Nets Blog

Nets Blog

Brooks named to Rookie-Sophomore game

February 08, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

The NBA announced Wednesday afternoon that Nets rookie guard MarShon Brooks was one of nine rookies selected to participate in the Rookie-Sophomore game later this month as part of All-Star weekend.
	 
Brooks has been a revelation this season for the Nets, who acquired the former Providence star and  25th overall pick last June in a draft day trade with the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 14.8 points per game, good for second on the Nets and second among all rookies.
	 
It remains to be seen, however, whether or not Brooks will be able to participate in the game. Brooks has missed the last five games with a broken pinkie toe, and he'll be out of the lineup for at least the next three games – Wednesday night at home against the Pistons, Friday night in Detroit and Saturday back at home against the Spurs.
	 
The Rising Stars game will take place on Friday, Feb. 24 in Orlando, the site of this year's All-Star Game. Brooks is one of 18 players selected to the game – nine rookies and nine sophomores – who will be split into separate teams by TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal. Nets color analyst and former coach Mike Fratello will be a coach for O'Neal's team. The teams will be drafted next Thursday at 7 p.m. on NBA TV.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Shelden only Nets player in every game

February 08, 2012 , ι By FRED KERBER

Here’s something you rarely see.The Nets and Celtics being mentioned and compared in the same sentence. But the Nets and Celtics are the only teams in the entire NBA who have had only one guy play in... Read on

Here’s something you rarely see.
	 
The Nets and Celtics being mentioned and compared in the same sentence. But the Nets and Celtics are the only teams in the entire NBA who have had only one guy play in every game. No Nets player has started every game, but Shelden Williams has made it into all 26 entering Wednesday night’s home game with Detroit. For Boston, Kevin Garnett has started and played every game. No other Celtics player has been in all 24.
	 
So yeah, continuity, they name ain’t New Jersey.
	 
The Mavericks are the next team with the fewest every game guys. They have two (Jason Terry, Shawn Marion). There are a bunch of teams with three: Knicks, Pistons, Bucks, Magic, Rockets, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Suns and Kings. The team with the most has been the Spurs with seven players having been in every game, including three (Tony Parker, Richard Jefferson, DeJuan Blair) who have started all 26.
	 
So when the Nets talk about how tough it has been to come together, they really are not making excuses. Wednesday against the Pistons they will have 10 guys which makes them near flush with bodies. They had eight against Detroit in the last meeting, which they won 99-96 on Feb. 1.
	 
“As long as we have five guys. Five guys and nobody fouls out,” laughed coach Avery Johnson, who has used 13 different starting lineups. “This is a situation I’ve never seen before. But even though I’ve never seen it, you still have to manage it.”
	 
And the lack of bodies leads to a very valid point. Some guys are being pushed to the limit.
	 
“We’ve over-used a lot of guys this year. We have guys that have just been play a whole bunch of minutes and have been screaming for a little time just to heal up a little bit,” Johnson said.
	 
*
	 
The Nets again handed out some lengthy reading material: the injury update.
	 
Keith Bogans probable (bruised lower back), MarShon Brooks out (broken toe), Brook Lopez out (broken foot), Mehmet Okur out (back), DeShawn Stevenson out (knee), Damion James out for season (foot surgery).
	 
“Wow. That right there is a good team,” Bogans said.
	 
*
	 
Bogans said he will play Wednesday night. His body, he laughed, is getting used from going from the couch to the floor.
	 
“I tried to take a charge on Ronnie brewer in the third quarter and I fell on my back. I had just gotten over my back being tight on the couch and then I fall again, but I’m good to go. It’s not like I can’t play tonight,” Bogans said.
	 
*
	 
The Nets welcome back Anthony Morrow, whose 3-point shooting (.454) has been such a weapon. Morrow left the team because of the death of his grandmother.
	 
“I went home, saw my family. It was good to see everyone in the family even though the circumstances aren’t the best. It was more of a celebration,” Morrow said. “My grandmother…she was 82. She took care of the whole family. We’re going to miss her but we’ve got to keep her tradition going. I was glad to be there for my family and my mom and everything so it was good.”
	 
