New York Knickerbockers Executive Vice President and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has re-signed guard J.R. Smith to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Smith, 6-6, 220-pounds, became just the third player in franchise history to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award (joining Anthony Mason and John Starks) by averaging a career-high 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists over 33.5 minutes in 80 games off the bench last season. He earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the period ending Mar. 31, after posting three consecutive 30-point efforts off the bench, becoming the first NBA player to accomplish the feat in over 23 years.

"Re-signing J.R. was one of our primary goals this offseason and we are thrilled to have him back," Grunwald said. "He made great strides this past season with his consistent play off the bench for us, and we look forward to his continued growth."

The Freehold, NJ-native originally signed with New York as a free agent on Feb. 17, 2012, and then re-signed on Jul. 11, 2012. He holds career averages of 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 25.4 minutes in 618 games (130 starts) over nine seasons with New Orleans/Oklahoma City, Denver and New York.

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.

Jeremy Lin reflects on his growth since being traded from the New York Knicks to the Houston Rockets

"That's the sign of our growth as a team," Jeremy Lin said responding to a reporter's question after the Houston Rockets beat the Brooklyn Nets 106-96. "We probably wouldn't have done that earlier in the season. We probably would have folded and fell and given away the game. We regrouped, took their hit, then counter-punched, and we were able to get the win."

Jeremy sees that maturity was a factor in the team's ability to get the win over the Brooklyn Nets tonight.

"We got some stops when we needed to, but we made it tough, we made it tough for them."

Jeremy sees that he is blending in and believes that the team is really blending.

"The past couple of weeks, we've shown flashes of in my mind, of being a really, really good team whether it's a game against OKC or Golden State or games like that," he said. "Today was an uglier one. We turned the ball over; we didn't play as well as we normally did, but we were able to get the win so we're thankful for that."

And, it's always good when you can get a win on the road.

"Any win on the road is a great win for us," he responded. "We want to keep pushing and try to build a winning streak; we have a favorable schedule coming up."

What has been Jeremy Lin's biggest adjustment coming from the New York Knicks to the Houston Rockets?

"I think it's just different, because it's a different system and I'm in a different role; being able play alongside a huge and elite playmaker in James Harden and learning to mesh with him and we're getting there and I'm really happy with where we're at right now and I'm happy with where our team is in terms of how we're playing."

So what does Jeremy Lin miss about New York City?

"I miss the fans, just like how crazy the Garden (Madison Square Garden) would get last year, how loud and awesome the experience was, yeah, that's what I miss most."

Has Jeremy Lin experienced the level of excitement in other NBA arenas like the Linsanity at Madison Square Garden in New York City?

"Here and there, here and there," he said. "Sometimes it will get crazy and stuff. I think our last home game against OKC back home that was insane; we had the Toyota Center rocking, so, it was cool."

So is it less pressure on him being in a smaller market.

"Less pressure, less spotlight, so it usually means less pressure," Jeremy said.

What will be the point of success for this team in making the playoff and going forward?

"I think consistency and I think it's attention to detail on the defensive end," he responded. "I think offensively we're okay. Offensively we'll struggle here and there but, I think we've shown we're an explosive offensive team and I think our biggest improvements can come on the defensive end.

Has Jeremy got over the trades?

"I just hate to see anybody leave, but in terms of the trade in and of itself, it's not for me to really, really comment, it kind of management's job," he responded. "It was tough for me to see my teammates leave, but we have new guys coming in, I just met a few of them, it's definitely time to turn the page and move on."

Yeah, the Brooklyn Nets lost again Wednesday night to the Los Angeles Lakers; but it was Jason Kidd's intentional drink spill that made headlines.

Kidd bumped into Brooklyn reserve Tyshawn Taylor with 8.3 seconds left in the game causing his drink to spill on the court. What seemed as an accident at first, it was later confirmed a setup after a replay showed Kidd telling Taylor to "hit me," as the guard walked toward the bench.

Because of the spill, the Nets had time to draw up a play while the floor was being cleaned up, but still they still lost 99-94.

But not so fast, Kidd was later fined $50,000 Thursday by the NBA after they reviewed him telling Taylor to purposely bump him.

Paul Pierce took the last shot for the Nets on Wednesday--what Kidd described as a "great look."

But the only problem was, Pierce was only 4-17. Was he the most suitable player to take the last three-pointer that could've tied the game? Probably not.

Joe Johnson finished strong for the Nets with 18 points, along with Mirza Teletovic who had 17.

For the Lakers, Nick Young who didn't start led his team with 26, while Pau Gasol scored 21.

Injuries are still hurting the Nets, as Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Tornike Shenegelia and Jason Terry all watched from the sidelines.

