No two teams in the Eastern Conference went through more of a positive roster change on paper than the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons. As it is well documented across the basketball globe, the Nets added Jason Kidd as head coach, along with two soon-to-be Hall of Famers in Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, and five key bench players. The team also added 6th man of the year Jason Terry; Mister all world, Andrei Kirilenko aka AK-47; scoring and defending wing Alan Anderson; former McDonald’s- All American Shaun Livingston; and reserve rookie big man Mason Plumlee out of Duke University. These moves put the Nets atop the NBA elite if everyone can stay healthy and gel quickly since they have an older team.

As for the Pistons, they also added several key pieces that can put them atop the Eastern Conference, starting with the Coach Maurice Cheeks a great mentor to point guards and a former all-star point guard himself. Detroit made a big free agent splash with one of the most dynamic versatile players in the world, Josh Smith. The sign and trade for Brandon Jennings is pivotal in the new NBA where point guards rule the league. Similarly, drafting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the lottery fills a major hole in the Piston’s roster. Caldwell-Pope has all the tools of being a top shooting guard in the league. Additionally, an old face from its championship team, Mr. Chauncey “Big Shot” Billups adds playoff experience to a young roster.

For fans that came to the game looking for a point guard showdown, no such luck. Since it is pre-season, some of the key players on both teams were out. Absent were Deron Williams with an ailing right ankle, while Brandon Jennings was marked DNP due to dental issues. More to the point, there are a lot of unanswered questions coming into this season reflected in this game. How will Brook Lopez and Kevin Garnett and Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce complement each other since they have similar games? Is the Nets’ bench deep enough to overcome its aging roster? Can a young athletic team like Detroit be the Nets Achilles heel?

Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson seem to fit better together more so than Kevin and Brook. I guess the chemistry playing with each other earlier in their careers in Boston helped. They were able to make seamless switches on defense and knew when to clear out on the offensive end making sure spacing was adequate. I don’t foresee any problems here.

The combination of Brook Lopez and Kevin Garnett is under construction, but there are positive signs. They both have a high b-ball IQ, so they were able to find each other a lot in the post and in the mid-range, giving each other easy buckets. During the first quarter, they played six minutes. Kevin was 3-3 and Brook was 2-3 from the field, super efficient. On the negative side, Brook and Kevin are both high post players, which can leave the big men too high up and away from boards. They combined for two rebounds in the first quarter. The Nets won’t be able to live up to its lofty preseason expectations with its center and power forward having two rebounds in a quarter and a total of four for the game. Also, the defensive transition was a problem for the two big men. They were late getting back a couple of times leading to easy baskets by Detroit.

That Achilles Heel was present a lot of times tonight. The Pistons looked way too young and athletic tonight for one of the oldest teams in the league. So many easy baskets were scored by Andre Drummond by simply out-running or out-jumping the Nets. This really led to the 99-88 loss to the Pistons. The Nets seem to want to play an up-tempo style. However, I would take notes from the Spurs know when to run because you may get run over.

As I watched the game, I was thinking this could be a tough year for the Nets. I was concerned because I wasn’t sure where the team was going to get its scoring from off the bench. Then I realized former 6th Man of the Year, Jason Terry, was not playing. So I felt less concerned. AK-47, a great pick up, helped on both ends of the floor, offense and defense. His basketball IQ is through the roof. He made some great passes and steals with his great basketball instinct and hustle. I can tell he will be a crowd favorite. I also saw Brooklynite Gary Forbes on the Nets roster. He was a star for Benjamin Banneker High school right downtown Brooklyn. He stepped right in, didn’t look nervous during his 17minutes and looked like he could be a spark plug off the Nets bench. However, Coach Kidd reminded us during the postgame press conference that the Nets’ roster is already set at the maximum 15 guaranteed contracts. So it looks like Mr. Forbes is trying out for other teams.

10/17/2013

Editor's note: The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on forward Gary Forbes, Nets General Manager Billy King announced tonight. Forbes, who was signed to the training camp roster on September 30, appeared in four preseason games, averaging 6.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

The Nets roster now stands at 17 players.

Nets Win Despite Injured Deron Williams

The Brooklyn Nets are still undefeated for 2014, after beating the Atlanta Hawks, 91-86 at the Barclays Center Monday night.

The Nets were without injured Deron Williams, but he wasn't missed as newbie Alan Anderson started in his place and finished with 23 points.

