No one could have known it at the time, but it turned out to be a master stroke for the Nets, as Blatche wound up becoming one of the team’s key contributors this season. He was the only player to suit up and play in all 82 games, and teamed with Brook Lopez to form one of the NBA’s best 1-2 punches at the center spot, and easily its best from an offensive standpoint.

When given the opportunity, Blatche also was effective at times playing alongside Lopez, including in the playoffs against the Bulls.

The season wasn’t without its speed bumps for Blatche, however. He seemed to tail off a bit at times after the decision was made to fire Johnson, the man who had brought him to Brooklyn and placed him on a strict workout regimen to help keep him on the straight and narrow.

– Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Backup center Andray Blatche, now an unrestricted free agent, would like to stay with the Brooklyn Nets.

“That’s the plan. I’m not sure yet right now,” Blatche said Sunday. “I can’t tell you 100 percent yet. But that’s the plan for me.”

Blatche, 26, whom the Washington Wizards exercised their amnesty rights on his contract after seven tumultuous seasons there, was given a second chance by the Nets, who signed him to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for the league minimum.

He made the most of it, averaging 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during the regular season on 51.2 percent shooting.

Because they don’t have his Bird rights, the Nets can’t offer Blatche that much money: either 120 percent of the veteran’s minimum or the taxpayer’s mini mid-level exception.

But what they have going for them is Blatche is still owed $16 million by the Wizards over the next two seasons.

– Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

The Brooklyn Nets will not offer a new contract to interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.  A search for a new head coach will commence immediately.

One obvious candidate for the Nets is Phil Jackson, who may be willing to consider a return to coaching in the league.

“The Brooklyn Nets organization would like to thank P.J. for his efforts with the team in his roles as both head coach and assistant, and for his contributions to the team’s success both on and off the court.  We wish P.J. and his family only the best in the years to come.”

Carlesimo was named interim head coach of the Brooklyn Nets on December 27, 2012 and led the Nets to a 35-19 record in the final 54 games of the season.  Under Carlesimo, the Nets reached the postseason for the first time since 2007, losing to Chicago (4-3) in the first round. Including his previous stops as a head coach in Portland, Golden State and Seattle/OKC, Carlesimo has a lifetime NBA coaching record of 239-315 in the regular season and 6-13 in the playoffs.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng remained in a Chicago-area hospital Saturday morning and will miss Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets while guard Kirk Hinrich is a game-time decision with a bruised calf.

Deng tweeted on Thursday that he was taken to the emergency room on Wednesday and his symptoms indicated he might have meningitis, requiring him to undergo a spinal tap.

“As a result of the spinal tap I suffered the worst headache I’ve ever experienced and been the weakest I’ve ever felt,” Deng tweeted. “Yesterday I was unable to walk or even get out of bed. I made it to the UC and was sent home. (Friday) morning my symptoms worsened.”

He added that he was “the weakest I’ve ever felt” from a viral flu that forced him to miss a Game 6 loss and said symptoms worsened Friday morning, leading to a trip to the emergency room.

– Reported by ESPN Chicago

Andray Blatche nodded his head, then pumped his left fist as he strolled toward the locker room and heard applause from Nets management.

The eighth-year pro never experienced a moment like this, not after spending his first seven seasons with the lowly Wizards. He had been to the playoffs before but never factored in an outcome as much as he did Thursday night.

As raucous Bulls fans tried every method possible to distract him, Blatche calmly stepped to the free-throw line with 19.2 seconds left in regulation. A 68.5 percent free-throw shooter during the regular season, Blatche looked flawless as he made both shots.

“Those were the biggest free throws I’ve ever shot in my career,” Blatche said. “It was beyond loud. Even C.J. (Watson) said his ears started ringing.

“Those free throws meant a lot to us. I just focused and stuck to my routine. I didn’t let it bother me. I just shot the ball like I would any other time.”

– Reported by Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune

Flourishing instead of fading in the fourth quarter, the Brooklyn Nets extended their first season in Brooklyn.

They need one more victory to set up the biggest game here yet.

Brook Lopez had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Deron Williams added 23 points and 10 assists, and the Nets beat Chicago 110-91 on Monday night, cutting the Bulls’ lead to 3-2 in their first-round playoff series.

Recovering from a collapse two days earlier that sent them home on the brink of elimination instead of tied, the Nets battered the Bulls on the boards and forced Chicago into being the team that wilted down the stretch.

”We came out very aggressive, as we have the past few games. I think the difference was just we sustained it for essentially a full 48 minutes tonight,” Lopez said.

Andray Blatche scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and Gerald Wallace had consecutive baskets in the finishing surge as the Nets finally pulled away in a game they led most of the way, but never by too much.

Two days after rallying for a 142-134 triple-overtime victory, the Bulls were outscored 15-1 at the finish and failed to set up a second-round series with Miami. Instead they will host Game 6 on Thursday…

Nate Robinson had 20 points and eight assists starting in place of point guard Kirk Hinrich, who bruised his left calf in Saturday’s game…

Butler scored 18 points for the Bulls, who were outrebounded 44-33 and gave up 24 second-chance points…

Wallace scored 12 points and Reggie Evans grabbed 12 rebounds as the Nets improved to 6-0 all-time in Game 5s at home. They have never lost a series when holding home-court advantage.

– Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

The Bulls will be without point guard Kirk Hinrich on Monday night against Brooklyn because of a bruised left calf. His absence might give Game 4 star Nate Robinson a chance to start in the potential clincher for Chicago.

Hinrich was hurt during Saturday’s 142-134 triple-overtime victory, playing through the injury to finish with 18 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists in 60 minutes.

But he was wearing a walking boot Monday, walking with a noticeable limp.

– Reported by the Associated Press 

Brooklyn Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo thinks Joe Johnson’s critics have no idea what they’re talking about.

Responding to a question during a Sunday conference call about how critics think Johnson is too reliant on isolation plays, settles for too many jumpers and isn’t worthy of his max contract, Carlesimo replied, “It’s hard to be polite and answer the question. ‘Critic’ is such an ambiguous term. I would call them uniformed or basketball unintelligent. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. It would be hard for me to think that there was an intelligent basketball person making a statement like that about Joe Johnson.”

– Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Deron Williams sat in a quiet Nets locker room with his feet in an ice bucket, staring out at nothing. It was as if he were replaying in his mind the nightmare he had just witnessed.

Coming to grips with how the Nets managed to turn what seemed a certain victory into a demoralizing defeat won’t be easy. Their horror show at the United Center yesterday will play like a scary movie with the same ending, a 142-134 triple-overtime loss to the Bulls and a 3-1 deficit in their best-of-seven series.

Interim coach P.J. Carlesimo called it “a killer.” Joe Johnson used the word “heart-breaker.” Williams said it simply was “frustrating.”

Truth is it shouldn’t have been that surprising. The Nets have been a streaky team throughout these playoffs and for much of the regular season. They can go from hot to cold within one quarter, much less within a game.

– Reported by George Willis of the New York Post

The Brooklyn Nets have signed General Manager Billy King to a contract extension, it was announced today by Principal Owner Mikhail Prokhorov. Details will be added to this page later today.

“Billy has been a great asset to the Nets organization over the last three years”, Mr. Prokhorov said on behalf of the entire Nets organization.  “He has shown he is not afraid to be bold and take risks, and, as a result, we have a playoff team with a world of potential. We are glad we will have the opportunity to continue our work together and realize that potential.”

“I am anxious to continue working hard for Mikhail Prokhorov and the Brooklyn Nets”, said King.

King, who was named general manager of the Nets on July 14, 2010, presided over a team that posted a 49-33 record in the franchise’s inaugural season in Brooklyn, matching the second best record in Nets’ history, while making their first postseason appearance in six seasons.

In his three seasons as general manager, King overhauled the Nets roster, first by making a mid-season blockbuster trade for Deron Williams in 2011, and then by completing his All-Star backcourt with the July 2012 acquisition of six-time All-Star Joe Johnson. Adding Gerald Wallace via a trade in March 2012, King then spearheaded the re-signings of Williams, Wallace and All-Star center Brook Lopez this past summer.

King joined the Nets after spending 10 years with the Philadelphia 76ers organization, serving as the team’s president from 2003-2007.  King joined the 76ers in June, 1997 as vice president of basketball administration, a role in which he served as the point person for basketball operations. Less than a year later, he was promoted to general manager, a position he held until being promoted to team president following the 2002-03 season.

During his 10-year tenure, King guided the team to five consecutive playoff appearances (1999-2003), including the 2000-01 season in which the Sixers captured the Atlantic Division title on the heels of a 56-26 season. The Sixers went on to win their first Eastern Conference Championship since 1983, advancing to the 2001 NBA Finals.

Before joining the 76ers, King served as an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers for four seasons under Larry Brown.  He joined the professional ranks after spending four seasons as an assistant at Illinois State University under Head Coach Bob Bender. King also spent one year as a color analyst for ESPN’s basketball coverage of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Holding several roles within the USA Basketball program throughout his career, King has served as a member of USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Program Advisory Panel, on USA Basketball’s Board of Directors, as treasurer of USA Basketball and as an athlete representative on the 1997-2000 executive committee. King also served on the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Committees for the 1997-2000 and 2001-04 terms.

Every play near the basket looked like a traffic accident. There were long scoreless stretches. Shooting from outside was a dicey proposition.

It was ugly for everyone but the Chicago Bulls. This was their type of game.

Carlos Boozer had 22 points and 16 rebounds, Luol Deng added 21 points and 10 boards, and the Bulls held off the Brooklyn Nets 79-76 in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Thursday night.

”We did what we had to do to win the game,” Boozer said. ”In the playoffs you have to win different ways. Nothing is perfect.”

Chicago had no field goals and two foul shots over the final 5:46 of its second straight win in the series. It will try for a 3-1 lead when the banged-up teams return to the court Saturday afternoon in a quick turnaround.

