NET NOTES
They were going against one of the greatest two-man combos in history. So the Nets threw everything they had at Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
“We did a much better job of not letting him get real deep in the post where we couldn’t send any help in,” Byron Scott said of the defense on O’Neal, led by Jason Collins and Aaron Williams, two guys Shaq overwhelmed in last summer’s Finals.
“When he caught the ball we did a good job of guys making sure they got down there,” Scott said.
Said Collins, “If he catches it low, it’s a dunk. This was a team effort.”
So while Shaq was only getting 13 shots, Kobe was getting 29 – and missing 21.
“When you have a great scorer, they can’t score without the ball so you try to take away some of his cuts,” said Anthony Johnson, who combined with Lucious Harris to the bulk of the work on Bryant.
“If he does catch it, make him catch it far away as possible to make him take a dribble or two and by that time, will be there.”
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The first All-Star voting results were released and Jason Kidd ranked fourth among East guards behind Orlando’s Tracy McGrady and Philly’s Allen Iverson (501,628). Washington’s Michael Jordan was third.
Kenyon Martin was fifth among East forwards behind Toronto’s oft-injured Vince Carter, Orlando’s Grant Hill, Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal and Boston’s Antoine Walker . . . Martin missed yesterday’s morning shootaround because of a migraine headache. He came back and scored 16 points and took nine rebounds.
Kidd and his family are featured in a “Read to Achieve” ad with singer/songwriter Paul Simon. The public-service announcement will air during the Nets’ ABC Christmas night game.
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Kidd’s wife, Joumana, was chatting when little-used sub Brian Scalabrine walked by and said hello.
“We love Brian Scalabrine,” she said before joking about her husband’s impending free agency. “If he stays, we stay in New Jersey.”
Scalabrine quickly shot in, “Would you please tell [team president] Rod Thorn that?”
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Jeff Van Gundy, on TNT’s broadcast team, presented some pregame observations. On the Lakers: “You can get bored. There’s a certain level of boredom when you win championships with going through it over and over . . . It’s coming to a point where, for them, they’re going to have to start playing well to get homecourt advantage. [But] if I was going to take anybody, I would take the Lakers because of O’Neal.”
On the Nets: “They’ve played well. Eleven of their 16 wins are by 10 or more points. They blow people out . . . Kidd, if it’s possible, is having a better year this year than last.”