Here are three thoughts on the Nets’ 101-97 win over the Raptors in Brooklyn Monday night:
1. For the second straight Monday, the Nets had an emotional rematch with an opponent that had beaten them twice this season. And, for the second straight Monday, Paul Pierce served as the Nets’ emotional leader and helped spur them to a big victory.
It wasn’t even clear if Pierce would play. He left Sunday’s win over the Kings after 73 seconds after suffering another stinger in his shoulder, this time while defending the much bigger Jason Thompson in the post. But he arrived at Barclays Center on Monday, informed Nets coach Jason Kidd he was going to play, and then went out and was the inspiration for the win.
Pierce finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four steals, and hit the biggest shot of the game, a 3-pointer with Kyle Lowry right in his face that put the Nets ahead for good with 1:14 remaining, and did a very nice job of battling Raptors power forward Amir Johnson down low.
The Nets brought in Pierce and Kevin Garnett to give them a backbone they lacked last season when they lost to the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. And over the last eight days, Pierce – first against the Bulls and then against the Raptors – has done exactly that.
2. Deron Williams was also excellent, finishing with 18 points and five assists. Williams hasn’t put up overwhelming numbers since the All-Star Game like he did last season – he’s averaging 17.2 points and 5.5 assists in 11 games since the break – but he’s done an excellent job of running the show.
It was clear Monday there was no love lost between Williams and Lowry, the dynamic Raptors point guard who seems to get into it with every opponent he goes up against. The two of them went back-and-forth the entire game.
With Williams playing like this, the Nets head into the final quarter of the season as a team no one in the East really wants to see come playoff time – a stunning transformation from when this team was 10-21 just a couple of months ago.
3. The one down note from a very positive night: the latest setback for Kevin Garnett with his back spasms. After Garnett sat out of five straight games, Kidd announced Garnett would return to the starting lineup without restrictions. Then, just moments before the opening tip, the Nets announced Garnett would be scratched, and he was later seen gingerly walking to his car to leave the arena.
The Nets have done well without Garnett, going 5-1 against a fairly difficult schedule – including home wins over the Bulls, Grizzlies and Raptors – and playing better defense than expected. But if the Nets are going to do anything down the road, they need a healthy Garnett, even if he’s just playing 22 minutes or so. If these back spasms linger much longer, they’ll become a significant concern.