Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and reserves Marcus Thornton and Mirza Teletovic all connected from behind the arc shooting 70% from three point range

Thank God, It's Friday, Right?

For the Brooklyn Nets, this is game No.75, as they host the Detroit Pistons, and this final regular season series between both teams favored the Nets for the first time all-season, The Nets defeated the Pistons, 116-104.

After failing to extend their winning streak to four straight games after taking a trip across the river to face their brothers from another borough in the New York Knicks, the Nets returned home looking to avenge that 110-81 loss. Determined to right their wrongs and protect their home-court, the Nets did exactly that plugging the Pistons, 116-104.

In winning, the Nets extended its franchise record of consecutive wins at home to 15 straight games.

This is a Pistons team that the Nets have struggled against all year in all three of their previous affairs, losing all three contests.

No motivation needed.

Message received.

Timing is of the essence and with a playoff berth guaranteed in the Eastern Conference, the Nets will look to use these last few games as tune-up sessions to further enhance their overall play and performance as they envision a deep playoff run.

For all intended purposes, it's game night and for those who missed tonight's action, this is what followed:

In the first half, following a 22 all conclusion of the first half, the Nets orchestrated a three-point barrage that gave them a comfortable advantage, achieving their highest point differential of 20 points.

Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and reserves Marcus Thornton and Mirza Teletovic all connected from behind the arc shooting 70% from three point range, 7-10, over a plus 5 min stretch, which aided the Nets improving their overall lead to 51-31 with 5:12 remaining in the second quarter.

Basketball is a game of runs, and like any other NBA team that enjoys an early substantial lead, the Nets botched their lead within the second quarter surrendering a 14-6 run courtesy of the Pistons who cut the deficit to 12, as the Nets progressed into the intermission period ahead 57-45.

And now your second half.

The Nets picked up where they left off in the first half, resuming their offensive efficiency from the field translating it to the second half.

The Pistons made an attempt to close the gap coming to within 10 points on an Andre Drummond put-back lay-up, now trailing 61 to the Nets 71 with 5:36 remaining in the 3rd, but their inability to produce stops on the defensive end of the floor only gave the Nets the benefit of the doubt in maintaining their lead.

With 5:13 left in the third quarter, a Brandon Jennings turnover was retrieved by Williams who spearheaded a one-man fast-break converting on the opposite end via a layup while absorbing a foul by Jennings.

A three-point play was rewarded as Williams sank his +1, and on the ensuing Nets possession, a Pistons turnover resulted in another three from "MT3" the nickname appointed to Teletovic by the Nets game announcer, draining his sixth three-pointer of the the night thus far, with both sequences extending the Nets lead to 17, 78-61 with 4:37 until the end of the 3rd quarter.

The Nets Public announcer addresses the crowd in attendance at every home game before the start of the 4th quarter advising the audience to help encourage the Nets to attain victory against all of their opponents, and in ending his address, commands the thousands in the stands to "Stand UP".

As the crowd stood, the Nets raised their efforts and gave the fans something to cheer about in the closing minutes of the final quarter.

The Pistons made their final attempt to bring drama to this game, slicing the deficit to single digits, down 9 points, 96-87 by a made free throw from Jonas Jerebko with 7:08 existing in the 4th quarter.

Despite the Pistons mission, it came to no avail as an alley-oop pass from reserve Andrei Kirilenko to Shaun Livingston converting with a one-arm slam while being fouled by Jonas Jerebko, gave Livingston a shot at a three-point play which he completed, increasing the Nets back to double-digits, leading 99-87, 6:57 left in the 4th.

More of the same followed from Livingston who connected on a turn-around bank shot with a little over five minutes remaining and a lane driving dunk with emphasis by Paul Pierce with 1:29 left till the resolution spelled their fate in a positive fashion.

The player of the game is reserve Teletovic, better known as "MT3", who continued to display his exploits from behind the arc and his reliability, adding six threes of 10 to the Nets cause, leading all bench scorers with 20 points.

Livingston led all Nets players with 23 points alongside Williams in the starting unit, showcasing his skills that warranted NBA recognition when he was selected 4th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Immediately following the Nets win, Livingston shared his thoughts to media correspondents from the Nets locker room regarding their performance at home.

"We've been playing well at this arena," says Livingston to media correspondents.

"I think it's a comfort zone and were just trying to build on the momentum that we have".

