Game 50 Recap: Nets 102, Bobcats 89

When he's on, like he was tonight, Hump can do incredible things

The losing streak is over as the Nets beat up on cure-of-all-NBA-ails Charlotte Bobcats in a game that wasn't really in question in the 2nd half. The Nets ran out to a quick 10-3 lead to start off the game and never looked back, as Charlotte was never able to hold a lead for the duration of the game. Heck, even Shelden Williams had a double-double and grabbed eight rebounds in the 1st quarter alone. An easy and non-stressful win over the worst team in the NBA was exactly what the Nets needed to buck the trend of a bad stretch of games since the trade deadline.

There isn't many specific details one can go over in a blow-out like this one but, to sum it up, the Nets just came out with more energy than their foes did and wanted the win more. It also helped to have a five-rebound advantage on the glass and have three players end up with double-doubles (Shelden, D-Will, Hump). The only real bright-spot for the Bobcats in this one was Byron (formerly known as B.J.) Mullens, the Ohio State product who scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 21 minutes.

Regarding the Nets, there were a lot of positives to take from this game along with the usual negatives. First off, the play of Shelden Williams and Kris Humphries got the lead for the Nets from tip-off and was a huge part of the team maintaining it over the course of the game. Shelden had 10 and 11 in just 25 minutes while Hump went berserk for 20 points and 16 boards which, admittedly, came against the simply dreadful front-court of the Bobcats.

Also, Gerald Wallace, in his first Nets win, didn't shoot the ball great (5-13) but was incredibly active on the defensive and offensive ends. Through six games with Wallace, I have observed that he is a physical freak that isn't crazily gifted on offense but is able to get a lot of points off of put-backs, dunks, and simply being faster than everyone else. However, he is a really good defensive player who blocks some shots that frankly seem to be unblockable. Wallace is also a really good rebounder and upgrades the Nets in that aspect of the game significantly.

Game 50 Preview: Charlotte Bobcats (7-38) at Nets (15-34)

The Nets are currently in the midst of a 5-game losing streak. The Bobcats lost 16 games in a row earlier this season. Do you see where I'm going with this? Both of these teams absolutely stink but the Nets just stink less at this point. Looking to sweep the 4-game series series between them and Charlotte, the Nets will be looking to reverse their horrendous play at their Prudential Center this season with a win tonight.


Background on Charlotte

The Bobcats are 3-21 on the road on the year and there is simply no reason why they should get their 4th road win against the Nets. Charlotte doesn't do anything on the floor well at all. The Bobcats can't score (30th in the NBA), can't rebound (29th), and don't even play any defense (27th). The Nets aren't much better (25th, 26th, 24th respectively) but they have the one thing that Charlotte doesn't have, starpower. Gerald Henderson and D.J. Augustin are solid players but they just don't have the explosiveness that Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace give the Nets. And as we all know, the NBA is a league of stars.

Game 17 Recap: Nets 97, Bobcats 87

Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger

The Nets finished off their home-stand with a nice and relatively easy 97-87 win over the hapless Charlotte Bobcats. The Nets looked very solid in all aspects of the game and most importantly, they shot a lot better than they did in last night's loss to the Thunder. Granted, the Bobcats were missing a ton of players due to injury like Augustin who got hurt in the 1st quarter, and Corey Maggette, Reggie Williams, and D.J. White who didn't even play at all.

After a really slow start for the Nets which resulted in a 7-0 Bobcats' lead to start the game, the Nets found their stride offensively and by the end of the 1st quarter, built a 7-point lead that they would basically keep for the rest of the game. This game had all of the makings of a blow-out by the end of the 1st half as the Nets had built up a solid 58-42 lead. However, the Bobcats made a few runs in the 2nd half to bring the lead under 10 but really couldn't make it any closer and the Nets prevailed for their 2nd home win of the season.

Game 17 Preview: Nets (4-12) vs Charlotte Bobcats (3-13)

Tonight's game matches up two teams that have two of the worst records in the Eastern Conference and even the whole league as well. To put it simply, the Nets and Bobcats stink at this point in the season.

Background on Charlotte

Like the Nets, the Bobcats are a team in transition and are mainly built around a bunch of young players and rookies around the age of 25 like point guard D.J. Augustin, shooting guard Gerald Henderson (who played his college ball at nearby Duke), center Byron Mullens, and rookies Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo in addition to other players. The Bobcats did get a lot younger this offseason when they traded veteran guards Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston to Milwaukee as part of a three-team Draft day deal which netted Charlotte veteran Corey Maggette (also from nearly Duke) and the 7th pick in the Draft, which was used on Biyombo.