*
	 
Okur, according to Johnson, had another “procedure” for his back. Last time, that meant shot. Also, Stevenson, who has been idle, was at shootaround where Johnson said he would “shoot a few free throws … he’s still not there yet and he’ll keep rehabbing.”
	 
*
	 
Nets are looking to rebound from one of their worst games of the season, the wipeout by the Bulls, against Detroit.
	 
“I guess we’ll find out tonight, how we respond,” said Deron Williams. “We definitely want to get a win – we need a win in the worst way.”

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Game 27: Pistons at Nets

February 08, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Pistons (6-20) at Nets (8-18)Game Time: 7:30 p.m.Venue: Prudential Center, NewarkTelevision: YES NetworkNets expected starting lineup:PG Deron Williams: 20.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 8.6 apgSG Anthony Morrow:... Read on

Pistons (6-20) at Nets (8-18)
	 
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
	 
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark
	 
Television: YES Network
	 
Nets expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Deron Williams: 20.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 8.6 apg
	 
SG Anthony Morrow: 14.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.8 apg
	 
SF Shawne Williams: 4.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.7 apg
	 
PF Kris Humphries: 13.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg
	 
C Shelden Williams: 4.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.8 bpg
	 
Pistons expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Brandon Knight: 12.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.4 apg
	 
	 
SG Rodney Stuckey: 12.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.0 apg
	 
	 
SF Tayshaun Prince: 12.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.0 apg
	 
	 
PF Jason Maxiell: 5.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.5 bpg
	 
	 
C Greg Monroe: 16.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 0.5 bpg
	 
Opposing player to watch: Greg Monroe
	 
The latest in a long line of talented centers from Georgetown, Monroe has developed into one of the league's most well-rounded pivot men, averaging nearly a double-double while also shooting over 50 percent from the field, over 80 percent from the foul line and averaging 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In last week's loss to the Nets, Monroe finished with 21 points, eight assists, three steals and a block.
	 
Key matchup: Deron Williams vs. Brandon Knight
	 
In his first-ever matchup against Williams, one of the league's elite point guards, Knight had an up-and-down performance. Across the board, he put up some decent numbers (15 points, five rebounds, four assists, only one turnover in 43 minutes), but also shot 7-for-18 from the field, including 1-for-8 from 3-point range.
	 
Notes: After missing Monday's loss to Chicago to travel home for the funeral of his grandmother, Lillie, Anthony Morrow was back for shootaround Wednesday morning, and will be in the lineup tonight. ... Keith Bogans, who bruised his tailbone attempting to take a charge in Monday's loss, which left him limited for Tuesday's practice, will also be in the lineup. ... Nets coach Avery Johnson said Mehmet Okur had another procedure to try and treat his back spasms, after having one last week. Okur has been out for the last six games, and will miss at least the next three. ... In addition to Okur, the Nets will remain without DeShawn Stevenson (sore right knee), MarShon Brooks (broken pinkie toe), Brook Lopez (recovering from right foot surgery) and Damion James (recovering from right foot surgery) indefinitely.
	 
Stat of the Day: Shelden Williams is the only Net to play in ever game this season.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Looking back at Nets-Bulls

February 07, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Here's my look back at Monday night's 108-87 Nets loss to the Bulls:- Wow, the Bulls are good. That's all I could think in the first quarter of Monday night's loss, as Chicago made one shot after... Read on

Here's my look back at Monday night's 108-87 Nets loss to the Bulls:
	 
- Wow, the Bulls are good. That's all I could think in the first quarter of Monday night's loss, as Chicago made one shot after another, and immediately took the Nets out of the game.
	 
Nets coach Avery Johnson, who knows a thing or two about being on a team of that caliber, summed it up best after the game: "Teams like that ... the mindset is to come out and try to throw kind of a knockout punch in the first quarter and set the tone. That's what they did ... you have to give them a lot of credit for that."
	 