Like Livingston, Nets Head Coach Jason Kidd also addressed his team's performance in his post-game press conference, which he commented on the success the Nets enjoyed from downtown.

"The one thing that leads to threes is everyone being unselfish," said Kidd to media correspondents.

"When you're unselfish like that, you get the looks that we're getting from behind the three," Kidd continued.

I'd say it's been a successful year for first-year head coach Kidd, who's leading the same franchise that employed his services as a player and now as a coach to the playoffs in his initial head coaching gig.

The Nets stand motionless in seeding with the win, as they improve their overall regular season record to 41-34 currently cemented 5th in the eastern conference standings, looking up at the Chicago Bulls and ahead of the Washington Wizards.

Only seven games stand on the Nets schedule until the conclusion of their 2013-14 NBA campaign, embarking on a three-game road trip as they visit the likes of the Philadelphia 76ers tomorrow night, and back-to-back contest challenging the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic respectively.

The Nets have their postseason berth but the season isn't over.

These last few games feature what's wrong with the Eastern Conference and albeit a soft schedule ahead with the one exception in the Miami Heat, the Nets can utilize these games in integrating injured players like Kevin Garnett back into their rotations and fine tuning their overall team production.

With May in sight, it seems like everything is OK in Brooklyn, for now.

Excitement and anticipation were in the air when the Harlem Globetrotters came to Brooklyn and entertained thousands at the Barclays Center as part of the 2014 "Fans Rule" World Tour. The event was sponsored by Hojo, the official hotel partner of the Harlem Globetrotters; Greyhound; and Wonderful Pistachios. All the proceeds from the event went to World vision, an organization with a mission to help families around the world who are in poverty.

The pre-show started with the Harlem Globetrotter's mascot, Goldie, running on the court and receiving a loud reception from the crowd. Goldie and a couple of young children participated in musical chairs, freeze dance, and a dunking contest. The crowd stood on their feet as children from IS 228, the David A. Boody Middle School in Brooklyn, sang the national anthem. The Harlem Globetrotters came out and started their fancy basketball spinning and dribbling tricks against their opponents the All-Stars. The current roster of Globetrotters who entertained the crowd was Woody, Bull, Ant, Hot-Shot, Doc, Hawk, Titan, Turbo, and T-Time Brawner (who is the 10th female in history to join the Harlem Globetrotters). The coach for the Harlem Globetrotters was Barry Hardy, who played for the team for six years before coaching the Globetrotters for the past eight years.

They started dancing to old school music. Ant gave a little history about the Harlem Globetrotters, stating that they have been around for 88 years. They made fun of the All-Stars and the referee throughout the entire game. They called the referee Sherlock Holmes and made hilarious references to his bald head. Doc and Hawk made the first couple of points with some fancy dunks. The coach for the All-Stars dared the Globetrotters to perform trick challenges throughout the whole game. Bull passed the first challenge when he hung on the rim, threw the ball in the air with his feet and dunked the ball. T-Time ran on the court and made a quick pass for a monster dunk by one of the Globetrotters. She then showed a girl from the audience how to spin a basketball on her finger before showing off some nice ball moves against the All-Stars.

Woody missed his trick shot challenge when he attempted to make a layup while the ball was spinning on his finger. Turbo passed his challenge with dunking two balls at the same time. The second quarter started and the Globetrotters gave the All-Stars a balloon to make fouls shots. The crowd was loud with laughter as the balloon ended up in the air. Basketball player, Ant, covered his face with a SpongeBob Squarepants mask and pulled down the shorts of one of the All-Stars. He then Jumps up on the top of the basket and is told by the ref to get down. Old school music started playing and all the Globetrotters began to dance. Turbo made a 4-point basket near the middle of the court. The second quarter ended 61-59 All-Stars.

Young boys and girls from In the Spotlight Dance Studio, the ASL Club of IS 302, and the Rafael Cordero School from Brooklyn entertained the audience during halftime with dance performances. The second-half started and Hot Shot made a 360 dunk with the ball between his legs as part of his trick shot challenge. Ant continued to show off his shooting skills by making three 4-pointers in a row. The team then did the Harlem Shake. Ant passed his trick shot challenge when Bull and Hawk lifted him to the rim to dunk the basketball. The Globetrotters chose an 8-year old boy from the audience to make a basket so they could get Five (5) extra points, or if he missed then the All Stars would get the extra points. After two misses, the third time was a charm as the young boy made a basket, giving the Globetrotter the extra points. Towards the end of the game, the Globetrotters continued to show off their fancy dunks and comedic antics against the All- Stars. The Harlem Globetrotters won the game 112-105.

