Welcome back, Kris!
Every time Nets forward Kris Humphries touched the ball during the 5:40 he played during the second quarter of last night’s 88-82 loss to the Knicks at the Garden, he was serenaded with a tidal wave of deafening boos — a reaction normally reserved only for an opposing superstar.
Instead, they were directed at Humphries, who became a gossip-page staple over the course of the past several months because of his marriage — and subsequent divorce 72 days later — to reality television star Kim Kardashian.
“I was so focused on the game, I couldn’t hear that,” Humphries said with a smile afterward.
Though Humphries, who finished with an assist and a steal and missed his only shot, didn’t play in the second half, that didn’t stop the Garden faithful from taking an interest in him again.
The crowd implored Nets coach Avery Johnson to put Humphries into the game several times during the fourth quarter, but weren’t rewarded for their efforts.
“I’ve never heard an opposing player be cheered to be put in the game,” said Deron Williams, who finished with a team-high 21 points.
“That was a nice gesture on their part.”
Despite the histrionics surrounding his season debut, it was a successful one for Humphries, because he got a chance to get re-acclimated to his teammates again.
“He’s fine,” Johnson said. “I told him I was going to think about using him for five minutes, picked the right spot, and, again, we just wanted to get him out there.
“He hasn’t played 5-on-5 basketball in quite a while, so I just wanted to get him out there a little bit to give him a taste of it.”
It’s only a matter of time before Humphries, who finished last season as one of just six players to average a double-double, returns to the starting lineup at power forward next to Brook Lopez. But with four days remaining until the regular-season opener, the question now is whether Humphries will be able to get into game shape fast enough to assume that role by the time the Nets take the court Monday in Washington.
“I felt all right,” Humphries said. “I hadn’t played 5-on-5 in a while, and hadn’t really practiced, so I was just out there getting up and down a little bit.
“I should be fine.”
Despite the fact Humphries had a career year last season, Johnson said he still thinks he is capable of scaling new heights this season.
“I told him I’m going to push him,” Johnson said before the game. “I’ve got another level where I want him to go. What he did last year? It was a pretty good start. But I told him I’m going to push him a little bit more this year.”
Getting Humphries back fills a huge void for the Nets, who had been playing Shelden Williams out of position at power forward because of a lack of other options.
“He doesn’t need the ball to be effective,” Deron Williams said before the game. “He goes out and gets rebounds. He’s aggressive, a good defender, a good help-side defender. .¤.¤. He’s the kind of guy you need.
“He’s a high energy guy, and he’ll help us win in many ways.”