"We're undefeated this year," Anderson said after the game. "So as long as we just keep that rolling, man, we know we've got a couple of tough games ahead of us, but like I said, take it one game at a time, one practice at a time, and keep building."

Mirza Teletovic also had a big game, clutching four-three pointers which helped the Nets extend the lead over the Hawks at a point. He finished with 12 points.

The win for the Nets, who hold a 13-21 record, are now one game behind the Detroit Pistons for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, but they have to look to the hills with tough upcoming games against the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat. They beat Miami at home back on November 1, which was the season opener.

"I've never been on a team or seen a team that has gone through what we've gone through with injuries — from the summer to today's date," Nets head coach Jason Kidd said, who decided not to wear a tie for Monday's matchup. "We're going to have our hands full, but we've got to come with the same effort that we've had since the New Year started."

Meanwhile, Williams' ankle injury is never a good sign for the Nets. Williams has struggled since the start of the season after he sprained his right ankle and suffered a bone bruise during the offseason. His ankle swelled up Sunday night after practice and underwent an MRI in the morning. Because of Williams' injury, the Nets were forced to recall Tyshawn Taylor from the D-League. He left Springfield early Monday afternoon and arrived shortly before the game. However, Taylor did not play.

The New York Knicks did its part beating Toronto to help itself get an NBA playoff spot, but the Nets kept them out by losing to the Hawks 93-88

We are at the point in the NBA season where teams have solidified their playoff position. Some teams are trying to improve their spot, while others are hanging on to faint hopes. Such is the story of the four teams that took to the floor Friday night. The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center while the New York Knicks were on the road against the division leading Toronto Raptors.

The Nets know they will face the Chicago Bulls (who took them out in 7 games last year) when the playoffs start in two weeks. There will be no urgency to play their starters extended minutes to keep them as fresh as possible. For Toronto, it's the same story, the team is looking to win its division for the first time in franchise history. Atlanta holds a 1.5 game lead over New York for the 8th and final spot. It's more like 2.5 games as if both teams end up with identical records, the Hawks would get in due to having a better conference record. Comments were made recently by the Hawks general manager Danny Ferry that they would not mind missing the playoffs (they would face Miami or Indiana in the first round) so they could be a team in the lottery. It had folks from the NBA shaking their heads.

When the Nets introduced their new big 3 (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry) last year the biggest question was how many minutes they would play during the course of the regular season as new first year Head Coach Jason Kidd knew that keeping them healthy and fresh would be the key to their postseason success or failure. Terry is no longer with the team, Pierce has been relatively healthy under those controlled minutes but Garnett's (his replacement Mason Plumlee has played very well in his place as evidenced by his game-winning block against LeBron James and Miami this past Tuesday) back has been a reason for concern. Before playing against Detroit last week on the road, Garnett missed the previous 15 games.

So it was no surprise when Brooklyn took the floor Friday night, the starting line-up had the look of an exhibition game. The Nets were without the services of Deron Williams, Shaun Livingston and Alan Anderson with little used Jorge Gutierrez starting in place of Williams. Garnett started his second straight game at center.

Plumlee continued his stellar play coming off the bench after Garnett's 3 minutes of play. Although he missed 2 of 3 free-throws, he connected on all 3 field goals scoring 7 points as the Nets took a 7 point (23-16) first quarter lead. The Hawks didn't play the second quarter like they were giving up on their playoff hopes. Led by Jeff Teague (all 14 points in the quarter) Atlanta outscored Brooklyn 39-24 to take an 8 point lead (55-47).

Atlanta extended the lead to 10 (66-56) after a Teague layup but the Nets closed out the 3rd quarter on a 17-8 run getting them within 1 (74-73) setting up the game that could define the Hawks post-season plans.

Neither team led by more than 5 (86-81 Hawks) after 2 Paul Millsap free throws. His 27th point of the game gave them a 1 point lead (89-88) with 1:46 left. Teague adds to the lead with 2 free throws and then Kyle Korver blocks Marcus Thorton's lay-up attempt. Joe Johnson misses a floater followed by another Teague basket. Game over.

The New York Knicks did their part beating Toronto on the road but had to be hanging their collective heads when they learned about the 93-88 Atlanta win. The loss broke Brooklyn's 15-game home winning streak. Maybe Ferry was playing reverse psychology with his players when he made his no playoff comment. Looks like it's working.