Basketball, entertainment, plus a good cause equals fun. The Harlem Globetrotters brought all three ingredients to Brooklyn and used the Barclays Center as a pot to mix everything together to serve fun for the fans of Brooklyn and beyond.

On Saturday March 8th, the PSAL was the talk of the town throughout New York City as thousands of high school students, families, and friends watched the #3 seed Lady Patriots of Francis Lewis High School of Queens take on the #1 seed Lady Vikings of South Shore High School of Brooklyn for the 2013-2014 PSAL "AA" Division Girls Basketball Championship at the Barclay Center.

The last time these two teams met was during the regular season on December 2nd when South Shore lost to Francis Lewis 76-73. South Shore, coached by Anwar Gladden, beat #4 Midwood High School in the semi-finals to advance to the title game for third time. Francis Lewis, coached by Stephen Tsai, last appeared in the championship game in 2006. They beat #2 Murry Bergtraum in the semi-finals to advance to this year's championship game.

Francis Lewis led South Shore most of the 1st quarter until South Shore's biggest (and only) lead was by seven points 04:19 in the 1st quarter. Francis Lewis then caught up, led throughout the 2nd quarter, and went into halftime 27-18. Francis Lewis's sophomore Sierra Green led the team with 14 points by halftime. South Shore showed the intensity and heart as they caught up with Francis Lewis in the second half. But the Lady Patriots were too much for the Lady Vikings to handle as Francis Lewis won the PSAL title game over South Shore 65-58.

South Shore's Brianna Fraser (junior) ended her post season with 26 points and 15 rebounds. She also received the PSAL Sportsmanship Award while her teammate Ashley McDonald (junior) received the PSAL Student-Athlete Award. Francis Lewis's Christina Huerta (sophomore) received the PSAL Student-Athlete Award. Finally Sierra Green received the PSAL MVP Award, ending her post season with 21 points in the title game.

An historic game and blowout 106-89 win for the Brooklyn Nets over the Chicago Bulls; Lopez has stellar performance and Williams finally brings his "A-Game"

New York City is known the world over for its skyline. Saturday, the bright colors of orange and blue dominated the afternoon skyline with a New York Knicks win over the Boston Celtics. Later in the evening, those colors faded to black, as the Brooklyn Nets took center stage and the stars shimmered brightly against the skyline with the Nets blowout 106-89 victory over the Chicago Bulls. I took a mini survey about the pulse of the Nets while at a few local bars watching the two preceding playoff games. And quite frankly, I didn't like what I saw from Brooklyn, NY. There was not enough black and white nor a lot of chatter about this historic first major postseason game in Brooklyn since October 10, 1956, when the Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. This is a monumental game for the Brooklyn Nets, which are in a 4 versus 5 NBA Playoff match-up against the Chicago Bulls. At the outset, I thought this engagement would be very physical and feature some great match-ups, as the two big-city teams clashed.

NBA Playoff Basketball is all about position battles. Two match-ups basketball fans are clamoring for are the all-star center battle between Joakim Noah of the Bulls and Brooklyn's all-star center Brook Lopez, and guard Deron Williams versus Chicago's MVP Derrick Rose. Basketball enthusiasts received good news at the pregame press conference when Chicago's head coach Tom Thibodeau announced Noah looked good earlier in the shoot around and will play tonight. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the point guard match-up because although Rose practices with Chicago, he did not suit up tonight to face Deron. However coach Thibodeau didn't rule him out for the series, so there still maybe hope for fans to see the dream match up.

I asked earlier would Brooklynites be ready to cheer on their home team in this historical event and quite frankly this was the most boisterous crowd all season and was a key to the Brooklyn Nets first playoff victory.

Right out the gate in the first quarter, you could tell Deron brought his A-game. I have not seen him move so fluid on offense and defense in a Nets uniform. He set the tone early for playoff basketball. His energy was at a gear unlike other games; he had nine points and one assist while he blanketed the other starting point guard Kirk Hinrich leaving him 0 of 0 in the first quarter. Also Lopez was huge in the first quarter. He dominated the banged Noah who also had 0 points while Lopez had 12. Lopez came out soft shooting four straight jump shots and missing then did a nice post move dunk on Carlos Boozer which really got him going for the rest of the night. The Nets were up 25-14 after the first quarter and never looked back.