- Derrick Rose is unquestionably Chicago's best player. But their most important player might be Luol Deng. I've seen the Bulls recently on television while Deng was out with an injured wrist, and they just didn't look right. But with Deng in the lineup playing tenacious defense on one end, and knocking down open 3-pointers and moving the ball on the other, they are a beautiful team to watch.
	 
- Last night was a perfect example of how desperately the Nets need to get Brook Lopez back in the lineup. As I've been saying since the season began, the Nets are a one-dimensional team without Lopez, in that the only way they can really score is to make jump shots. And, especially without Anthony Morrow to scare them, the Bulls just pressed out on the perimeter and gave the Nets' shooters no room to breathe, let alone get shots off.
	 
Morrow's absence even hurts the Nets in terms of their meager post presence without Lopez, since he's probably their most effective post-presence at the moment. He doesn't possess a traditional back-to-the-basket arsenal, of course, but he's long and has such a good shot that he can force his way to about 10 feet from the basket against smaller guards and get off an open turnaround jumper.
	 
- The Nets have done a good job of not making excuses about the fact that they are down so many players, and I give them credit for that. But you could see the lack of quality on the court last night against a team as good as the Bulls.
	 
Without Lopez, Morrow, MarShon Brooks, DeShawn Stevenson, Mehmet Okur and Damion James, the Nets are missing six players that would be part of Johnson's nine-man rotation (with the others likely being Jordan Farmar, Shawne Williams, Shelden Williams). Against a team as deep and talented as the Bulls, that lack of depth is very apparent.
	 
- After struggling to shoot throughout the first few weeks of the season, Deron Williams has continued to make shots at a rate much closer to the rate to where he's used to. He went 8-for-16 Monday night, and has pushed his field goal percentage back up above 40 percent from the field.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Game 26: Bulls at Nets

February 06, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Bulls (20-6) at Nets (8-17)Game Time: 7:30 p.m.Venue: Prudential Center, NewarkTelevision: YES NetworkNets expected starting lineup:PG Deron Williams: 20.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 8.8 apgSG Keith Bogans: 3.7... Read on

Bulls (20-6) at Nets (8-17)
	 
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
	 
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark
	 
Television: YES Network
	 
Nets expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Deron Williams: 20.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 8.8 apg
	 
SG Keith Bogans: 3.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.0 apg
	 
SF Shawne Williams: 4.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.7 apg
	 
PF Kris Humphries: 13.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg
	 
C Shelden Williams: 4.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.8 bpg
	 
Bulls expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Derrick Rose: 23.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 8.2 apg
	 
SG Ronnie Brewer: 7.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg
	 
SF Luol Deng: 16.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.4 apg
	 
	 
PF Carlos Boozer: 14.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 0.5 bpg
	 
	 
C Joakim Noah: 8.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.2 apg
	 
Opposing player to watch: Luol Deng
	 
Derrick Rose is clearly the engine that powers the Bulls machine, but Deng is the glue that keeps it together. He has missed several games this season with a wrist injury, but returned to the lineup Saturday and scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 41 minutes in a 113-90 Bulls win over the Bucks in Milwaukee.
	 
Key matchup: Deron Williams vs. Derrick Rose
	 
There will be plenty of fireworks when two of the league's top point guards take the floor at Prudential Center. Williams and Rose, the only two players averaging at least 20 points and eight assists per game, are both more than capable of taking over a game at any time, and it will be fun to watch them go head-to-head.
	 
Notes: The Nets, as they have been all season, will be shorthanded tonight. Anthony Morrow is home attending the funeral of his grandmother, Lille, leaving the Nets with nine players. Damion James is out for the season following foot surgery, Brook Lopez continues to recover from foot surgery of his own, and DeShawn Stevenson (sore right knee), MarShon Brooks (broken pinkie toe) and Mehmet Okur (back spasms) are out indefinitely.
	 
