Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 75 – NBA Blog

Gerald Wallace returns to Nets lineup

The Nets got a much-needed boost when Gerald Wallace finally returned to the lineup in last night’s 99-90 win over the Kings.

Wallace, who finished with four points, a rebound and three assists in 24:30, started and played for the first time since spraining his left ankle in the final minute of the Nets’ season-opening win over the Raptors at Barclays Center on Nov. 3, and made it through the game without incident.

“I’m good,” Wallace said. “I’m ready to go, but whatever he wants me to do, I’m down with it. We’re early in the season, so obviously they want to be cautious with it, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow from this game and go from there.”

Coach Avery Johnson said the plan going into the game was to get Wallace into the game for four six-minute bursts, to try to get him to about 24 minutes, and Johnson was happy with how things went.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Nets beat Rondo-less Celtics, 102-97

Craving a victory over a top team, all the Brooklyn Nets needed was someone to make a couple of big shots.

That’s one of the reasons they traded for Joe Johnson.

Johnson made the tiebreaking basket with 3:03 left, followed with another jumper, and the Nets beat the Boston Celtics 102-97 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.

Johnson finished only 6 of 17 from the field, but he had the two biggest makes of the game in the biggest victory his new team has recorded since acquiring him from Atlanta…

Williams and Brook Lopez each scored 24 points for the Nets, who were blown out by Miami in their lone game against a top opponent this season, their first with a rebuilt team and high expectations in Brooklyn…

Johnson finished with 19 points and eight rebounds for the Nets in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,732 that was divided but certainly loud in the tense, final minutes.

Pierce scored 22 points and Leandro Barbosa had 17 in place of Rondo, who was out with a sprained right ankle. Kevin Garnett added 14 points but Boston had its three-game win streak snapped and lost to the Nets for just the third time in the past 21 meetings.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

InsideHoops.com note: The Nets are still without forward Gerald Wallace.

With Rondo out, Barbosa starts for Celtics in Brooklyn

Rajon Rondo didn’t arrive until an hour until game time in his sweats tonight, and said he was uncertain if he was going to play on his sprained right ankle.

But in these cases the decision goes to Doc Rivers, who in turn defers to trainer Ed Lacerte. From that perspective, the choice was simple – no Rondo.

The point guard, who sprained his ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s win over Utah, was thus placed by Leandro Barbosa in the starting lineup.

— Reported by the Boston Herald (Blog)

Nets finish home-and-home sweep of Magic

The Brooklyn Nets knew it wouldn’t stay this easy, even if five quarters of evidence said otherwise.

The game did get close, and unlike last Monday’s meltdown, this time the Nets handled it.

Brook Lopez scored 20 points, Kris Humphries added 14 points and 21 rebounds, and the Nets beat the Orlando Magic 82-74 on Sunday to complete a home-and-home sweep.

Deron Williams finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a couple key plays down the stretch after what once appeared to be another blowout got tight. The Nets beat the Magic 107-68 at Orlando on Friday and jumped out to an early 20-point lead in this one.

But after losing a 22-point lead at home against Minnesota on Monday, Brooklyn almost coughed up another huge cushion, letting Orlando get within five in the final 2 minutes…

Glen Davis had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who have dropped four in a row after opening with two wins in their first season since trading Dwight Howard.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Mehmet Okur retiring from basketball

Mehmet Okur announced his retirement from basketball at age 33.

The Turkish forward played for nine years in the NBA averaging 13.5ppg and 7rpg in 634 games (460 in the starting five) with the Pistons, Jazz and Nets.

Last season, Okur started with Turk Telekom Ankara, averaging 12ppg and 8.2rpg in the TBL. When the NBA lockout ended he returned to the United States, where he played 17 games with the Nets, scoring 7.6ppg and pulling down 4.8rpg.

Okur decided to retire because of injuries that affected him over the last three seasons of his career.

— Reported by Sportando

Heat beat Nets by 30 in Miami

Dwyane Wade scored 22 points on 10 for 14 shooting, LeBron James finished two assists shy of a triple-double and the Miami Heat improved to 4-0 at home for the first time in franchise history by beating the Brooklyn Nets 103-73 on Wednesday night.

James had 20 points and 12 rebounds in only 30 minutes, and Rashard Lewis scored 13 points for the Heat (4-1). Miami – which plays its next six games on the road – has won its four home games by an average of 17.8 points.

Kris Humphries had a double-double by halftime, then was silent in the second half and finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets (1-2). Deron Williams scored 14 for Brooklyn, which got 12 off the bench from MarShon Brooks.

The Nets had 19 turnovers, which Miami turned into 31 points…

The Nets were without Gerald Wallace, who missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

InsideHoops.com notes: Deron Williams dished just three assists while committing seven turnovers… Keith Bogans, who started at shooting guard for Brooklyn, contributed just three points and two rebounds… Nets swingman Joe Johnson shot just 4-of-14 for nine points and little else… The Heat as a team shot 52 percent from the field.

Kenyon Martin has no NBA contract offers

The NBA season is nearly a week old, and Kenyon Martin doesn’t know why he still can’t find a job in the league. He helped the Los Angeles Clippers during their playoff run last season. His knee issues of the past no longer seem to trouble him. And he’s even willing to take a contract for the league minimum.

So why hasn’t any team called wanting to sign him?

“There is a notion about me that is not accurate at all – I don’t know who started it or where it came from – that people can’t control me,” Martin told Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t understand. Have I had my issues like a lot of other people? Yeah. But I’m getting back that people think they can’t control me, that if I don’t play I’m going to explode, or I can turn a locker room.

“In 12 years there was not one day where I told one guy to dislike anybody. If you ask guys who I’ve played with that know me, they know what it is and know I’m about winning basketball games and competing.”

— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports

Nets beat Raptors in Brooklyn debut

Nets win their first-ever regular season game in Brooklyn

Brooklyn made a winning return to major pro sports on Saturday night, as the Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 107-100 in the first game at Barclays Center.

After a 55-year wait that was extended a couple of extra days by Superstorm Sandy, the borough finally has a team of its own again, and the Nets think it’s going to be a good one.

Brook Lopez scored 27 points and Deron Williams added 19 points and nine assists for the Nets. C.J. Watson finished with 15 points and Joe Johnson had 14.

A sold-out crowd of 17,732 that included entertainers Jay-Z, a part-owner, and wife Beyonce chanted ”Brooklyn! Brooklyn!” a few times during the game and loudly at the end, celebrating the name on the front of the shirt much more than the back.

And with good reason. Brooklyn hasn’t had a team to cheer since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957.

Kyle Lowry had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Raptors, who fell to 0-2. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Deron Williams has bone spurs in ankle

Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King confirmed Thursday that an MRI revealed point guard Deron Williams has bone spurs in his left ankle and probably will have to undergo offseason surgery to have them “cleaned up.”

However, King downplayed the results and expects the injury to be “manageable.”

King said the bone spurs were causing inflammation in the point guard’s ankle. Williams needed a cortisone shot to ease the pain, missed two practices as a result, but expects to be fine during the season.

— Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Postponed Knicks at Nets game rescheduled for November 26

The New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets game that was originally scheduled for tonight has been rescheduled for Monday, November 26 at 7 p.m. ET at Barclays Center, the National Basketball Association announced today.

The game will be televised by TNT.

The original game was scheduled for Thursday, November 1 but was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy.