The New York Post (Fred Kerber) reports: Now, next season unofficially starts for the Nets. Their 2007-08 playoff dreams are finished. They have been eliminated. That is official. The Nets were living on borrowed time with little hope. They had to win their final four games while hoping eighth-place Atlanta went 0-4 to even smell a chance. The Nets went 0-for-2 last night. “After having six years of tasting the post-season, to not be able to play in the post-season is extremely disappointing. We apologize to our fans, to our management, to our ownership that we didn’t fulfill our responsibility,” said coach Lawrence Frank. “We feel like we’ve let a lot of people down. This won’t ever happen again.”
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Apr. 11: Raptors 113, Nets 85
The AP reports: After New Jersey was eliminated from playoff contention, Nets coach Lawrence Frank was apologetic for the Nets’ poor play. Carlos Delfino scored 24 points, Chris Bosh had 21 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Nets 113-85 victory Friday night… Vince Carter had 21 points and Devin Harris added 19 for the Nets, who last missed the playoffs in 2001 season… T.J. Ford and Andrea Bargnani each scored 14 as the Raptors rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter to beat the Nets for the third time in four games this season… Toronto’s Jose Calderon finished with 11 points and 10 assists.
Nets need a true No. 1 option
The Bergen Record (Al Iannazzone) writes the following on his blog: The Nets will never admit this, but this is my feeling, you’re not going to win when Richard Jefferson is your No. 1 option. He’s not even one of the top five small forwards in the East. I rank in no order Paul Pierce, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Hedo Turkoglu and Caron Butler ahead of Jefferson, and I may be missing someone. Carter’s contract and his ability to carry a team make him valuable to the Nets, so I expect him back. They’re not going to trade Harris, the point guard they acquired for Jason Kidd, unless somehow the Nets wind up in the top three in the draft and have the opportunity to take a Derrick Rose. What they probably will do, however, is look to move backup Marcus Williams, instead.
Apr. 9: Cavs 104, Nets 83
The AP reports: So much for LeBron James’ aching back. After missing two days of practice because of back spasms, James scored 33 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat the New Jersey Nets, 104-83, Wednesday night… He was 11-of-21 from the field, made 10-of-13 from the line, grabbed seven rebounds and had eight assists… Zydrunas Ilgauskas 13 for the Cavaliers. Daniel Gibson and Delonte West scored 12 apiece. Carter scored 19 points and Richard Jefferson added 15 to lead New Jersey, which won the first three meetings this season against Cleveland.
Apr. 5: Nets 99, Raptors 90
The AP reports: A day after the ankle prevented him from playing against Detroit, Vince Carter returned to the lineup and scored 32 points to lead the Nets to a 99-90 victory over the struggling Toronto Raptors on Saturday night… Richard Jefferson added 28 points and Devin Harris had 12 points and seven assists as the Nets won for only the fourth time in 11 games… Rasho Nesterovic had 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the playoff-bound Raptors, who lost their third straight and 11th in 15 games. Chris Bosh added 18 points for Toronto, which had all five starters score in double figures. The bench contributed 13 points on 6-of-22 shooting… Carter, who also added seven rebounds and five assists, then took over.
Apr. 4: Pistons 106, Nets 87
The AP reports: A game after winning while resting three starters, the Pistons didn’t need much from the top five in an easy 106-87 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Friday night. Richard Hamilton sat out with a sore hip and had plenty of company on the Detroit bench. Antonio McDyess only played 25 minutes, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace played 24 apiece, and Chauncey Billups was only on the floor for 22… Detroit got 45 points from its reserves, led by 14 from rookie Rodney Stuckey… The other positive for the Pistons was Antonio McDyess’s game-high 19 points… New Jersey, which was missing Vince Carter (ankle), trails Atlanta by four games with six games left in the race for the East’s last playoff spot.
Apr. 1: Sixers 108, Nets 97
The AP reports: Lou Williams hit three consecutive baskets in the final 3:47, and the surprising 76ers posted their 20th win in 27 games with a 108-99 victory over the fading New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night… Andre Miller had 24 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, while Andre Iguodala added 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Samuel Dalembert added 15 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks and finished off a 9-2 spurt that Williams ignited with seven straight points… “We have to think we have an opportunity regardless of how many games we have left to play,” said Vince Carter, who led the Nets with 29 points… Devin Harris added 22 points for New Jersey and Richard Jefferson had 14, but just one in the second half.
Mar. 29: Suns 110, Nets 104
The AP reports: Amare Stoudemire had 33 points and 15 rebounds and O’Neal stunned everyone, hitting 7 of 10 from the free-throw line in a 110-104 win over the New Jersey Nets that put the Suns into a first-place tie with Los Angeles Lakers with nine games left in the regular season. “This was very important,” said Stoudemire, who was 12 of 15 from the field… The Suns had a lot of big efforts from a lot of players on a night that Steve Nash struggled playing with a shoulder spasm. The All-Star point guard finished with 10 points and 11 assists. He was only 2 of 9 from the field, but both 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter… Leandro Barbosa added 21 points and Shaquille O’Neal had 17 points and seven rebounds as the Suns won their second game in two nights and their ninth in 11 games… Vince Carter had 30 points to lead the Nets, who lost for the second straight night to fall two games behind Atlanta in the race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
Mar. 28: Pacers 123, Nets 115
The AP reports: Troy Murphy sat out Wednesday with strep throat, but he recovered and had 21 points and 17 rebounds in a 123-115 win over the Nets Friday. The Pacers halted a two-game losing skid to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff picture… “He’s just been great for us,” Danny Granger, who led the Pacers with 26 points against the Nets, said… Mike Dunleavy scored 19 points and Marquis Daniels added 14 for the Pacers, who have won five of seven. Vince Carter scored 33 points, Devin Harris scored a career-high 27 and Josh Boone had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Nets, who left the game disappointed.
Mar. 26: Nets 124, Pacers 117
The AP reports: Devin Harris had 22 points and a career-best 15 assists and the Nets kept pace with Atlanta for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with a 124-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night… “We definitely do need to play better defense,” said Josh Boone, who added a career-high 26 points… Besides Harris and Boone, the Nets got big performances from Vince Carter (22 points, season-high 14 rebounds) and Richard Jefferson (20 points) in the game that featured 27 3-pointers and seemingly as many uncontested layups. Mike Dunleavy had 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds to lead the Pacers, while Danny Granger added 19 points before fouling out… Bostjan Nachbar, who added 18 points off the bench, hit two more 3-pointers in the run that ended with Marcus Williams banking in a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 98-88 lead.