Stat of the day: With Keith Bogans replacing Morrow in the starting lineup, the Nets have had 13 different starting fives in their first 26 games this season.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Bogans uses Bulls release as drive with Nets

February 06, 2012 , ι By FRED KERBER

Keith Bogans insists he doesn’t like talking about his unceremonious release from the Bulls and why he sat around for almost two months looking for work. It only ticks him off to do so.
	 
But the incident has filled him with a motivation that he’ll have for a while.
	 
“Every time I play them for the rest of my career,” Bogans said this morning.
	 
Bogans can start adjusting the chip on his shoulder tonight when the Bulls visit Prudential Center. Bogans was waived by the Bulls on Dec. 16, one week after the team yanked him from practice Dec. 9 and shortly before his $1.728 million salary would need to be guaranteed. Bogans started every regular season and playoffs game for Chicago last season.
	 
“Only time I talked to them was when I found out I got waived. They told me to go home on Friday (Dec. 9). “(Next week), they waived me. They held me all the way to the deadline and then waived me. So that was kind of screwed up but it’s a business,” Bogans said. “(Stuff) happens.
	 
“It was surprising, when I walked in the gym they told me I wasn't practicing, after they had seen me there all week,” Bogans insisted. “That was kind of like a slap in the face a little bit, but it's cool.”
	 
And it will be cooler when he gets to face them for the rest of his career. And that will start tonight where he will have a significant role.
	 
“I only got nine players,” Avery Johnson reminded.
	 
***
	 
Nets are releasing periodic injury updates regarding the status of their walking wounded. Starting to read like “War and Peace.” Here’s the Reader’s Digest abridged version of today’s missive:
	 
Brook Lopez (broken right foot) is out; updates for return every Friday.
	 
Mehmet Okur (back) is OUT; will see a doctor for another “procedure” (likely, a shot); update Sunday.
	 
MarShon Brooks (broken pinky toe) is out until at least Sunday when there will be an update.
	 
DeShawn Stevenson (right knee) is out until Feb. 14 at least when next update will be given.
	 
Damion James (foot surgery) is out for the rest of the year; an update will come Apr. 1.
	 
Anthony Morrow (personal, death in family) is out tonight.
	 
***
	 
MarShon Brooks intended to do some light stuff today. “Ride the bike, see how it feels,” Brooks said.
	 
Brooks has no idea at all about a possible return date. He said his foot is “real weak” but is encouraged because the swelling has subsided.
	 
***
	 
Deron Williams and Derrick Rose are the only players averaging 20 points and eight assists and they go at each other again tonight. While Williams enjoys the head-to-head, he flatly says it’s all about Nets versus Bulls first. But yeah, going against Rose means something.
	 
“I like playing the best and he’s the best. I look forward to these matchups against the top point guards in the league. It’s fun to go against those guys,” Williams said, later stressing, “It’s not about me versus Derrick Rose. It’s about the Bulls versus the Nets. That’s all.”
	 
***
	 
The All-Star reserves will be revealed this week and Williams admits it’s an honor to be selected, “especially by the coaches” but he won’t freak out if he’s bypassed. His coach, though, thinks Williams has made a great case for inclusion.
	 
“I think it's been (an All-Star year for Williams), especially under the circumstances,” Avery Johnson said. “Look at the whole body of work this year and look at how injured we've been and all of the different challenges and obstacles we've been in, and I think it's well documented where we are... All-Star years are not just for guys that are on teams with the best records. In this situation I think he's definitely an All-Star. “
	 
***
	 
Some Super Bowl reaction:
	 
Deron Williams, avowed Steeler fan and Patriot hater, praised how the Giants finished so strong and just kept going.
	 
“Similar to what they did last time. Kind of rallied at the end of the season and came in playing the best football out of anybody. The defense is really tough, Eli’s a great quarterback. He’s always poised, makes big things happen,” Williams said.
	 
And even though his dislike for New England is Steeler oriented, it can be tough to live and die with Big Blue because “Giants fans can be a little obnoxious sometimes. I’ve had a lot of teammates who were Giants fans. Kyle Korver was a Giants fan. Brevin Knight was a huge Giants fan. So it’s fun just to bet those guys, have fun with it.”
	 