Brooklyn's Bit: Prior to the game, New York High School, College and Pro legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar introduced his SkyHook Challenge to bring awareness to the Chronic Myeloid Leukemia he was diagnosed with in 2008. Skyhook Challenge is a timed trivia game fans participate in to see how many questions they can answer about Abdul Jabbar's basketball history. 

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.

Deron Williams 35 Points led the way

All they needed was one.

All the Brooklyn Nets needed was one win in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks to generate the confidence they needed going forward to have a realistic shot of winning or just being competitive, after losing the season series 4-0.

And after failing to return home with a win, the Nets answered the call in game three to extend this series, at least for another game.

They defeated the Hawks 91-83 in their 2015 postseason home debut, recapturing the attention of the fans while dispelling the early projections of an opening-round sweep, of course, favoring the Hawks.

I mean they are the no.1 seed in the Eastern Conference and pretty much owned the Nets all season long.

But those fortunes have changed.

The tides have turned, and on Monday night, the Nets enjoyed that good ol' home-cooking for the second straight game behind the performance of an unlikely hero.

After an up-and-down year of injuries and inconsistent play, Deron Williams erupted for a team-high 35 points and helped lead the Nets to a 120-115 win in extra time, tying the series at two apiece.

Unlike any other game this season, as an observer watching how he was able to exploit his match-ups and get to his spots, you actually wanted the ball in Williams’ hands.

He finished the first quarter with 11 points, but I highly doubt that anyone saw what was to come from the Texas native once the second half arrived.

Williams scored 16 points in the 4th quarter alone, connecting on four threes, none bigger than his last points of the quarter, a trey, which put the Nets up, 102-101 with under two minutes to go.

And moments later, Brook Lopez, who feasted down low for 26 points, found the basket for two on a floater, a critical possession, improving the Nets lead to three, 104-101.

Brooklyn Nets center, Brook Lopez

You could almost feel it. The Nets were about to execute the unthinkable and what seemed like a long shot a week ago was becoming a reality, but this is the Nets were talking about, 38-44 at season's end and that's not how this past regular season played out for the home team.

This 2014-15 campaign was a roller coaster ride, and the Nets, staying true to who they really are, took the crowd on yet another twisted turn.

One made free-throw by Jeff Teague, poor defense on Paul Millsap and a missed game-winner by Williams, was all the Hawks would need to tie this game up in the closing minutes of the 4th and send this game into OT.

At least if you were a fan, you got your money's worth in addition to a free "We Are Playoffs", T-shirt.

But in all honestly, Brooklyn was provided with a reason to smile.

In the OT period, the Nets traded baskets with the Hawks and in the end, made the necessary plays to secure the victory.

And this time, they didn't need Williams to rise to the occasion.

Instead, Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young took turns saving the Nets season from an improbable 3-1 comeback situation.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard,  Bojan Bogdanovic

Brooklyn Nets power forward, Thaddeus Young

With the Nets down by a deuce, 113-111 and a little over a min remaining in the 5-minute period, Lopez found Bogdanovic for a corner three, giving the Nets the go-ahead basket, now 114-113, quickly erasing the thoughts of a loss looming which seemed like the likely narrative just 20 seconds ago.

With the Nets down by a deuce, 113-111 and a little over a min remaining in the 5-minute period, Lopez found Bogdanovic for a corner three, giving the Nets the go-ahead basket, now 114-113, quickly erasing the thoughts of a loss looming which seemed like the likely narrative just 20 seconds ago.

"I got a couple open shots today because we are doing a great job on the pick and rolls," said Bogdanovic following the game.

"Brook is doing a great job swinging the ball to shooters."

And then Young, who has been a godsend since his arrival in Brooklyn, scored the final basket the Nets would need in this contest, sinking a running jump shot and collected the foul, missing the and-1, which put the Nets up for good 116-113, with 54 seconds left.

In a must-win game, the Nets delivered despite the constant criticism from the outsiders especially Washington Wizards own Paul Pierce, who last week, was openly critical about his time with the Nets last season and the core players which this team was built on.

Pierce said he "Hated" his time with the Nets and called out Williams for not wanting to be the man that $99 million dollars would warrant him being, but yesterday night, Williams showed up and quieted the critics.

He was the man and every man.

He was the man the Nets needed to come alive in a crucial game four and everyone including Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins-loved every minute of it.

Brooklyn Nets head coach, Lionel Hollins

"For him to come out, it showed a lot of character to put on the performance like that, especially when we needed it because without that performance, I don't know if we get out of here with a win," Hollins said during his post-game press conference.

