Nets-Bobcats Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Mar 03 2012 3:10PM

An inability to string together wins continues to frustrate the New Jersey Nets. A visit to Charlotte could help them begin a run in a positive direction.

The Nets look to bounce back from their latest defeat and hand the lowly Bobcats an eighth consecutive home loss Sunday night.

New Jersey (11-26) has alternated wins and losses over its last six contests following a season-high eight-game skid. While the Nets' last three victories came against Chicago, New York and Dallas, they've been unable to build on any of those impressive performances in their next contest. They have posted back-to-back victories once this season.

Coming off a 93-92 road win over the Mavericks on Tuesday, New Jersey took a step back with a 107-94 loss at Boston on Friday. The Nets went 5 for 19 from 3-point range and committed 20 turnovers while allowing the aging Celtics to shoot 51.7 percent.

"We've had a history of having a really good win and then following it up with a very bad loss," point guard Deron Williams said. "We're very inconsistent as a team right now."

New Jersey hopes to start building some consistency in Charlotte, where the Bobcats (4-30) have dropped a franchise-record seven straight at home.

The Nets won their last visit to Charlotte, 94-89 on Feb. 11, 2011, and they took the only meeting this season as MarShon Brooks scored 20 points in a 97-87 home win Jan. 22.

Teammate Brook Lopez missed that game while recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, and the Bobcats should be concerned about seeing him in the rematch. Lopez had 38 points in his third game of the season Tuesday, then scored 28 on Friday.

He's scored 31 in each of his last two games against the Bobcats, and could be in for another big night if Charlotte starting center Bismack Biyombo misses a second straight contest with a shoulder injury.

As Lopez has emerged, Williams has quieted down. He's been held to 12 points in each of the last two games after averaging 28.3 in the previous seven.

The Bobcats have struggled offensively all season, averaging an NBA-low 86.3 points. They were held below 80 for the 11th time this season and shot 37.3 percent in a 102-72 loss at San Antonio on Friday, their fourth straight defeat.

The starting backcourt of Gerald Henderson and D.J. Augustin combined for 10 points on 5-of-21 shooting. Charlotte went 3 of 16 from 3-point range.

"I just think as a group we're not shooting the ball well at all," said Corey Maggette, who was 4 of 12 from the field. "We've got to be a better shooting team."

Augustin is shooting 26.8 percent during the four-game skid. Rookie Kemba Walker has shot 10 for 30 over the last three.

The Bobcats have made 38.4 percent overall during the seven-game skid at Charlotte Arena while being outscored by an average of 17.6 points. They're 2-12 at home.

Henderson, who averages a team-leading 14.6 points, has totaled 21 in two games since missing nine with a hamstring injury.

Williams scores 57 as Nets dump Bobcats 104-101

By STEVE REED
Posted Mar 04 2012 10:16PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Deron Williams' eyes grew a little wider when he realized the Charlotte Bobcats had opted not to double-team him off pick and rolls.

It's something he hadn't seen all season.

"I'm used to getting double-teamed on those," Williams said. "It's kind of refreshing not to be."

Williams took full advantage, scoring a franchise-record 57 points to lift the New Jersey Nets to a 104-101 victory over the Bobcats on Sunday night. That's the most points scored in the NBA this season and breaks the team record of 52 points shared by Mike Newlin and Ray Williams.

It was the second-most points scored against the Bobcats, one shy of Kobe Bryant's 58 in 2006.

Williams, who came into the game averaging 21.7 points per game, shot 16 of 29 from the field and was a perfect 21 for 21 from the free-throw line. He did miss one at one free throw, but the Bobcats were called for a lane violation and it didn't count.

Williams was surprised when a teammate told him he had 39 points at the end of the third quarter, three shy of his personal career-best set April 6, 2010, against Oklahoma City.

"You really don't pay attention to it," Williams said. "It's just one of those games where you start feeling good and let it go."

Coach Avery Johnson called Williams' effort unbelievable.

"He really was focused," Johnson said. "He was well-rested. He made a lot of shots yesterday in our mini-practice and it carried over into tonight's game. We were going back and forth on whether to have a shootaround this morning and we opted for rest. And he was pretty fresh."

Added teammate Sheldon Williams: "When someone is hitting like that you want to keep going to the well until it runs dry. It never did tonight."

However, not all went right for the Nets on this night as starting center Brook Lopez rolled his right ankle and left the locker room on crutches.

Lopez, who made his season debut on Feb. 19 after missing the Nets' first 32 games while recovering from a broken right foot, had an X-ray but will be reevaluated on Monday, according to Johnson.