And Avery Johnson thinks the way the Giants won could be duplicated by the NBA champ this year – no, not with a long sideline pass, but with a stumble start and strong finish.
	 
“You could very well have an NBA Champion win that way, especially with this shortened season. It could be a type of year where the favorite or the team with the best record or the top two or three, or four or five records don’t win it, a team could just get hot at the right time,” Johnson said.

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Looking back at Nets-Knicks

February 05, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Here's my thoughts on the Nets 99-92 loss to the Knicks on Saturday night:- I think it's safe to say that no one on the planet would have ever expected to hear Deron Williams say after a game, "down... Read on

Here's my thoughts on the Nets 99-92 loss to the Knicks on Saturday night:
	 
- I think it's safe to say that no one on the planet would have ever expected to hear Deron Williams say after a game, "down the stretch, I didn't do good job containing Jeremy Lin."
	 
The former Harvard standout was terrific for the Knicks last night, scoring 25 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds. Many of those points came on Williams down the stretch, including repeatedly splitting attempted traps on double-teams in the pick-and-roll.
	 
For me, really, that's the story of this game – the Nets' inability to defend the pick-and-roll. It's something they have struggled with time and again all season long. When you break down their defense using advanced stats, the best part of their defense actually is defending the ball handler in the pick-and-roll (16th overall in the league at 0.8 points per possession). But it's the roll man that constantly kills them.
	 
The Nets are the single-worst team in the league, according to Synergy, at defending the roll man in the pick-and-roll when he gets the ball. And it all goes back to the Nets' interior defense. The combination of Shelden Williams and Kris Humphries is a gritty one, but also undersized. The two of them fight for every rebound and every loose ball, but with both either 6-foot-9 or below (and the same with Jordan Williams coming in off the bench), they simply can't make up for the size difference sometimes.
	 
You saw that over and over again in Friday's loss, when Nikola Pekovic went crazy, scoring 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds – seven coming on the offensive end – and Tyson Chandler wound up with three dunks and an and-one on lobs over the top of the defense last night. He actually would have had four dunks, but managed to miss one of them.
	 
- The Nets had some sad news come after the game, when Anthony Morrow told reporters he won't be at Monday night's game against Chicago because he will be headed back to Georgia to attend the funeral of his grandmother, Lillie. That will leave the Nets with only nine healthy players (assuming that no one else misses the game with an injury – a dangerous assumption to make about this Nets team the way this season has progressed) and Keith Bogans will likely slide into the starting lineup.
	 
- This makes two games in a row for the Nets that they let slip away as time expired. Against both Minnesota and the Knicks, they were in the game down the stretch, but couldn't make the necessary plays to get the win. Given the hole the Nets put themselves in to start the season, it makes their chances of mounting a real playoff push that much more difficult, no matter how healthy they manage to get at some point down the road.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Game 25: Nets at Knicks

February 04, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Nets (8-16) vs. Knicks (8-15)Game Time: 7:30 p.m.Venue: Madison Square Garden, New YorkTelevision: YES NetworkNets expected starting lineup:PG Deron Williams: 20.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 8.7 apgSG Anthony... Read on

Nets (8-16) vs. Knicks (8-15)
	 
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
	 
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
	 
Television: YES Network
	 
Nets expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Deron Williams: 20.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 8.7 apg
	 
SG Anthony Morrow: 14.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.8 apg
	 
SF Shawne Williams: 4.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.7 apg
	 
PF Kris Humphries: 13.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.1 bpg
	 
C Shelden Williams: 4.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.8 bpg
	 
Knicks expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Iman Shumpert: 10.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.6 apg
	 
SG Landry Fields: 10.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.1 apg
	 
SF Carmelo Anthony: 23.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.4 apg
	 
PF Amar'e Stoudemire: 18.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 0.8 bpg
	 
C Tyson Chandler: 11.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg
	 
Opposing player to watch: Carmelo Anthony
	 
Anytime the Knicks and Nets square off against one another, Anthony is going to become the main focus after the way the two teams fought each other to acquire him all throughout last season. After missing some time with injuries, Anthony has scored 25, 26 and 26 points in his three games since returning to the lineup.
	 