But that's why Williams has been the target of the criticism aimed in the Nets direction.

In the team’s season-long struggles, Williams has struggled and as the "Star" of the team, all of the blame, unfortunately, has landed on the shoulders of No.8.

But it's only right to shower him with the praise he deserves because William's performance has provided the Nets with new life in this first round series.

"We really needed to get this win to stay in the series," Williams said.

"It was definitely one of my better games this year for sure and probably as a Net."

And how can you argue with that?

Williams also said that this win was a team win, and that is a fact as six Net's scored in double-figures.

In addition to Deron and Lopez, Bogdanovic scored 15, Young added 10, Joe Johnson poured in 17 and Alan Anderson finished with 11.

As a team, the Nets were out-rebounded, 55-40 especially during the second half of tonight's game where Hollins elected to go small surrendering rebounding and defense for offense.

"Well, Brook got in foul trouble and he was tired, and we needed a change," Hollins said.

"It's just something that sometimes your gut says, 'what else is there to do?' That was what came about in my gut, and fortunately for us, it worked."

And what worked for the Nets, on this night, happened to be enough to fend off the Hawks, who boasted six players in double-figures, just like the Nets.

Teague and DeMarre Carroll led the way with 20 points each.

Kyle Korver and Millsap both scored 16 points. Al Horford added 17 and Dennis Schroder chipped in 10.

But it wasn't enough.

"We had some opportunities tonight that we just didn't take advantage of,” said Mike Budenholzer Atlanta Hawks Head Coach and NBA Head Coach of The Year, for your information.

"In this situation and in this time, it's important when you get an advantage or an opportunity. You have to take advantage of it. Credit to Brooklyn."

The Hawks led by 12, late in the 3rd and also led by eight heading into the 4th, to no avail.

Monday night belonged to the Nets, and most importantly Deron Williams.

"I played with Deron in Utah for a few years and that's the Deron I remember," Korver said post-game.

No kidding.

He continued: "You know, that's what he's capable of. He hit some really amazing shots, and you've got to give him credit."

This team will go as far as Deron will take them; and with the series tied 2-2, the Nets have the momentum and are in the right position to upset the no.1 seed.

It also doesn't hurt that Deron has the full support of Coach Hollins, who defended the point-guard earlier today regarding all of the criticism he's received recently.

"It means a lot when you're struggling like that and your coach comes out and defends you the way he did," Deron said.

"It means a lot. Says a lot about him and how much he cares about not only me but, this team and our players."

For the first time in a long time, the Nets are actually in a good place.

Game 5 is tomorrow night back in Atlanta.

The Last time the Nets won a road playoff game was when they outlasted the Toronto Raptors, in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, game 7 to be exact.

It's time for the Nets to mirror those results come Wednesday night.

Joe Johnson Provided the 3-Point Dagger with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter en route to 21 points

Until the end of this season, every game the Brooklyn Nets play will feature the same overall theme: the race for 8th.

With nine games left in the regular season excluding tonight's game-hosting the Indiana Pacers, the Nets playoff chances are still very much up in the air.

In yesterday's 116-104 win against the Charlotte Hornets, the Boston Celtics moved back into 8th place, which the Nets enjoyed for a day, following their win on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, which was nice for the time being.

This essentially means the Nets still have work to do, which basically means the Nets have to continue winning.

And tonight, that's exactly what the Nets did: win.

Behind the strong play of Brook Lopez, once again, scoring a team high 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, his 14th double-double of the season, the Nets claimed victory over the Indiana Pacers, 111-106 for their fourth straight win.

Brooklyn Nets center, Brook Lopez

The Nets improved to (33-40) with nine games left in the season while the Pacers fell to (32-42).

Before tonight's contest, I caught up with Pacer's center Roy Hibbert (7 points) about his approach towards his 1-on-1 match-up with Lopez, to which he was nonchalant about.

"Gonna go out there and give it my best," Hibbert said during the pre-game media availability period.

"It's a tough match-up because he scores really well, so Imma have my hands full the whole way."

And that's exactly the night Hibbert fore-saw which became a reality.

Lopez scored 14 of his 24 points in the first half and continued his strong play which has contributed to the Nets winning six of their last seven games when Lopez scores 20+.

"I think the ball has just been moving really freely the past number of games," Lopez said post-game.

