Game 10 Recap: Warriors 102, Nets 93. The One Where Klay and Curry Were Unstoppable

Prediction: This guy's (Klay Thompson) face will be the subject of my next nightmare

If you looked up the definition of "gut-punch loss" in the dictionary, you would find a picture of a wide-open Klay Thompson swishing a three-pointers about 10 feet in front of Joe Johnson. Of course, that picture would be indicative of the complete and utter crap show the Nets decided to feed up tonight in Oakland against the Warriors. Once again, the Nets played a great first half, going up 46-41 after 24 minutes of play. During those first two quarters, our boys from Brooklyn closed out on the Golden State shooters, made plenty of open shots, rebounded well, and cut down on turnovers. Then came the dreaded third quarter, that stretch of 12 minutes between the second and fourth quarters in which the Nets simply can't do anything right. No ball movement or player movement on offense, lazy and low-percentage jump shots, horrendous/non-existent defensive rotations, and unfathomably idiotic turnovers.

Tonight was absolutely no different. For the most part, the Nets stopped driving into the paint for high percentage shots on offense and turned into the solely jump-shooting team we have come to despise from the New Jersey days. The Nets missed a ton of those jumpers and, conversely, the Warriors made nearly all of theirs. Granted, the dreadful perimeter (or lack of) defense exhibited by the Nets certainly contributed to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry going off in the second half, credit should be given where it's due. Regardless of how bad Brooklyn's defense without Gerald Wallace is, it's clear that those guys can shooting the lights out, altering the result of a game in the process.

Game 10 Preview: Brooklyn Nets (6-3) at Golden State Warriors (6-5)

The Nets have been waiting for Joe Johnson to start playing like the Joe Johnson they traded for. Against the defensively-challenged Warriors would be a great start.

Update: Gerald Wallace (rest) will not play tonight. Keith Bogans is starting in his place. Jerry Stackhouse won't play either (rest).

When: 10:30 pm; Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

Where: Oracle Arena; Oakland, CA

TV: YES Network
 
The Nets try to begin a new winning streak and move above .500 on their West Coast trip tonight in Oakland against the surprising Golden State Warriors. Former YES Network Nets TV color analyst and former NBA point guard Mark Jackson is at the helm of the Warriors, who are coming off an overtime win in Dallas over the Mavericks on Monday night. Stephen Curry led Golden State in that game with 31 points, to go along with six rebounds and nine assists. Since the trade of Monta Ellis to Milwaukee last year, Curry has had to assume the point guard duties and when not injured, he has done that job well. Also in Monday night's win, David Lee went off for 17 points and 19 boards while rookie Harrison Barnes scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

As you probably already know, the Nets played last night as they watched their five-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers by a score of 95-90. The defense played by Brooklyn in that loss was very good, but the normally-apt offense wasn't, as the Nets struggled to hit open perimeter shots the entire game, which eventually cost them at the end.

However, that defeat is in the past and the Nets must look forward and focus their energies on the Warriors, who have a winning record so far this season. Even with center, and centerpiece of the Ellis trade, Andrew Bogut out due to an ankle injury, Golden State is still a very scary team to play considering how explosive they can be on the offensive end and in rebounding as well.

Game 53 Recap: Nets 102, Warriors 100

Crash was unbelievable, who needs a lottery pick?

Well, that was weird. After the first three quarters of the game in which they played their worst basketball of the season, the Nets roared back from a 19-point deficit to steal a road win from the Golden State Warriors. Golden State raced out to a quick 11-4 run to start the game off and built up that lead over the next few quarters and eventually went into full-on blow-out mode by the 4:35 mark of the 3rd quarter. At that point, the Nets had simply given up on playing defense, were taking terribly contested shots, and were committing turnovers left and right constantly.

Then, something unbelievable happened. The Nets started to actually defend some Warriors players and even made the occasional drive to the hoop. They cut the deficit to 14 points by the end of the 3rd and cut it to one point on a Deron Williams 3-pointer with 2:27 left in the game. Then, on the strength of a Kris Humphries free-throw and a few Gerald Green baskets, the Nets took their first lead of the game since holding a 4-3 early in the 1st quarter. Heck, it wasn't easy but it's result that truly matters, not how you got there.

For most of the night, offense was a real struggle for the Nets as they just couldn't knock down the same open looks that Golden State was. Deron Williams and Anthony Morrow, two of the guys that the Nets rely on the most for their offense, just couldn't get it going from the field and combined for 2-19 shooting. However, D-Will's ball-distribution skills were still present evidenced by his 20 assists. Last night's game showed just why Deron is in the top-three point guard conversation of the whole NBA; even when he doesn't have his A-game, he still makes his teammates better with his great ball movement capabilities.

Game 53 Preview: Nets (17-35) at Golden State Warriors (20-29)

Former Nets fan favorite Richard Jefferson was traded to Golden State from the Spurs on trade deadline day; one of my favorite Nets of all time

Finally, the Nets head out on the road as they look to beat a team in the Warriors who are facing tons of injury and personnel issues like the Nets are. Stephen Curry is most likely done for the season, former franchise guard Monta Ellis is gone, and recently-acquired Andrew Bogut is definitely done for the year with a sever ankle injury. The Nets aren't much better off as they only have 10 healthy players for tonight's game; Shelden and Jordan Williams along with Jordan Farmar are out while D-League call-up Dennis Horner and Anthony Morrow will be suiting up. Even with all these injuries, the Nets still have the superior talent to Golden State and should win this one easily. However, because this is the Nets we're talking about, that probably won't happen. 

Background on Golden State

As mentioned above, the Warriors don't have much healthy offensive explosiveness right now and truthfully aren;t a scary team. David Lee, who spurned the Nets in free agency a few offseasons ago in order to go to Golden State, is still a load to guard in the paint and is a double-double machine. Averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds a game this season, Lee can grab boards with the best of them in the NBA and is a great interior finisher. This could be a major problem for the undermanned and rebounding-challenged Nets who will have Johan Petro (ouch) in the starting lineup for the game.