The Nets shot 55.8% field goal shooting against one the leagues best defensive teams and its bench scoring was phenomenal getting 12 from Andray Blatche and 10 from C.J. Watson.

Williams said during the postgame talk that with his "Double Pump Dunk", he just wanted to show the guys that next year they should put him in the Slam Dunk Contest.

This was a great win in a great playoff atmosphere in Brooklyn.

Game 2 for the Nets vs. the Bulls will be on Monday, April 22 at 8:00 pm. Hopefully, Deron Williams can keep up this intensity for the rest of the playoffs.

Nets Couldn't Handle Charging of Bulls in 2nd Playoff Game

In a dramatic turn of events, the Chicago Bulls has evened the first round of its playoff run against the Brooklyn Nets 1-1, as they dominated the Nets, 90-82 Monday night.

Bulls head-coach Tom Thibodeau said in a pregame press conference that Joakim Noah would be playing limited minutes, but that did not stop the Bulls from giving the Nets a beat down on its home court.

Brooklyn's fans were loud and proud, chanting "Brooooklllyn," the entire game, but the Nets did not match up to the momentum that their loyal fans displayed.

All-Star Deron Williams shot 1-9 and finished with eight points, the same amount of points as Kris Humphries. Williams had 10 assists.

"We didn't get stops, which was the key for us because then we couldn't get out and run like we wanted to," Williams said. "We have to do a better job defensively next game. I've got to do a better job of everything really. This was a bad one for me."

Joe Johnson, who also seemed quiet on the floor went 6-for-18 and finished with 17 points.

Brook Lopez who played 35 minutes scored 21 points.

Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo who seemed at ease and jittery during pregame interviews said before the game that his team had the bigger advantage on Saturday, when they beat Bulls 106-89.

"We weren't playing against the normal Chicago defense," he said.

Carlesimo was right. This time around, Chicago tightened up its defense and the Nets suffered from careless turnovers and couldn't stabilize a steady shooting rhythm.

Although Brooklyn didn't come out with the win, fans were excited to see Bulls' point guard Derrick Rose shooting around on the court moments before the game. Rose, who injured his left knee, which resulted in a torn ACL on April 28, 2012 in the first game of last season's playoffs, has not played at all this season.

Thibodeau said that Rose would most likely be sitting on the bench for the entire postseason.

The Nets will travel to Chicago for the third game of the playoffs on Thursday.

Noel Nerlens Falls to #6 & Gets Traded to Philly

The calm before the storm settled in at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY Thursday night as the NBA draft prospects sat with their families and mingled with reporters, teammates and agents. The draft picks groomed to a "T" and dressed in their Sunday's best, awaited David Stern to mark the podium for the first announcement. The "Green Room," designated for the draft prospects and their guests only looked like a first-grade class-- all attendees with their chins up, heads forward, hands on the table and all eyes on the teacher (Stern.) Nerlens Noel and Alex Len, two of the top prospects thought to be most likely to go 1 and 2, looked attentively, listening to Stern's announcement.

Boos belted out from the crowd, as Stern took the stage.

"With the 1st pick of the NBA 2013 draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select (PAUSE) Anthony Bennett of Toronto Canada."

The crowd shocked, exploding with semi-excitement for the guy who sports analysts projected to go 4th or 5th.

Bennett, the 6-foot-8 forward and his family jumped to their feet.

The 20-year-old, who started playing basketball seven years ago told reporters that he was "just surprised as everybody else" for being picked No. 1.

"I didn't really have any idea who's going No. 1 or who was going No. 2. I heard everything was up for grabs. But I'm just real happy, glad that I have this opportunity, and I just got to thank God for the opportunity," he said.

After only one year at UNLV, Bennett becomes the second player at the university to be selected the top overall pick, joining Larry Johnson, who was drafted in 1991.

Bennett also becomes the first Canadian to get drafted as a No. 1 pick.

Too much surprise, Noel wasn't called No. 2, but Victor Oladipo is a guy Orlando fans are sure to fall in love with. Besides feeling delighted for being the second pick of the draft, the former Indiana guard said he's not sure if his family still knows "what's going on."

The Nigerian player also has a great singing voice, maybe he'll sing the National Anthem at one of the games.

After five picks in Thursday night's NBA draft, Nerlens finally heard his name called when the New Orleans Pelicans selected him with the sixth pick. He barely showed excitement, likely disappointed that five other picks were selected before him.