"You can see everyone is really comfortable on the court, and we have been gelling and playing well together."

Fortunately for the Nets, tonight's outcome wasn't just about Lopez.

He wasn't the only player that made headlines.

This was an all-team performance, where contributions were generously dispersed from several members of the Nets cast tonight.

Deron Williams looks like he has his boogie back, and was a pest during the first quarter.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Deron Williams

He did a little of everything, scoring eight of his total 11 points, finding his teammates for five assists, two steals and was pretty much the main catalyst who sparked the Nets’ early run in the first quarter, pinning the Pacers up against the wall, as the Nets entered the second quarter up 33-15.

"I'm just trying to get guys the ball, run the offense and do whatever I can," Williams said post-game.

Joe Johnson can be counted on for 20+ points a game and timely shooting, as he provided the dagger tonight, giving the Nets an eight point-lead, up 108-100, on a corner three, with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter en route to 21 points.

"...If there is one guy you want open at the end of the game, that is the guy, and they left him open," Lopez said, regarding the three-point shot he assisted to Johnson.

Alan Anderson was very effective throughout this game and knocked down two three's in the third-quarter, scoring 20 points by games-end, pacing the Nets, as the Pacers made their run to come-back from their early 1st-half deficit.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Alan Anderson

Jarrett Jack is proving to be incapable of having a bad game, even in limited minutes, scoring 13 points along with four assists in 18 minutes of play and rookie Markel Brown is making the most of his time on the floor with his perimeter defense and shooting, scoring 10 points.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Jarret Jack

These individual performances strung together as a group has the Nets peaking at the right time, gaining confidence as they prepare to enter a tough April schedule for the final push towards the playoffs.

The operative word here is together, and Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins acknowledged that this has been the most together the team has been all season.

And it’s showing in their play as the Nets totaled 16 assists.

"When we play the way we are playing, we're sharing the ball," Hollins said.

Hollins even mentioned that guys care about one another now, and if they didn't earlier in the season, they definitely picked the right time to share the love.

This was the type of the game the Nets would've lost maybe two months ago.

The NBA is full of runs and after the Nets lost their early advantage, the Nets would've found a way to lose this game in the closing minutes.

But this is a different team.

George Hills’ 28 points didn't matter nor did three double-digit scoring outputs by Luis Scola, C.J. Watson and rookie Damjan Rudez.

The Nets are in a different space.

Instead of folding it in and quitting on games, the Nets found a way to execute late in the game where it was most necessary to do so and that is what post-season basketball is all about.

If the Nets continue doing what they are doing, they will find themselves exactly where they want to be, even if it means a first round exit, just kidding.

Up next, the Nets will travel to the city to take on the woeful New York Knicks which should be a guaranteed win.

All in all, this team realizes the moment, and it’s not just one player or two, it’s a collective mindset.

"...We hold our destiny in our hands, so it is up to us," Anderson said following the win.

"We have, I think, nine games now. We control that so we just have to take it game by game. We have a tough one tomorrow on the road against the Knicks and we just have to go from there."

Brook Lopez Puts On Another Great Show With 20 Points and 9 Rebounds

The Brooklyn Nets are a half-game out of the 8th and final playoff spot, currently occupied by the Boston Celtics, and tied with the Indiana Pacers.

Excluding Friday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who look primed for a title run, the Nets have 12 games left until the end of the regular-season.

Due to their current position, every game is important for the Nets with wins as the only option, and the results of their last contest helped.

The Nets returned home from a one-game road trip defeating the Charlotte Hornets, 91-88, thanks in large part to Brook Lopez (34 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks vs. Hornets) who is playing some of the best basketball of his season, averaging 30.7 points in his last four games.

As for the Cavs, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving are leading a team that has clinched a playoff berth (47-26), currently enjoying a four-game winning streak, which includes a win against the Nets in a rout, 117-92, last Wednesday.

Fortunately for the Nets, they were able to put forth the effort necessary to achieve their revenge.

Behind another strong game from Lopez and healthy contributions courtesy of Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Johnson, the Nets defeated the Cavs, for a change, behind what seemed like a capacity crowd, 106-98.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guards Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Johnson

The Nets improved to (31-40) while the Cavs, who's four-game winning streak snapped, regressed to (47-27) on the season.

Now how much of this game is a result of the Cavs clinching their playoff spot remains to be seen, but what the Nets achieved is exactly what they have to do if they indeed want to compete in serious spring basketball.

