The Nets destroyed the Celtics last night, locking them down defensively, running them off the court with near-flawless precision . . .
Nah, we’re lying through our teeth.
Starting with the energy of a medical cadaver, the Nets got stomped, crushed and humiliated, trailing from start to finish in what has become an all too familiar futile exercise as Boston dropped them to a sickening 3-35 with a laughably easy 111-87 rout at the Meadowlands. The first half was so bad that the usually reserved Devin Harris let loose at halftime.
“My frustrations came out,” said Harris (15 points, six assists), who played 34 minutes despite wrist tendinitis that kept him out of the previous game. “I try to keep that in check as much as possible but at some point we’ve got to take a stand. We came out in the third quarter and played better.”
Too little, too late.
The Celtics were without Kevin Garnett (knee), Rasheed Wallace (foot) and Marquis Daniels (thumb surgery). Unfortunately for the Nets, other Celtics, like Paul Pierce (24 points), one of seven double figure scorers, did show up. Had they all been out?
The Nets no doubt would have lost closer.
“They just came out and played much better than us — more energy, more talent, better system. They executed better too,” said Chris Douglas-Roberts (three points, just three shots).
The Nets trailed, 71-35, at halftime which arrived after Boston, inbounding at :00.9, made the Nets look silly (there was lots of that) when everybody ran here and Ray Allen cut there under the basket for the inbounds and a layup.
“Wasn’t pretty,” Brook Lopez (18 points, 10 rebounds) said of the first half. “We all saw what happened and we knew it couldn’t happen again.”
So the Nets got a 36-point deficit down to 17.
“First half, there’s nothing to say except they just outworked us, outplayed us on every facet of the game. We came with no energy. Then the second half the guys got after it a little bit,” said interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe.
Newly-acquired Kris Humphries (nine points, 17 minutes) debuted for the Nets. The other guy who came from the Mavs with Humphries for Eduardo Najera and a trade exception, Shawne Williams, was with the team but inactive. Williams welcomed the change as he comes with a troubled past to the Nets, who have jettisoned Najera, Rafer Alston and Sean Williams with more moves to come.
“It is a fresh start because it’s a new place . . . I’m older now, I know how to act. I’m more mature,” said low-risk gamble Williams.
“I played with him for one year at [University of] Memphis and against him for many years in AAU and he was always one or two for most talented player on the floor,” said Douglas-Roberts. “I spoke to him [Tuesday] and he sounded very humble. He knows this could be his last stop.”
The Nets don’t know who’s staying or going.
“It’s tough,” admitted Trenton Hassell. “But you have to be professional because what you do now can affect your future.”
The Nets are on pace for seven wins (6.5 to be precise), to shatter the all-time futility record of 9-73 by the 1972-73 Sixers.
“Hopefully, that will not be an issue,” team president Rod Thorn said. “We want to try to win as many games as possible. That’s what we’re here for.”
The Nets want to keep their cap space for summer free agency so they’re not looking for quick fixes. But should a quality player become available, they would pursue.
“A business plan is still in place,” said Vandeweghe, noting you make a move “if you can shortcut the plan with a player that’s worthwhile. Typically those types of players don’t get traded easily.”
Nets Tony Battie (calf bruise) and Keyon Dooling (hip flexor) sat. . . . Yi Jianlian scored 19 for Nets.