"I'm excited getting started with Anthony," Noel said after hearing his name called.

His stint with the Pelicans only lasted for about 30 minutes, after reports swirled that he'd been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jrue Holiday and the NBA's 42nd pick.

Other fan favorites like Trey Burke, Otto Porter Jr, Cody Zeller and Michael-Carter Williams also nabbed NBA picks.

Basketball junkies at Barclays consisted of mostly Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks fans, with Knicks guru Spike Lee in the audience. While the Nets selected Mason Plumlee of Duke, other fans seemed enthusiastic as the Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. (Not sure about how Tim Hardaway Sr. feels about the pick, knowing the former NBA player hates the Knicks, but I'm sure he's happy for his son nonetheless.)

On social media, the Nets seemed to have been the talk of the night, with rumors swirling that Kevin Garnett waived his no-trade clause, making room for the Boston Big Three trade that could send him, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets for the package of players and draft picks.

See a complete list of the NBA drafts picks below.

FIRST ROUND
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1. Cleveland Cavaliers: PF Anthony Bennett, UNLV
2. Orlando Magic: SG Victor Oladipo, Indiana
3. Washington Wizards: SF Otto Porter Jr., Georgetown
4. Charlotte Bobcats: C Cody Zeller, Indiana
5. Phoenix Suns: C Alex Len, Maryland
6. Philadelphia 76ers (via New Orleans Pelicans): C Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
7. Sacramento Kings: SG Ben McLemore, Kansas
8. Detroit Pistons: SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia
9. Utah Jazz (via Minnesota Timberwolves): PG Trey Burke, Michigan
10. Portland Trail Blazers: SG C.J. McCollum, Lehigh
11. Philadelphia 76ers: PG Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: C Steven Adams, Pittsburgh
13. Boston Celtics (via Dallas Mavericks): C Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah Jazz): SF Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
15. Milwaukee Bucks: SF Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece
16. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics): C Lucas Nogueira, Brazil
17. Atlanta Hawks: PG Dennis Schroeder, Germany
18. Dallas Mavericks (via Atlanta Hawks): PG Shane Larkin, Miami (Fla.)
19. Cleveland Cavaliers: SF Sergey Karasev, Russia
20. Chicago Bulls: SG Tony Snell, New Mexico
21. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah Jazz): C Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
22. Brooklyn Nets: C Mason Plumlee, Duke
23. Indiana Pacers: SF Solomon Hill, Arizona
24. New York Knicks: SG Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan
25. Los Angeles Clippers: SF Reggie Bullock, North Carolina
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves): SF Andre Roberson, Colorado
27. Utah Jazz (via Denver Nuggets): C Rudy Gobert, France
28. San Antonio Spurs: SF Livio Jean-Charles, French Guiana
29. Phoenix Suns (via Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder): SG Archie Goodwin, Kentucky
30. Golden State Warriors (via Phoenix Suns): PG Nemanja Nedovic, Serbia
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SECOND ROUND
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31. Portland Trail Blazers (via Cleveland Cavaliers): SG Allen Crabbe, California
32. Oklahoma City Thunder: SG Alex Abrines, Spain
33. Cleveland Cavaliers: SG Carrick Felix, Arizona State
34. Houston Rockets: PG Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
35. Washington Wizards (via Philadelphia 76ers): SF Glen Rice Jr., NBA Development League
36. Sacramento Kings: PG Ray McCallum, Detroit Mercy
37. Detroit Pistons: F Tony Mitchell, North Texas
38. Philadelphia 76ers (via Washington Wizards): PG Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
39. Portland Trail Blazers: C Jeff Withey, Kansas
40. Portland Trail Blazers: PF Grant Jerrett, Arizona
41. Memphis Grizzlies: SG Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State
42. New Orleans Pelicans (via Philadelphia 76ers): PG Pierre Jackson, Baylor
43. Milwaukee Bucks: SG Ricky Ledo, Providence
44. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks): C Mike Muscala, Bucknell
45. Portland Trail Blazers: PF Marko Todorovic, Montenegro
46. Denver Nuggets (via Utah Jazz): PG Erick Green, Virginia Tech
47. Atlanta Hawks: PG Raul Neto, Brazil
48. Los Angeles Lakers: PF Ryan Kelly, Duke
49. Chicago Bulls: PF Erik Murphy, Florida
50. Miami Heat (via Atlanta Hawks): SF James Ennis, Long Beach State
51. Orlando Magic: PF Romero Osby, Oklahoma
52. Minnesota Timberwolves: PG Lorenzo Brown, North Carolina State
53. Boston Celtics (via Indiana Pacers): C Colton Iverson, Colorado State
54. Philadelphia 76ers (via Washington Wizards): PF Arsalan Kazemi, Oregon
55. Denver Nuggets (via Memphis Grizzlies): PF Joffrey Lauvergne, France
56. Detroit Pistons: PG Peyton Siva, Louisville
57. Phoenix Suns: C Alex Oriakhi, Missouri
58. San Antonio Spurs: SF Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State
59. Minnesota Timberwolves: PF Bojan Dubljevic, Montenegro
60. Memphis Grizzlies: SF Janis Timma, Latvia