"It's a tough situation for him, especially coming back from the foot situation," Johnson said. "We're going to get him checked out tomorrow. We'll know more when we find out."

Afterward, Bobcats coach Paul Silas wasn't apologizing for his team's approach to defending Williams with one man.

"You can do one of two things: you can try to stop him and double him and leave other players wide open or guard everybody," Silas said. "I thought that's mainly what kept us in the game. Nobody else was doing anything (for them). It gave us a chance."

Corey Maggette had 24 points and Gerald Henderson added 15 for the Bobcats, who've now lost five straight and 21 of their last 22.

The Nets trailed by eight at halftime but took the lead thanks to Williams, who scored 22 points in the third quarter when he simply dominated Charlotte's smaller guards D.J. Augustin and Kemba Walker.

Williams did just about everything right, adding six rebounds and seven assists. He also converted a four-point play after getting fouled while knocking down a 3-pointer from the wing.

With the Nets leading 96-94 with 1:04 remaining, Kris Humphries missed two free throws but Sheldon Williams got a key momentum-turning rebound and called timeout. Deron Williams hit a big jumper to give the Nets a four-point lead and Sheldon Williams followed by converting a three-point play off a pretty pass from Jordan Farmar.

The Bobcats would cut the lead to two with 3.5 seconds left, but MarShon Brooks knocked down one of two free throws with 1.7 seconds left. The Bobcats had a final chance to tie the game but Augustin's off-balanced heave from 20 feet didn't hit the rim.

"We didn't give up," Silas said. "That was a great thing. In the last 1.7 seconds, we didn't execute that play particularly well. But we did have a chance. That shows me that we are getting there. It's certainly not there yet. But we are striving to get there. At least we're not just giving up and letting teams just run over us. If we continue to do this, we'll be OK."

The Nets got 11 points and 13 rebounds from Humphries to win their 12th game this season.

The Bobcats led by as many as 16 in the first half, the first time they've held a double-digit lead since Feb. 4 at Phoenix.

Walker had 14 points and Augustin and Byron Mullens each added 12 for the Bobcats.

NOTES: The Bobcats, who have the NBA's worst record, scored 100 points for the first time in 22 games. They hadn't reached that feat since scoring 112 in a win against Golden State on Jan. 14 which was the beginning of their season downfall.

Notebook: Nets 104, Bobcats 101

Posted Sunday March 4, 2012 9:48PM

By Brian Joura, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Deron Williams scored the most points in a game so far in the 2011-12 NBA season and the Nets needed nearly every one of them as they held on for a 104-101 win over the Bobcats Sunday night in Charlotte.

Williams had a career-high 57 points, six more than Kevin Durant's previous season-best mark. He went 16-29 from the floor, hit four 3-point buckets and was a perfect 21-21 from the foul line.

Williams tallied 22 points in the third quarter alone, which allowed the Nets to rally from an eight-point halftime deficit.

The Nets built a 101-94 lead with 37 seconds remaining but had to sweat out the final seconds as D.J. Augustin's long-distance three-pointer failed at the buzzer.

QUOTABLE: "I think we're a much better team when Deron's aggressive. We're going to be a much better team not only when Brook (Lopez) scores but when Deron scores the basketball."
-- Nets coach Avery Johnson prior to the game

THE STAT: The 57 points scored by Williams was the second-most ever against the Bobcats. Kobe Bryant put up 58 against Charlotte on December 29, 2006.

TURNING POINT: The Bobcats had a 16-point lead late in the second quarter, which the Nets whittled down to nine at the half. When Kemba Walker came on after Augustin picked up his fourth foul with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter, Williams scored the next 15 points for New Jersey, giving the visitors a five-point lead.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Walker came onto the court late in the first quarter wearing neon-orange shoes.

ROOKIE WATCH: Walker scored 14 points and was 8-8 from the free-throw line.

NOTABLE: Williams' previous high for points this year was 38 points, which he eclipsed in the third quarter. His previous career-high was 42 points, which he netted on April 6, 2010 versus Oklahoma City.

NOTABLE II: This was the first time in 21 games that the Bobcats reached triple-digits in points.

UP NEXT: For the Bobcats, Tuesday vs. Magic, Wednesday vs Jazz, Friday vs. Nets. For the Nets, Tuesday @ Miami, Wednesday vs. Clippers, Friday at Charlotte.

• Nets: James, Williams
• Bobcats: Biyombo, Williams

• Nets: --
• Bobcats: Henderson, Walker

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
• Officials: #22 Bill Spooner, #9 Derrick Stafford, #63 Derek Richardson, #11 Derrick Collins
• Attendance: 13564
• Duration: 2:35