CLEVELAND —Today, a winning streak. Tomorrow, the world. And come April, the playoffs?
Even before the Nets won consecutive games for the first time last night, dropping the Cavaliers, 99-96, they were quietly hinting about the playoffs despite their record, which now stands at 7-13.
And now they’re not really hinting.
“We definitely look at the standings. We knew we were only a game and a half back of New York,” said Deron Williams, who had another monster game with 27 points and 10 assists. “So we just have to worry about winning each game and not jumping too far ahead, but we definitely want to pay attention to who’s ahead of us and who we can catch.”
So watch it, Knicks. And Cavs and Bucks. What the heck: They’re coming after you too, Bulls.
Amazing what a two-game winning streak can do, huh?
There are several factors, the Nets insist, that work in their favor. The crippling portion of their schedule — in which they played 10 of the first 14 games on the road — is in the rear-view mirror. Brook Lopez will be coming back, presumably next month. Despite a you-gotta-be-kidding run of injuries, which continued last night with MarShon Brooks (sore left Achilles) sitting a third straight game and center Mehmet Okur (back spasms) scratched, the Nets feel they are developing chemistry.
“We’re getting better,” said Kris Humphries (18 points, 11 rebounds after battling a stomach virus), who helped rule inside with emergency starting brute Shelden Williams (four points, seven rebounds). “We beat a really good Philly team, who’s off to a great start, and we’re gaining momentum. And we got guys down, so we’ve just got to figure out how to keep it going shorthanded, and as guys come back and as the big fella (Lopez) gets ready,”
So that chemistry, which helped the Nets to a fast start for a second straight game — paving the way for their fifth victory in their past nine games, as well as their fifth road win to match last season’s total — has them just one game out of the eighth and final playoff spot. They trail the Cavs and the suddenly Andrew Bogut-less Bucks by one game and are one-half game behind the Knicks.
“We watch basketball every day,” said Anthony Morrow (22 points), who restored order in a most hectic finish with a pair of free throws with 15.6 seconds left after the Cavs cut the lead to four in the fourth quarter. “So [standings watching] is part of the game.”
As is watching Williams, who was magnificent again. The Nets are now 5-0 when their point guard scores at least 24 points. Though rookie No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving had a spectacular fourth quarter, scoring 21 of his 35 points, Williams got the best of him and got the game.
“He’s going to go at his throat,” Cavs coach Byron Scott said approvingly. “Deron Williams is a quiet assassin.”
The Nets never trailed and enjoyed a double-digit lead for virtually the entire second half, though the Cavs made a belated charge in the closing minutes to excite the fans and give the Nets coaching staff some serious palpitations. When Anderson Varejao stuck a long two (his toe was on the line) with 16.9 seconds remaining, the Nets’ lead, once 17 in the fourth quarter, was down to 97-93.
“The guys played hard and they came out with a lot of focus early in the game. I think we set the tone for this game in the first quarter,” coach Avery Johnson said of the Nets’ 30-20 opening period in a building where they were routed Jan. 1. “The first few minutes of the game we moved the ball, we got stops. We executed our game plan and just made it tough on them.”