Jason Kidd's No. 5 jersey retired, ingraining Kidd into Nets history forever

With an 8:00 p.m. appointment on October 17th, 2013, the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Miami Heat in its fifth preseason game achieving victory as they outlasted the defending champs 86-62.

Although the final score is ultimately true, Nets' fans should not be celebrating this win as if it is a true indicator for things to come, it is after all, a preseason game.

Nevertheless, there were still positives to take away from the Nets blowout win.

For starters, the Nets defense showed some promise limiting the Heat to only 28 points at halftime compared to the Nets' 44.

The bench, consisting of a number of new faces from Journeyman guards Alan Anderson, Gary Forbes, and 2013 first round pick forward in Mason Plumlee, all displayed their significance to the Nets as the second unit combining for 29 points of the bench's total in 46.

"With our age guys won't be playing a lot," Anderson said regarding the dinosaurs in forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, to What's The 411TV, who led all scorers off the bench with 12 points. "Our biggest advantage is our bench and it can be any night where it might not be the starters, it might be the bench so we just have to be ready."

Jason Kidd's Jersey is Retired

The contest between the two Eastern Conference powers was not the only story of the night as one aspect of tonight's game shined a lot brighter.

Tonight belonged to Nets Head Coach Jason Kidd who had his jersey retired by the Brooklyn Nets before the start of the game in a short ceremony which produced a special night for their one and only Number 5.

Kidd, a future Hall-of-Fame point guard, is responsible for the resurrection of the New Jersey Nets franchise during the early beginnings of the last decade.

It was his arrival via trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Nets for former all-star guard Stephon Marbury which sparked a 26-game turnaround opposed to the season before, leading the Nets to a 52-30 record.

Under Kidd's leadership, the Nets reached the NBA Finals in back-to-back years during the 2001-2002, and 2002-2003 seasons, coming up short in both title appearances to the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs respectively.

Those who were privileged to watch Kidd don the Nets' jersey once upon a time can attest to the countless playoff battles between the Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, and the Charlotte Hornets.

They can also certify to how much of a wizard Kidd was on the basketball court, capable of changing the perception of an ordinary player to a star with a skill set he mastered in sharing the wealth with all of his teammates on the offensive end of the floor.

Kidd produced moments for the tri-state area that will live on forever dispelling his failures in delivering a championship because of the journey he allowed us to watch and experience with him.

The visiting team also weighed in on Kidd's special night and what it means to them as players who once watched Kidd simply as a fan.

"Greatest point guard to the play the game," said heat forward Udonis Haslem to What's The 411TV. "I'm excited for him as a person, he's had a long career, just hasn't had much success against the Heat."

"Big Accomplishment, for him actually," said Heat guard Mario Chalmers to What's The 411TV. "Me growing up I watched Jason Kidd, was a Jason Kidd fan and it's only right that he gets his jersey retired, he deserves it."

With all the praise from current and former players in attendance as well as a sellout crowd, the Nets only hope that Kidd can duplicate the success he has had in their jersey to a suit.

‘Weird’ feeling for Paul Pierce as Nets get victory in their first matchup since Celtics trade

It was evident that Paul Pierce faced some challenges when he went up against the Boston Celtics Tuesday night-- the team that birthed and raised his career for the past 15 years.

The 36-year-old admitted that it "was a little weird looking over and seeing all the green uniforms" since he was used to "lining up in the green and white for so long."

Even before tipoff, the uneasiness was still there as he stopped by the Celtics' locker room and walked into the shower room to greet Rajon Rondo, then made his rounds to the other players. During warm-ups, the two former teammates had another chat.

