Celtics’ Crowder's Big Night Dooms Nets; Shane Larkin Stumbles in Starting Role in Jarrett Jack’s Absence

As the temperature drops in Brooklyn so has the climate surrounding the Brooklyn Nets. On Saturday in a win against the Boston Celtics, 100-97, the Nets lost their starting point guard Jarrett Jack for the remainder of the season, to a torn ACL which he suffered late in the third quarter. On a freezing Monday night in Brooklyn, the Boston Celtics took advantage of Jack’s absence and just added to what has become a miserable season for the Barclays Center’s only professional basketball club.

The Celtics' Jae Crowder and all of his dreads scored a team-high 25 points and six rebounds, leading the C’s to a 103-94 victory over the Nets, winning the other half of the home-and-home series. Crowder started his big night as early as the first quarter, scoring 14 points which helped facilitate the Celtics (19-15) in creating distance, ending the first 12 mins of the game with a 37-22 lead. Despite his strong start, the play’s Crowder made towards the end of the game hurt the Nets (10-24) the most and proved to be the deciding factor in the games result.

When the Nets made their attempts to threaten the Celtics dominance in this game, as well as their chance at winning, Crowder answered the bell. Joe Johnson, who did a little bit of everything scoring 21 points with six rebounds and four assists, drained a big eight-foot jump shot with three mins left in the 4th which cut the Celtics lead to five, 90-85. In response, Crowder sinks a long-range bomb, increasing the C’s lead to eight, 93-85 with a little under three mins left in the final quarter.

“He’s hit big shots for us all year,” Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens said reflecting on Crowder. “He’s not afraid of the moment and he stepped up.”

A minute later, the Nets would find themselves needing a stop, trailing by six, 95-89 and there was Crowder again, making the Nets pay-converting a driving layup and an and-1 to put the C’s up for good 98-89. And for the exclamation point, the Celtics next two points highlighted Marcus Smart, who drove to the rim with a minute left in the 4th and added a beautiful-acrobatic-reverse layup, avoiding Brook Lopez, which put the C’s up by nine, 100-91.

Late game execution continues to be a problem for the Nets but there is no doubt that Lionel Hollins and co. did not get off to the start that they would have hoped to. In the 1st quarter alone, the Nets committed eight turnovers which led to 10 Celtics points.

“We turned the ball over a lot, and that got them out on the open court kind of playing the game at their pace and so, obviously, it’s tough to put yourself in that position and come back from it,” Brook Lopez said post-game, scoring 19 points to the Nets cause.

Fortunately for the Celtics, their strong start was enough to propel them to the win, as their first quarter alone was more points than the Nets could ever rival throughout their entire game. To their credit, the Nets did outscore the C’s in every quarter following the 1st, but the damage was done.

“We just couldn’t make enough plays to get all the way back,” a disappointed Hollins said post-game. Hollins also does not want to associate the Nets lack of ball-control to the loss of Jack, stating that “there is always a rationalization for anything bad that happens” and simply, “we have to keep working and get better.”

In Jack’s place, Shane Larkin assumed the starting role and didn’t have the most dazzling performance like his counterpart, Isaiah Thomas, who added 19 points and seven assists, the second leading scorer on the C’s.

Larkin struggled to create for himself and for his teammates, ending his night with four points, two assists while criticizing his lack of aggressiveness to his low production.

“I’ve just got to go out there and play my game and stop thinking so much and just play,” Larkin said post-game. “I’ve shown I can do it. I’ve had great games this year, I’ve had not so good games this year. I’ve just got to stay being aggressive and just be consistent for my team and it’ll be better for sure.”

Larkin’s comments could be the theme of the Nets profile as a team this year. One of the few bright spots on the Nets continues to be the play of Thaddeus Young who chipped in a double-double, 23 and 15 rebounds to lead all Nets scorers. Jack's injury will force the Nets to take turns being the playmaker, especially in the backcourt, which could result in Johnson handling the ball a little more and tonight was a perfect example of that.

The Nets will host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins makes the list for the second time; others include Los Angeles Clippers President and Head Coach Doc Rivers; Golden State Warriors point guard and NBA MVP Stephen Curry; Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace, and New York Liberty’s Swin Cash; Mychal Thompson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Get Honorable Mentions

What’s The 411TV announced its list of 25 Most Interesting People of 2015, and the 21-time tennis grand slam winner, Serena Williams, along with five other sports figures made the cut.

The list of 25 leads with a tie between singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist Harry Belafonte; and social relevant photographer Steven Somerstein, who documented the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March. Serena Williams sits at No. 2.