Key matchup: Kris Humphries vs. Amar'e Stoudemire
	 
Stoudemire has lacked his usual explosion early in this truncated season, leading some to question whether he's just trying to work through the packed schedule and pace himself, or if his surgically repaired – and uninsurable  – knees are beginning to fail him. Either way, the Nets need Kris Humphries to at least match Stoudemire, if not exceed him, in order to come away from tonight's game with a win.
	 
Notes: After tonight's game, the Nets will get tomorrow off before facing the Bulls Monday in Newark. They will then have a home-and-home with Detroit, playing in Newark Wednesday and Detroit Friday, before taking on San Antonio back in Newark on Saturday. ... The Nets will again be without MarShon Brooks (broken pinkie toe), Mehmet Okur (back spasms) and DeShawn Stevenson (sore right knee).
	 
	 
Stat of the day: Deron Williams is leading the NBA in turnovers with 104.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Looking back at Nets-Timberwolves

February 04, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Here are my thoughts on Friday night's 108-105 Nets loss to the Timberwolves: - In a season where Deron Williams has often been considered to be playing with a short deck, it was Williams himself... Read on

Here are my thoughts on Friday night's 108-105 Nets loss to the Timberwolves:
	 
	 
- In a season where Deron Williams has often been considered to be playing with a short deck, it was Williams himself who cost the Nets dearly down the stretch. Williams, who went 5-for-18 from the field, committed six turnovers overall, including three in the last two minutes.
	 
Two of those turnovers ended up in the hands of Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio, who came up with a steal with a minute and a half left that led to a critical 3-pointer from Luke Ridnour before getting one in the dying seconds as Williams tried to dish the ball to red-hot Anthony Morrow in the corner for a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
	 
Williams leads the NBA in turnovers this season – though that's not as terrible as you'd think, since player like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook and Rubio himself are in the top 10. But his 4.5 turnovers are nearly 1.5 more than his career average, and it's something to keep an eye on moving forward.
	 
- The disappointing thing about the late-game turnovers by Williams was that they helped spoil a brilliant performance from Anthony Morrow. The sharpshooting shooting guard was on fire last night, going 13-for-20 from the field and 8-for-11 from 3-point range to finish with 42 points.
	 
"I felt like he was unconscious," said Shawne Williams. "When a guy's hot like that, the whole team is telling him to keep shooting, keep shooting, keep shooting.
	 
"But I don't think we needed to tell him," he added, smiling. "He already knew."
	 
The interesting thing about Morrow's night was the variety of ways he got free to knock down those three's. According to Synergy Sports, he had three 3-pointers in transition, three from spot-ups and two coming off of screens.
	 
It's that kind of variety that, when it's working, can make Morrow nearly impossible to guard – especially when he has someone like Deron Williams able to find him anywhere on the court.
	 
"I'm just being aggressive," Morrow said. "When you're playing with Deron, with a guy like that who's going to find you and make life easy, you have to take advantage of it, and not just me but other guys, too.
	 
"That's something I'm trying to continue to build on, and our chemistry is getting better."
	 
With the way Morrow is shooting, I'll be surprised if MarShon Brooks returns to the starting lineup whenever he regains his health from his broken pinkie toe.
	 
- One player who quietly had an impressive game was Kris Humphries. No, he didn't shoot the ball well (going 5-for-14 from the field), but he did a great job on Minnesota star Kevin Love.
	 
A quick look at the box score – where Love had 20 points and 10 rebounds – doesn't tell the story. Love finished the game 5-for-16 from the field, and Humphries was in his face contesting almost all of them.
	 
In the end, Humphries – who finished with 16 points and nine rebounds – played Love to a standstill. It's just another reason why this was a game the Nets should have won, and let slip away.
	 