The Lakers played without their star Kobe Bryant due to a torn Achilles and Steve Nash is still recovering from nerve damage in his back.

Before tip-off, Coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters that his team and the Nets have a lot in common. Besides trying to fill the void with Bryant out, D'Antoni said expectations with the Lakers have not been made yet, similar to Brooklyn since they got the three-way blockbuster trade over the summer.

"They're fighting for our lives like we are," D'Antoni said.

Update: And it seems as if it's only going to get worse for Brooklyn now 5-12 and 4th in the Atlantic Division as they will have to make way without Paul Pierce. The team announced Monday that he will miss two-four weeks due to a broken bone in his right hand. The Nets can't catch a break!

Days before the Knicks took on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Thursday night, Knicks small forward, Carmelo Anthony, called his team the laughing stock of the NBA after plummeting to the bottom of the Atlantic Division and losing 9-straight games.

"We are the laughingstock of the league," Anthony said about the rivalry between the two New York teams. "I mean, it's nothing to hide. We are...that's why it's a big game for us."

But it seems as if the tables have turned on the Knicks after they blew out their former point guard Jason Kidd's team. More orange and blue fans filled the Brooklyn arena than black and white and when the Nets hit center court, it seemed as if the Knicks had home court advantage. Fans booed Brooklyn, but no one received a more unwelcome reception than Jason Kidd.

"Put Jason Kidd in," a Knicks fan yelled to the Nets.

Brooklyn played horribly and any true fan should be embarrassed. Thursday's 113-83 blowout loss was the second consecutive loss that Brooklyn fell short by more than 20 points on their home court.

Everything pretty much went wrong for the Nets. The Nets fell behind double digits in the first quarter and though they cut it by less than five in the second quarter, they were never able to regain a lead over the Knicks (4-13.)

But, hey both teams couldn't lose, right? And the better team out of the worst won.

Anthony had a huge night with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Iman Shumpert scored a season-high 17 points. Shump took to Twitter after the game to pop off to fans about jumping back on the Knicks bandwagon.

He retweeted this message: "Now everybody back on that @I_Am_Iman bandwagon again. Some of y'all kill me."

Meanwhile, Andrea Bargnani showed out and scored 16 points before he was ejected in the fourth quarter for taunting Kevin Garnett after they had a scuffle.

"I don't speak Italian," Garnett said after the game, when asked what Bargnani had said to him.

Brook Lopez ended the night with 24 points and nine rebounds, who again played without injured Paul Pierce and Deron Williams.

Nobody was laughing at the Knicks after Thursday night.

Happy New Year! Its 2014, and I'm not saying that I'm excited for a brand new year, but each new year brings new experiences and fresh stories revolving around the sports universe. Sports focuses on the present, the now, the before, after and the future. For this particular subject I would like to dwell between the past and the future.

The future being Seventh Woods, a 6'1" explosive guard out of Columbia, South Carolina, currently a member of the Hammond High School Basketball team. The past being what has stalled the untold futures and careers of two established professional guards, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, employed by the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder respectively, of the NBA.

Woods is only a sophomore in High School at the tender age of 15 years-old and has an ample amount of time to enhance his game before he can consider the professional ranks, but I'm targeting this infant of a basketball prospect due to the players who have arrived before him with a game similar to his own.

Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook: A Case Study

The last decade featured a new class of point guards. Meet the athletic and ultra-aggressive point guard, capable of playing above the rim opposed to the general and expected characteristics of a point guard whose game is most notable for being a floor general. Now point guards can do both, run the offense as well as dunk on a team's enforcer, if the team has the luxury of employing one on its roster. I target Woods now because, since his game is similar to the two point guards I have listed above who now are experiencing injuries as a result to their style of play, who's to say Woods isn't next?

If you are not familiar with Rose and Westbrook, I will inform you. Rose, at the age of 25 is the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls. The Chicago native maintains a career scoring average of 20.8 points per game dishing 6.8 dimes per game over the course of five NBA seasons all while missing significant chunks of the last two seasons due to recently reoccurring injuries. He's an MVP as well as a three time All-Star, becoming their first perennial All-Star since one, Michael Jordan laced up his own signature shoes for the Bulls during the 1984 NBA Season. Rose also struck gold as a competitor for the U.S. team at the 2010 FIBA World Championships. All of these accomplishments have been achieved before the age of 25. Making history and creating your own brand only leaves the public craving for more, and Rose's style of play prompts you to fall in love with basketball and what he brings to the hardwood all together.

Rose is an athletic 6'3" point guard who excels in the open court, with an elite ball handling ability capable of penetrating any defense to create for himself and others. Rose relies on his quickness, ball-handling ability with an array of hop-steps and sharp cuts to force his way to the paint along with his toughness, strength and body control to convert layups against suffocating defenses. His talent has aided him in becoming one of the faces of the NBA and now one whose career could be in jeopardy courtesy of that same talent.