The legendary tennis player won the first three tennis majors in 2015 and lost in the U.S. Open semifinals, thereby missing a calendar-year Grand Slam. Serena Williams, the world’s number one female tennis player, has 26 consecutive wins in majors.

With a spectacular career that has spanned more than 20-years, Williams took tennis lovers and aficionados on an incredible ride this past year, and we're still rooting for her.

Los Angeles Clippers Head Coach Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers comes in at No. 6 on the list because he's a sage that helped to keep the NBA intact in a moment of serious crisis.

At No. 7 is Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins; he made the list for the second time. We have learned a lot more about Coach Hollins in the past year: he's a straight-shooter, instructive, and he manages the New York media.

Golden State Warriors guard and NBA MVP Stephen Curry made the list at No. 8 because, as a fierce competitor, he understands his limitations and has developed strategies to overcome them; a lesson for us all.

Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace is No. 13; he, too, is a fierce competitor and when he's in your presence, there's never a dull moment.

At No. 14 is New York Liberty forward Swintayla Marie “Swin” Cash; she has parlayed her prolific scoring and rebounding skills into a studio analyst gig for select New York Knicks games.

In the Honorable Mention category are former NBA player and Klay Thompson’s dad, Mychal Thompson; and Brooklyn Nets rookie small forward, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Although Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is an NBA All-Star, the elder Thompson still has no problem giving his son fatherly advice. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is currently sidelined with a broken ankle, but he is a selfless millennial who, along with his brother, bought his mother a house as soon as he signed his NBA contract.

What's The 411TV's 25 Most Interesting People of 2015 is an eclectic list of people interviewed by What's The 411TV reporters primarily as exclusives, but this year, we included a couple of group press conferences attended by our reporters. The list consists of people who have spurred a movement; those who have made an impact in their respective fields globally; iconic figures; athletes; coaches; entrepreneurs; and those making it happen behind the scenes. Domestic Violence dominated headlines in 2015, and two people, Katrina Walker and Melissa Holmes, survivors of domestic abuse, are on the list for telling their compelling stories and helping others. Ms. Walker, a mother of four children, left her abusive husband, found a job and then created 24-hour daycare centers in two states.

VIDEO: Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins gives the media his postgame assessment of the Nets performance against the Phoenix Suns on December 1, 2015. WARNING: Salty language

RELATED: The Brooklyn Nets Defeat the Phoenix Suns 94-91.

Joe Johnson still underachieving, scores only nine points for Brooklyn Nets

Despite having three players with double-doubles, the Nets lost to the Washington Wizards 111-96, at the Barclays Center on Sunday. Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez led his team with 19 points, 11 rebounds; Thaddeus Young scored 16 points 14 boards, and Jarrett Jack chipped in 15 points and 11 assists.

Although Bojan Bogdanovic, a member of the Nets starting five, didn’t have a double-double, he registered 14 points, five boards, and two assists.

As with other games, the final score doesn’t give the total story. The Nets were hanging close and even went up six late in the third quarter. Young even had 12 of his 14 rebounds in the first half.

However, Washington turned into real wizards going on a 16-2 run late in the fourth quarter. The Wizards were up 19 points with less than four minutes remaining and outscored the Nets 32-19.

The Nets starting five outscored the Wizards starting five 73-71. However, Washington’s bench saved the day, beating back the Nets’ reserves 40-23. Even Kris Humphries, who was married to Kim Kardashian for all of 72 days, chipped in 10 points for the Wizards.

Washington’s Marcin Gortat led all scorers with 25 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal. John Wall added 22 points and 13 assists.

Nets Breakdown in the fourth quarter

The Nets entered the fourth quarter down two points and then things began to unravel. It was as though the team had lost its compass; they had eight turnovers in the fourth quarter alone.

“I think they were kind of unforced,” Lopez explained about the turnovers in the fourth quarter. “I could’ve come to the ball more- I should’ve. I think we got up to playing at their pace a little bit and got away from our game. But, it definitely started defensively. I did a poor job on the pick and roll, and that led everything.”

”They hit a few big threes,” Lopez continued. “I don’t think we did a good job really of adjusting to what they were doing. It kind of just fell apart from there. They got hot and kept going.”

Losing is taking its toll on the team; the Nets (8-22) have lost their last six home games.

"We're the team we are at the moment," Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins said of the Nets being 14 games under .500. "We're struggling to get better. We have starts of moving forward and then we have lags where we go backwards."

