GAME 4
Nets 102
Pistons 82
For so much of their NBA lives, they were the butt of jokes, national and regional. On their best days, they would fill their home arena – only to hear chants for the Knicks.
They survived player names that live in team infamy: Dare, Hopson, Morris. Somewhere, all that changed. The Nets are something else.
Contenders. Real, live, legit contenders.
And for a second straight year, the Nets have a chance to prove it to the world, because they are returning to the NBA Finals after completing their sweep of Detroit with a 102-82 Meadowlands win last night for their second straight Eastern Conference title.
Oh, the Nets will be underdogs against either San Antonio or Dallas. But don’t tell them that.
“The East is always going to be overlooked with the strength of the Western Conference – it’s a given,” said Jason Kidd (game-high 26 points last night), the one man most responsible for making the Nets a fun team, an exciting team and above all, a winning team.
Kidd also provided the night’s scariest moment when he came down with 6:59 to go, clutching his right ankle (he returned and promptly handed out two assists).
“We’ve played that [underdog]role before,” said Kidd, who also had 12 rebounds and seven assists.
“There’s nothing we can do about that. But we feel we have just as good a chance as anybody [to win a title].”
That’s now the goal.
The victory was the 10th straight in the postseason for the Nets, the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history. And unlike last season, when they claimed their first conference championship on the road, this time they did it in front of fans whose cheers were for them.
“The other series, we’ve always finished on the road so to get this here means a nice celebration,” said Kerry Kittles, the reigning Net in terms of service.
And the celebration started immediately. NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik presented the Eastern trophy to owner Lewis Katz. Richard Jefferson (14 points, one of five double figure scorers) turned to Martin and said simply, “Four more.”
That would be four more victories, a task that begins Wednesday, June 4, in Texas after the Nets have an inordinately long 10 days of rest.
In the regular season, the Nets were swept by the Mavs and split with the Spurs.
“No matter who it is. They’ve got great players on both teams,” said Kenyon Martin, who for a second straight game dunked off the opening tap on his way to 14 points and 10 rebounds – his sixth playoff double-double.
The No. 1-seeded Pistons played with their usual defensive grit – but ended up hearing chants of “Sweep, Sweep, Sweep” from the crowd. Detroit got 21 points from Cliff Robinson and 20 from Richard Hamilton but had little else against the Nets’ unrelenting, helping defense.
And although Ben Wallace ruled the boards again with 13 rebounds, the Pistons could not halt the Net break. The Nets held a 19-0 edge in fastbreak points, which gave them a staggering 94-15 edge in the series. And a good feeling for the Finals.
“Our makeup is a West Coast team, we can play in a wide open style. We’d rather play that way than any other way so it plays to one of our strengths,” said Kidd, who received a rousing standing ovation at 3:00 when he exited – after hugging Martin.
The Pistons closed to within six points, 77-71, in the fourth quarter, giving the crowd one of its few uneasy moments. But a quick 6-1 Nets streak – featuring baskets by Martin and Kidd – pushed it back to 83-72 and sent Detroit to another timeout.