- The Nets' bench also played a key role last night, helping them stay in the game late in the third quarter with a spirited finish, cutting the deficit from 11 to five, and then staying in the game to begin the fourth and help the Nets regain the lead.
	 
Rookie forward Jordan Williams was a key part of that, scoring eight points, grabbing five boards and beginning to look like a player who could contribute moving forward.
	 
- But if there was one overriding negative last night, it was the Nets' inability to stop Nikola Pekovic in the paint. Without Brook Lopez, the Nets' frontline is made up of undersized players – especially Shelden Williams. Few play harder than Williams does, but when you're giving up around three inches on your opponent under the basket, sometimes there is little you can do.
	 
That was the case last night, when Pekovic terrorized Williams in the paint, particularly in the second half, when he had seven offensive rebounds and converted five chip-shot layups or dunks off of them. Williams and the rest of then Nets simply couldn't keep him off of the glass, and that's only going to get harder when you go up against better big men moving forward.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Game 24: Timberwolves at Nets

February 03, 2012 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

Timberwolves (10-12) at Nets (8-15)Game Time: 7:30 p.m.Venue: Prudential Center, NewarkTelevision: YES NetworkNets expected starting lineup:PG Deron Williams: 20.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 8.5 apgSG Anthony... Read on

Timberwolves (10-12) at Nets (8-15)
	 
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
	 
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark
	 
Television: YES Network
	 
Nets expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Deron Williams: 20.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 8.5 apg
	 
SG Anthony Morrow: 13.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.8 apg
	 
SF Shawne Williams: 4.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.7 apg
	 
PF Kris Humphries: 13.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 0.9 bpg
	 
C Shelden Williams: 4.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.9 bpg
	 
Timberwolves expected starting lineup:
	 
PG Ricky Rubio: 11.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 8.7 apg
	 
SG Luke Ridnour: 12.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.8 apg
	 
	 
SF Wesley Johnson: 5.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.9 apg
	 
	 
PF Kevin Love: 25.3 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 0.6 bpg
	 
	 
C Darko Milicic: 5.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.2 bpg
	 
Opposing player to watch: Ricky Rubio
	 
Who else could it be? The Rubio Show has taken over the NBA, and made the Timberwolves one of the NBA's most exciting teams to watch this season – and, along with the Clippers being good, making this a bizarro season in plenty of other ways than the condensed 66-game schedule. Rubio has exceeded all expectations this season, and quickly worked his way into the starting lineup.
	 
Key matchup: Kevin Love vs. Kris Humphries
	 
If the Nets are going to have a chance tonight, they are going to need Humphries to try and slow down Love, who has turned into arguably the best power forward in the entire league. One of the most unique players in the league, Love is a near-40 percent 3-point shooter, an 80-percent foul shooter and one of the league's best rebounders. If Humphries, who is no slouch on the boards himself, can play him to somewhat of a standstill, the Nets will have a chance.
	 
Notes: After missing Wednesday's win over the Pistons, shooting guard Anthony Morrow and center Johan Petro will be back for the Nets against Minnesota. Morrow missed the game with a sprained left ankle he suffered against the Pacers Tuesday, while Petro sat out with a stomach virus. ... Meanwhile, MarShon Brooks (broken toe), DeShawn Stevenson (sore right knee) and Mehmet Okur (back spasms) will remain out of the lineup. Stevenson is off the court for a minimum of two weeks, Okur could be back for either Saturday's game at the Garden against the Knicks or Monday's game at home against the Bulls and the Nets have yet to set a timetable for Brooks' return. ... including new addition Keith Bogans, the Nets will have 10 players available for tonight's game.
	 
	 
Stat of the Day: Deron Williams has scored at least 24 points in five straight games after scoring that many three times in his first 17 games.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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About the Author

FRED KERBER Fred Kerber joined the Post in 1990 and has been Nets beat writer since 1995. He covered the Knicks from 1990-95 and was NBA columnist as well as president of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Fred, a 1974 graduate of St. Peter’s College, also has covered baseball, college sports, police headquarters, and federal and county courts.

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