Here's where it begins: In game 1 of the 2012 NBA postseason against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose as he has done constantly throughout his basketball career took a routine cut to the right side of the basket utilizing his hop-step maneuver resulting in his initial knee injury, tearing the ACL, which came with 1:20 to go in the 4th quarter with the game already decided due to the Bulls enjoying a comfortable 87-99 lead. That injury kept Rose from seeing any playoff action for the rest of the year.

Now Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau is known for riding his players to compete at their maximum potential allowing them to play extensive and strenuous minutes. Rose should have been resting on the bench at that point of the game but did he have to make that move with that velocity? Dogs bark they don't meow, and Rose attacks the basket with a fury comparable to almost none. In his MVP speech he explained his style of play dedicating it to his mother which is definitely understood and should be commended and celebrated but is that style of play worth endangering what could be a Hall-Of-Fame career.

Since that injury, Drake's third album title Nothing Was The Same serves as a symbol as to where Rose's career stands. Since that injury, Rose missed the rest of the 2012-13 NBA season removing himself from professional play for precautionary reasons in order to come back at 100%, which he did. Struggling to return to a groove, finding his rhythm all while scoring 15.9 points per game this season, Rose tore his right knee meniscus against the Portland Trailblazers on November 22, 2013. You can draw parallels from Rose's career to Westbrook's.

Westbrook, like Rose is also 25, is the starting point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The California native maintains a career scoring average of 19.9 points while consistently finding teammates, making him good for 6.9 assists per game. Westbrook is a 3-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA Second team and has struck gold twice for the USA Men's basketball team contributing his services during the Olympic Games of 2012 in London and with Rose in Turkey, for the 2010 FIBA World Championships. In Game 2 of the 2013 playoffs against the Houston Rockets, guard Patrick Beverley of the Rockets collided with Westbrook's right knee on a steal attempt which eventually resulted in a slight tear in his right meniscus, eliminating him from the rest of the playoff festivities. Before the start of the 2013-14 NBA campaign, Westbrook elected to have a second surgery on the same knee, lulling his debut to the delight of the Oklahoman's. On December 27th, Westbrook decided to receive another procedure on his knee, arthroscopic surgery on the same knee, which will further discontinue his play until after the All-Star game.

Although Westbrook did not injure his knee by way of his own doing, who's to say that, that particular injury isn't the result of his style of play similar to Rose, using his athleticism to perform sharp cuts to penetrate the lane and finish with contact. Who's to say that his style of play hadn't damaged his knee during his early basketball years and Beverley's attempted steal only sped up the process of Westbrook's eventual injury.

Could Seventh Woods Be The Next Superstar Injury?

This is targeted to the youngsters who orchestrate their team's offense along with an aggressive and reckless abandon with disregard to any human life while attacking the basket since I am young and indestructible. This is for the new breed of point guards who would rather fulfill the challenge of dunking on the new Mount Mutumbo's rather than penetrate and dish to their own mountains for an easy finish. This is for those who do not pace themselves like guards Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul, Andre Miller and Syracuse prospect Tyler Ennis but play with an "All For Nothing" attitude, respectable but to their own detriment like Rose, Westbrook, and John Wall.

Rose and Westbrook can still be who they want to be on the court, but what's wrong with a little patience and pace. Jason Kidd extended his career with that formula and so did guards Gary Payton, John Stockton and Mark Jackson. I'm not jinxing Seventh Woods but he rivals the athleticism of Rose and Westbrook, even at his age, just take a look. Sometimes your environment dictates your style of play, but it shouldn't dictate your playing span. Injuries to Westbrook and Rose don't just harm them, their families, their employers and their fans, it hurts basketball. We don't want Woods to be the next Rose or Westbrook, the injured versions because I can't change his game, only he can.

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez becomes the Nets leading scorer passing Buck Williams with 10,444 points

In this episode of What's The 411Sports, Keisha and Mike are talking about

1) Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Russell Westbrook, breaking Oscar Robertson's 55-year-old record of 41 triple-doubles in a season and whether that makes him worthy of being the 2017 NBA MVP.

2) Professional golfer Sergio Garcia wins the PGA Masters

3) Tony Romo is hanging up his cleats as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys and is going to the broadcast booth. However, the question is will Romo make it to the NFL Hall of Fame, and;

4) Brook Lopez, the center for the Brooklyn Nets and side-kick to Jeremy Lin, breaks a Buck Williams’ 28-year-old scoring record

WNBA legend, Kym Hampton, is our special guest. Ms. Hampton is the first center for the New York Liberty, and the woman, who along with Basketball Hall of Famer, Lisa Leslie, did the ceremonial tip to usher in the Women’s National Basketball Association. Ms. Hampton takes us down memory lane and is providing a good deal of life lessons whether you are an athlete or not.