Brooklyn shot 35 percent for the second straight game. Brook Lopez had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots, and Deron Williams finished with 18 points on 5-for-14 shooting…

Joe Johnson got a cortisone shot for his ailing left foot and finished 15 points for Brooklyn, while Noah’s foul shot was his only point of the game while dealing with his own painful right foot injury. Noah also had eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks…

Brooklyn went 5 for 21 from 3-point range and is 15 for 56 from beyond the arc for the series.

– Reported by Jay Cohen of the Associated Press

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson did not practice Wednesday because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot and will be listed as a game-time decision for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

Johnson missed 10 games during the regular season because of injury — four of them the result of a sore left heel.

– Reported by ESPN New York

Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson doesn’t hide his dislike for the Brooklyn Nets’ C.J. Watson. In fact, Robinson views it as a positive.

“We’re just competitors,” Robinson said Monday after helping the Bulls even their Eastern Conference quarterfinals at a game apiece. “I don’t like him, he don’t like me. That’s how it’s going to be. There’s animosity between the two of us, and for us, that’s good.”

The cause of the animosity isn’t certain. Robinson essentially filled Watson’s role on the Bulls, who waived Watson last offseason and then signed Robinson to a non-guaranteed contract.

– Reported by ESPN Chicago

After couple years of having his fitness criticized while playing with the Wizards – and logging an infamous DNP-Conditioning last season – Andray Blatche was lauded for getting himself into shape during the summer before signing his one-year deal with the Nets.

But the backup center was called out Monday by coach PJ Carlesimo for his conditioning, following a game when Blatche played 37 minutes and looked winded.

“Dray was the only one I felt bad about (playing a lot of minutes). And frankly, he needs conditioning,” Carlesimo said “So I thought it was okay. He needs some conditioning and he obviously wants to play against (the Wizards) because he played there. … We thought Dray was going good and the conditioning is good for him.”

– Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

Deron Williams crumpled up his stat sheet and threw it away in disgust. A loss to the lottery-bound Toronto Raptors meant his Brooklyn Nets had lost their chance at earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points, Rudy Gay had 26 points and 10 rebounds and the Raptors won their third straight game, never trailing in a 93-87 victory over the Nets on Sunday.

Brooklyn is still going to the playoffs, but could have closed to within one game of Indiana after the Pacers lost 90-80 to the New York Knicks…

Brooklyn can still tie Indiana, but the Pacers would win the tiebreaker because they’re guaranteed to win the Central Division. Brooklyn is assured of second place in the Atlantic…

Amir Johnson had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who hadn’t won three straight since a five-game winning streak from Feb. 8 to 19…

Williams scored 30 points, Brook Lopez had 16 and Andray Blatche 15 for the Nets, whose four-game winning streak was snapped…

Former Raptor Reggie Evans had 16 rebounds for the Nets but didn’t take a single shot. … Keith Bogans started for Brooklyn in place of F Gerald Wallace, who missed his second straight game with a sore left heel.

– Reported by Ian Harrison of the Associated Press

Kris Joseph has made a positive impression on the Brooklyn Nets, and the team has signed the forward for the remainder of the 2012-13 season, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Joseph (6-7/215), who signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn on April 2, has appeared in three games for the Nets, averaging 3.3 minutes per game.  Joseph was Brooklyn’s second NBA D-League Call-Up of the season, joining the Nets from the Springfield Armor.

Acquired from Maine on February 11, 2013, Joseph started 15 games for the Armor, averaging 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.1 minutes per game. In 27 combined games for Springfield and Maine this season, Joseph averaged 18.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.0 minutes per game.

The Syracuse University product was selected in the second round (51st overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. In six games for the Celtics this season, Joseph averaged 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds in 3.8 minutes per game.

The Nets have a 46-32 record, good for 4th in the Eastern conference

The NBA regular season ends Wednesday, April 17.

At several points during the Nets’ 105-96 win over the Bobcats on Saturday, the ball found its way into the hands of an open Gerald Wallace.

But, outside of getting fouled on an attempted layup after Deron Williams found him wide open under the basket, Wallace didn’t attempt a single shot.

Wallace confirmed afterwards what seemed to be the case to anyone who had watched the game: that six weeks of struggles since the All-Star break in mid-February have sapped the veteran’s confidence in his shooting stroke.

“My confidence is totally gone,” Wallace told The Post Saturday. “I’m just at the point now … I’m in a situation where I feel like if I miss, I’m going to get pulled out of the game, you know what I’m saying? So my whole concept is just that you can’t come out of the game if you’re not missing shots.

“I think I lost the confidence of the coaching staff and my teammates. So my main thing is those guys can score, so instead of thinking about it so much, just trying to focus on defense, try to move the ball and get those guys shots.”

– Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Brooklyn Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo remains concerned about Joe Johnson’s health.

“If he can get healthy and do it in a timely manner, that’s fine,” Carlesimo said after Johnson had 15 points in 32 minutes in the Nets’ 105-96 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night at Barclays Center. “We need Joe Johnson.”

Since returning from heel and quad injuries that caused him to miss five games, Johnson is 9-for-27 from the field.

“I’m all right,” Johnson said. “Maybe a little limited to some of the things I can do out there on the court, but the coaches and guys are telling me just my presence out there makes a difference, so I’m just giving it all I’ve got.”

– Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York