Next up: The Nets will play the Miami Heat on Monday.

Heat Takes Control of the Second Half and Dwyane Wade Closes

Tonight’s game hosting the Miami Heat wasn’t Monday night’s blowout loss to the Orlando Magic. The Brooklyn Nets were in it to win it for the majority of Wednesday’s contest but towards the end of regulation, a particular star showed up and he wasn’t sporting a Brooklyn jersey. Dwyane Wade scored six of his team-high 28 points in the final six minutes of the 4th quarter propelling the Heat to a narrow 104-98 win against the struggling Nets.

The Heat improved to (15-9), their third straight win while the Nets continue to look for answers, falling to (7-18). Late in the 4th, the Nets had several opportunities to get in the win column and end their two-game losing streak, but Wade would have no part of it. He did what superstars do.

He closed.

When Thaddeus Young scored to get the Nets to within two points, down 87-89 with 5:58 left in the 4th, Wade drained a 12-foot jumper putting the Heat up by four, 91-87 at the 5:11 mark. Moments later, the Nets would turn the ball over and Wade took advantage, putting the Heat up by six, 93-87 just under five min left until the end of regulation. Wade would hit two more jumpers putting the Heat up by eight and 10 points respectively, and it just seemed like when he scored late, it hurt more than any of his fellow teammates prior.

“This is what he’s built his career on,” Heat head coach, Erick Spoelstra said post-game. “To be able to attack, to read defenses, to be able to make shots.”

Even Nets head coach, Lionel Hollins acknowledged that there was nothing they could do to cool him off.

“Well, you could decide to go double him and hopefully he passes it, but even when he did that, (Justise) Winslow hit a three, the other kid (Goran) Dragic hit a three earlier before he got to the end and that puts a little bit of caution in trying to go down there and just double-team him and taking the ball out,” Hollins said during his post-game press conference.

“He’s a great player,” Hollins added.

Chris Bosh, who scored seven, gets a front-row seat to the Wade show every night.

“He did pull a couple of things out of the bag and it was great,” Bosh said in the visitor’s locker-room.

Fortunately for the Nets, Brook Lopez validated why he’s great player also. After a disappointing outing against the Magic and Nikola Vucevic, Lopez scored 16 of his team-high 25 points in the first half, against Hassan Whiteside, who averages four blocks a game.

“It was huge for him confidence-wise to come out and play well,” Hollins said. “We need him to continue to play well offensively, but I thought he did some other stuff as well, but scoring wise he did real good.”

And Lopez’s start spearheaded the Nets 1st half surge. The Nets got off to a great start, finishing the 1st quarter with an eight-point lead, up 30-22. Every starter not named Joe Johnson contributed.

In the second, more of the same ensued. The Nets showed some fight. Even Wayne Ellington got into the act, scoring eight of his 12 in the second alone, including three straight baskets which kept the Nets ahead of the Heat. It didn’t take long until the Heat, who lead the Southeast division woke up. With 2:34 left until halftime, Goran Dragic and co. would score points leading a 9-4 run to put the Heat up by five, 55-50 going into the second half, which capped off a 33-point 2nd to regain control of the game.

And that run to end the 1st half, would carry the Heat into the second half, as they coasted, for the most part, exploiting the Nets with good ball movement. When it counted the most, Heat players turned to Wade and he delivered, which was nothing new. Other than Lopez, Jarrett Jack added a double-double (22 points and 10 assists) and Andrea Bargnani had some moments, chipping in with 10. You know what could’ve helped? Johnson producing more than five points in 33 min of play. You know what also could’ve helped? The Nets fouling after Wade put the Heat up by five, 103-98 with 43.5 secs left in the 4th.

“I told them that we needed to foul, I mean, come on,” Hollins said. “You got to foul. I got caught looking at something else, and when I looked over everybody is looking at me, but that kind of stuff happens.”

For the Nets sake, it doesn’t need to happen.

The Nets will get a day off today and on Friday will face another star. The Nets will visit Paul George and the 3rd seeded Indiana Pacers which presents another challenge. Every night seems like an uphill climb for the Nets. It is up to them whether or not that will continue and looking at their upcoming schedule beyond the Pacers, (Timberwolves on Sunday, Bulls on Monday, Mavericks on Wednesday), it just might.

Nets couldn’t find a way to capitalize on momentum and finish off the Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers (13-10) entered the Barclays Center on Saturday, to take on the Brooklyn Nets (7-15), who were looking to extend their two-game winning streak while the Clippers were looking to rebound after a tough loss to the Chicago Bulls two days prior.