Nets Beat Chicago Bulls 107-106; Brook Lopez on the verge of breaking a Brooklyn Nets record to become the all-time leading scorer in Nets history

The Brooklyn Nets ended its last home game of the regular NBA season last night at the Barclays Center, pretty much as it started the season, with a win! Before a sold-out crowd of 17,732 people, the Nets hung tough to beat the Chicago Bulls 107-106. And, this wasn’t a game where the Bulls could go easy on the Nets trying to preserve their energy for the playoffs. The Bulls had to play hard as they are in a tie with the Miami Heat for the last place spot for an NBA playoff opportunity. The Bulls desperately needed this win. If the Bulls miss the playoffs, this would be two consecutive seasons that they didn’t make it.

But, let’s get back to B-r-o-o-k-l-y-n. The Nets are now 11-11 since March 1 and have won four of their last five games.

So how did the Nets beat the Bulls who are desperately looking to get a playoff spot?

From the top line, Brooklyn recorded a season-high 15 steals, and 10 were in the first half. The Nets edged the Bulls 24-14 in assists while outscoring Chicago 42-36 in points in the paint and 19-7 in fast break points.

Now, here are more details. The Brooklyn Nets ended the first quarter leading the Chicago Bulls 32-25. Although the Nets were up by six at the half (51-45), the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler led all scorers with 13 points at half-time. At the end of the third quarter with the Bulls leading 82-75, it appeared that the Nets’ ghost of the third quarter had reared its ugly head to torpedo a positive outcome. But the Nets became the comeback kings in the fourth. The Bulls allowed the Nets to score 32 points in the fourth quarter and was only able to put up 24 points of their own. The ending was thrilling. Spencer Dinwiddie hit a three with 1:23 left in regulation to tie the game at 101-101. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made two free throws at the 54-second mark to give the Nets the lead 103-101. At 31 seconds, Butler hits a step-back jump shot to tie the game at 103-103. With 13 seconds left, Dinwiddie comes back to the foul line and hits two free-throws breaking the tie to give the Nets a two-point lead, 105-103. With two seconds left, Bulls’ guard Dwyane Wade fouls and Dinwiddie gets back to line hitting two free throws and the Nets go up 107-103. And, with one second left, Butler hits a three, but there is no more time and the Nets win 107-106.

Caris LeVert and Dinwiddie each scored 19 points for the Nets. Although LeVert, a rookie, did not score in the second quarter, he ended the game with his 19 points on 7-of-11 field goals, and 4-of-7 from three-point land. He also had 5 rebounds in 25 minutes. In addition to his 19 points, Dinwiddie had three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 26 minutes. Overall, Dinwiddie is a very efficient player; he’s averaging 11.0 points per game (.574 FG, .474 3FG, .806 FT) in 22.1 minutes per game in his last eight contests. And, last night against the Bulls, Dinwiddie was solid, not buckling under pressure.

Other Nets players in double digits were Hollis-Jefferson, who tallied his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points (5-of-8 FG, 6-of-7 FT) and a game-high 12 rebounds in 30 minutes. And, if that wasn’t enough, Hollis-Jefferson also recorded three assists and three steals vs. the Bulls. Brook Lopez scored 13 points and four rebounds in 31 minutes. Lopez is now 22 points away from passing Buck Williams to become the all-time leading scorer in Nets history. Jeremy Lin added 12 points with six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in 29 minutes.

“The word we’ve been using all year is the team is resilient,” said Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. “…The guys stuck together. Guys made some big plays; Caris (LeVert) made some big plays, Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson) came in and made some big plays, Spencer (Dinwiddie) obviously was really big. But I just liked our spirit, how we kept after it. I felt we kept defending, that was a key. They hit some tough shots – (Jimmy) Butler hit some tough shots – but we stuck with it and finally started to get some shots to go down.”

Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler led all scorers with 33points.

"We're still in this thing, they're a good team,” Butler told reporters after the game regarding the Bulls’ playoff chances. “They've been playing as well as anybody. They've got guys who played incredibly hard. We lost, there's nothing we can really do about it right now. We have to go get better. We were saying how we needed to get this one today and now we need these next two (games)."

Next, up for the Nets, they travel to Boston to play the Celtics on Monday, April 10, and then their last game of the season is in Chicago against the Bulls on Wednesday, April 12. And that my friends, will be the last day of the season for the Brooklyn Nets.

Based on the way the Nets are playing right now, if everyone can stay relatively healthy and they continue to develop the cohesiveness that we are witnessing right now, next season they will no longer be in the NBA basement. In fact, they may even be playoff bound.