And that's take advantage.

A win is a win and at this point of the season, the Nets do not have the luxury of playing down or up to any opponent, like the Cavs can.

Surprisingly the Cavs were unable to put the Nets away as the home team went neck and neck with the visitors for the majority of the game but early in the fourth quarter, the Nets capitalized on the opportunities they were given in keeping the Cavs out of the winners circle.

In the 4th quarter, with the game hanging in the balance at the 6:08 mark, Bogdanovic converted a 12-foot jump-shot which gave the Nets a five-point lead, 92-87.

After six straight made free throws, courtesy of Johnson and Lopez (4), that improved the Nets lead to seven, 98-91, Irving got to the line and cut the deficit to six with two made free throws, in an attempt to spark a late Cavs comeback.

But Johnson had other thoughts and sealed the Nets fate with one shot.

After the aforementioned free-throws by Irving, Johnson, with the shot-clock expiring pulled up from 26' feet, beyond three-point range, knocking down the dagger, which enhanced the Nets lead by eight, up 101-93.

"It felt good," Johnson said reflecting on the deep three-pointer.

"I wasn't sure that it was going in but it felt good."

Good enough to provide the Nets with breathing room.

Good enough to seal the win.

But let's be honest here.

This wasn't the Cavs; this was the Cavs post clinching their playoff berth.

I was waiting for the Cavs to make that run, a run filled with highlights featuring the likes of LeBron (24 points, 9 assists), Love (18 points), Irving (26 points) and other key players that would impose their will on defense and string to get a series of baskets that would suck the life out of the Nets only to the benefit of the crowd and guys sporting red from Cleveland.

It never came.

In other words, the Cavs didn't come to play, they were uninterested in this competition and it showed through the duration of yesterday's affair.

Just ask Cavs Head Coach David Blatt.

"I don't feel like we played like ourselves today and we paid for it," Blatt said postgame. "We’re still not at the finish line. We have to refocus our attention immediately to get on track."

The Cavs are only 2.5 games ahead of the Chicago Bulls who are also streaking, winning four of their last five games (44-29).

And looking at the remaining schedules of both squads it seems as though the Cavs have a rougher road to end the season than the Bulls, but who cares.

This is about the Nets right?

Regarding the positives of this game, Brook Lopez, for the fifth straight game, was among the Nets top scorers, continuing his strong play inside en-route to a near double-double in 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Johnson shot 50% from the field chipping in 20 like Lopez.

Bogdanovic did not disappoint scoring 18.

Alan Anderson, who reminded everyone during the postgame locker-room media availability period that his alma-mater, Michigan State was playing, supplied a healthy scoring out-put in 13 points and Jarrett Jack in a little over 25 minutes poured in 16 and 5 assists.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Alan Anderson (l) and guard Jarrett Jack

In other words, the Nets had five players in double-figures which is the recipe to win your share of games in the NBA, but the under the radar performance award goes to Earl Clark.

The former Louisville Cardinal, who most recently played in China for the Shandong Flaming Bulls, signed a 10-day contract with the Nets on Friday and immediately announced himself when he entered the game in the 3rd quarter.

In the final seven minutes to close the 3rd quarter, Clark went 3 of 4 from the field which included one three, netting seven points in his Nets debut.

"The reality was, after he made the shot, I decided to just let him go," Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins said during his post-game press-conference. "I didn't feel comfortable at first watching him, and then after he made the shot, he looked comfortable, and then he did something on the defensive end, and then I said, come on back out, and let him have some time."

With Mirza Teletovic and Sergey Karasev both out for the season with their respective ailments, Clark will be given an ample amount of opportunities to prove himself in earning a permanent roster spot.

And honestly, if the Nets need Clark, that's a problem.

All in all, the Nets won whether the Cavs wanted to play or not, and I cannot stress enough how important it is for the Nets to put forth a winning effort until April 15th.

"At this point for us every game is important," Johnson said.

"We know what is at stake for us and that is more important than anybody that we are playing against," said Jack.

"We've talked about it a lot lately, what every game means to us, so this was a big win for us," said Deron Williams.

At least the Nets are aware and focused on the task at hand.

The Nets next opponent is the Los Angeles Lakers also at home on Sunday, March 29, with a 3:30 p.m. tip-off.

"We can't take them lightly," Williams said post-game.

"They've won some ball games, have a lot of young guys that are hungry to get out there and play and show they belong in this league. We can't look past anybody."