The Clippers shooting woes appeared to be a thing of the past as they made 11 of their first 15 shots to start the game with guard JJ Redick rediscovering his shooter’s touch. The Nets kept pace with the Clippers for a good portion of the first quarter, but their misses from the beyond the arc proved to be the difference, as they fell behind in the first half.

Trailing the Clippers 57-44 at the half, the Nets opened the third quarter with a 7-2 run. With Jarrett Jack leading the offense, the Nets were able to penetrate the defense allowing open shots on the perimeter. After being held scoreless for three quarters, Andrea Bargnani found his stroke in the fourth playing an instrumental role in a 24-8 Nets run showing their competitive nature and desire to end the night with a win.

Trailing by 10 points, Nets head coach Lionel Hollins employed the “Hack-a-Jordan” strategy at the 5:20 mark in the fourth quarter. With DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers center, shooting just 39% from the free throw line, it became a game of odds. Fouling Jordan slowed down the game and gave the Nets offense more opportunities to score. Hollins’ strategy was successful, as the Nets further cut the Clippers lead. This forced Clippers head coach Doc Rivers to bench Jordan, removing his shot blocking ability that alters many of his opponents’ shots in the paint.

With the Clippers leading by two points and momentum in the Nets favor, Doc Rivers re-inserted Jordan into the lineup with 1:35 left in the game. Breakdowns in Nets defense allowed Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to make key baskets down the stretch.

When it was all said and done, the Nets succumbed to the Clippers 105-100.

Even though it was a loss, Nets head coach Lionel Hollins stood behind his team.

"Maybe we take the lead and control the game, but I'm proud of our guys -- how they battled, how they competed," Nets head coach Lionel Hollins said after the game. "You know, it's just disappointing that we couldn't come all the way back and get this win."

Thaddeus Young led all Nets scorers with 18 points. Other Nets starters scoring in double digits were Jarrett Jack with 16 points, both Joe Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic tallied up 15 points, and Brook Lopez chipped in 14.

For the Clippers, JJ Redick and Blake Griffin scored team highs of 21 points each.

The Golden State Warriors came into the Barclays Center undefeated and left the same way with a 114-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Stephen Curry scored 11 of his 28 points in the final 2:10 of the third quarter, capping his points tally with five rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Draymond Green added 22 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists; while Klay Thompson chipped in 21 points and three rebounds and assists respectively.

For the Nets, Thaddeus Young scored 25 points and 14 rebounds; while Brook Lopez added 18 points and eight rebounds. The Warriors shot 51.2 percent from the field compared to the Nets 43.8 percent.

“We didn’t close the quarter very well,” head coach Lionel Hollins said. “We took a couple of untimely tough shots, they came down and made 3’s. We turned the ball over a couple of times during that stretch as well. They got some energy.”

This win over the Nets gives the Warriors its 26th consecutive regular-season game win dating to April 9 and they improved to 12-0 on the road.

And, to the victors go the spoils. In this case, throngs of people were following Curry’s every move. While Curry was doing his pregame warmup, people came out of the woodwork to capture photos of Curry. With security detail at his side, Curry signed autographs for fans.

And, of course, Curry received the raucous cheers that superstars receive from the time his name was called during the pregame announcements and when shots were made.

This game was the first sellout of the season, bringing in 17,732 people.

Although the Nets lost this game, they have two consolation prizes. Thus far, they are the only team to force the Warriors into overtime, which the Nets did on November 14.

Also, with a sellout crowd, Nets and Barclays Center management can hear ca-ching!

Nets earn a 4th straight home victory with a 94-91 win over the Suns

In another close victory at home, Tuesday night, the Brooklyn Nets beat the Phoenix Suns 94-91 for their fourth consecutive home victory.

In an unusual scheduling, thus far, the Nets have played just seven home games, but will play a combined 20 times at home in December and January, the most in the NBA.

Brook Lopez was a force down low, finishing with 23 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Lopez also added six rebounds. Three other players scored in double digits, ironically, scoring 11 points each. Jarrett Jack, the only other starter in double digits totaled 11 points and eight assists; Wayne Ellington and Shane Larkin both came off the bench scoring 11 points each, and Larkin, like Jack, added eight assists.

It was a solid first half for the Nets. They led by nine at half, and shot 56 percent and scored 36 points in the paint.

The third quarter is proving to be the Nets Achilles heel. In the third quarter, Brandon Knight led the Suns on a 16-2 run giving the Suns a 62-56 advantage. Eric Bledsoe beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to send Phoenix into the fourth with a 73-70 lead.