Before game time, Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd said he advised Pierce to treat the game like a scrimmage. But of course, that was easier said than done, as the veteran went scoreless for the first quarter and ended up with 4 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Unusual enough, Pierce was the first Nets starter announced when he was always the last one called in Boston.

Andray Blatche, who started in place of Kevin Garnett, picked up most of the slack with 14 points. Brook Lopez scored 20 points, but it was newbie Chris Johnson who put Brooklyn on top with the 82-80 victory.

Other new faces like Shaun Livingston, Mason Plumlee, Alan Anderson, Jorge Gutierrez and Brooklyn native and Benjamin Banneker alumni, Gary Forbes, banked in a few minutes.

Once a fan favorite at the Barclays—newly Celtic Kris Humphries was booed by the crowd in every moment possible, but he preserved and came out big, scoring 12 points in 28 minutes. There was some chatter on Twitter that Mr. Whammy, the Nets most-beloved fan yelled at fans for booing Humphries.

"He was a Net," Mr. Whammy reportedly said.

Meanwhile, the Nets played without Deron Williams, due to a sprained right ankle, and key reserves Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms) and Jason Terry (left knee), who was also part of that Boston trade.

For the first time in four years, the Brooklyn Nets (1-1) defeated the Miami Heat (1-2) Friday night, 101-100 at Barclays Center

It was a sweet home-opening win for Brooklyn, proving they are just as good as the NBA champs, something that Deron Williams has been preaching lately. And, with the W over Miami, Brooklyn gets a bonus--- a rivalry. Yes, a rivalry is brewing between these two East Coast teams with the back-and-forth chatter between Kevin Garnett and LeBron James.

With the three-way trade that sent Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Garnett to Brooklyn this past summer, James had plenty to say especially since he felt like Ray Allen was criticized for leaving Boston for Miami.

"I think the first thing I thought was, 'Wow, Ray got killed for leaving Boston, and now these guys are leaving Boston,'" James said a few weeks ago. "I think it's OK; I didn't mind it. But there were a couple guys who basically [expletive] on Ray for leaving, and now they're leaving."

Prior to Friday's night tip-off, James brushed off all Brooklyn rival talk by telling reporters that he didn't want to answer any questions about the Nets.

"KG told me to worry about my team," James said.

And James tried to do just that, with 26 points, but his team fell behind before they could catch up.

After the game, Garnett gave Brooklyn fans a big shout out and admitted that although the crowd in Boston is over-the-top, the feeling is different at his new home.

"Big ups to Brooklyn," Garnett said.

Pierce and Joe Johnson each scored 19 points, which helped the Nets break their 13-game ending streak. The last time the Nets beat Miami was back on March 20 2009, before James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh got on the roster.

"It was good that we got a taste of this type of atmosphere this early in the season to try to see where we're at," Pierce said. "Miami, whenever they come into town, they're a measuring stick for everybody, so it was good for us to come out and get the win."

Andrei Kirilenko, who missed five preseason games and Wednesday's opener against the Cleveland Cavs due to injuries, had a big night--with eight points in just 12 minutes.

Comedian, Actor, and Television and Film Producer, Chris Rock, took a moment during half-time at the Brooklyn Nets – Miami Heat game on Friday to talk with What's The 411SPORTS correspondent Crystal Lynn

WATCH VIDEO WITH CHRIS ROCK

During NBA basketball season, Chris Rock is usually someplace else in New York City, but he brought his daughter to the Nets game because she loves LeBron James. It was the comedian's first time in the Barclays Center and he likes the arena the Brooklyn Nets call home.

"I'm from Brooklyn," Rock said in matter of fact fashion.

With the chatter of a Brooklyn Nets – Miami Heat rivalry brewing, Rock chimed in saying he thinks it's real.

"Oh, it's for real, he said. "A lot of it came over from Boston really with Garnett and then Pierce, but I think it's real. They're going to play hard all year."

"I wouldn't be shocked if a brawl happens before the year is over," laughed Rock in his comedic style.

Rock also offered his opinion on the Brooklyn Nets prospects for reaching a title.

"I think they can go pretty far, it's going to be hard to beat Miami, it's going to be hard, Jason Terry's old," Rock said as if he was trying out new comedy material.

What's in Chris Rock's future?

"I'm getting ready to go on tour, I'm getting my stand up together, I'll be playing this building in the fall," he enlightened us.