Larkin broke an 85-all tie with a drive to the basket with 4:08 left, Ellington added a layup in transition and Lopez made a free throw for a 90-85 advantage. Phoenix’s Alex Len missed from close range with the Suns down three, and after they got the ball back a final time, it was no cigar! Phoenix couldn't even get a shot off after inbounding in the frontcourt.

These two teams battled it out to the end.

“I’ll take the win,” stated Lionel Hollins, Brooklyn Nets Head Coach.

As for the current winning streak at home, can the Nets keep the winning streak alive?

"We're just starting to put some things together," Jack said.

"Win a bunch of those games, just keep playing hard, take it one game at a time and just see what we can do," Larkin added.

And, although Bojan Bogdanovic and Thomas Robinson didn’t score in double digits, every point counts. Bogdanovic turned in a 3-for-5 performance with seven rebounds and Robinson chipped in six points and three rebounds.

What’s next?

The Nets are back on the road. They will cross the river to play the New York Knicks on Friday and back home on Sunday to challenge the Golden State Warriors.

Thaddeus Young Hero of the Game

In a very close game with 10 lead changes, seven ties and even a lackluster start, the Brooklyn Nets eked out an 87-83 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The Nets win over the Pistons was the third straight win at home, bringing their record to 4-13.

“It’s really interesting how the league (NBA) is,” said Nets head coach Lionel Hollins. “Last night, we played great and we lost. Tonight, we were very inconsistent and we had maybe an eight- or nine-minute stretch playing well and we come away with a win.”

Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young led Brooklyn Nets scorers with 19 points and 10 rebounds; Brook Lopez scored 15 points, set his season-high blocks at 6 and tied his career-high steals at four. Joe Johnson put up 13 points, five rebounds, and one assist;
Wayne Ellington was a spark coming off the Nets bench and put up a season-high 12 points. And, not to be outdone, Jarrett Jack chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal.

“I thought that we had no real push early on, but Joe jump-started us and Thad kept us going when he came back into the game even though he had two fouls. Wayne made some big shots and Shane (Larkin) made big shots. As we were coming down the stretch in the fourth quarter, I was able to let Jarrett stay out to the end to rest and Jarrett hit a big shot. Brook got going when he went back in again and we were able to get enough stops and make enough free throws to close the game out,” Hollins added.

With pick-and-roll defense, the highest number of team defensive rebounds at 44, and holding Detroit to 33.7 percent shooting, the Nets allowed their fewest points of the season.

“We just played good defense at the end. We played hard, we played aggressive, we believed in ourselves and had a lot of confidence in the stuff we were doing,’’ Young said. “We executed down the stretch, and the defense really took over.’’

Nets win erases embarrassing loss to Celtics in Beantown on Friday

On Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets redeemed themselves with a 111-101 victory over the Boston Celtics for a split of a home-and-home series.

''I think we took what happened the other night personal,'' Nets guard Jarrett Jack said. ''Not necessarily per se toward that particular team, I think we took our performance personal.''

The Nets were coming off a 111-116 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets and an embarrassing 120-95 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics in Boston.

Brook Lopez scored early and often ending with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Jack scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Joe Johnson added 17 points for the Nets.

''We got embarrassed in Boston, no doubt about that,'' Johnson said, ''and we wanted to come home and protect our house.''

Other double digit scorers for the Nets were reserve Andrea Bargnani with 12 points and Thaddeus Young with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

For the Celtics, guards Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas led all scorers with 27 points. Bradley was 7-for-14 from 3-point range and had 4 rebounds (3 of the 4 were defensive rebounds), one assist and two steals.

It wasn’t a walk in the park for the Nets, as the Celtics outscored the Nets 36-27 in the third quarter. Although the Celtics battled to take over, they never led. A pivotal point in the game came when late in the fourth, with Boston trailing by eight and breathing down the necks of the Nets, Jae Crowder raised up for a 3-pointer in the corner, drained the shot, but came into contact with Nets forward Thaddeus Young. Unfortunately for the Celtics, the official called an offensive foul on Crowder for kicking his legs out at Young. From that point on, the pendulum was on the side of the Nets, allowing Brooklyn to pull away and hoist up a W.

''I kind of felt like last game was an aberration and they proved me right tonight,'' Nets coach Lionel Hollins said.

The Nets have now won two consecutive home games. Next up, the Nets are on the road to play Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday and LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Good Luck!

The next Brooklyn Nets home game is Sunday, November 29.