Trail Blazers-Nets Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Nov 24 2012 11:27PM

It didn't take long for the Nets to start feeling at home at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The Portland Trail Blazers won't be playing at home for a while.

Brooklyn looks to extend its best home start in a decade on Sunday when Portland opens a season-high seven-game trip.

After going 9-24 at home last season when based in New Jersey, the new-look Nets (7-4) have won five of six in Brooklyn following Friday's 86-76 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Off to its best home start since opening 18-1 in 2002-03, Brooklyn limited the Clippers to 10 second-half field goals and is now holding opponents to 87.0 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting during its four-game home winning streak.

"I was talking to MarShon (Brooks) on the bench, I was like, 'Man, we're just getting stop after stop,'" center Brook Lopez said Friday. "And you know we started converting on the other end, and that was huge for us."

Lopez is a major reason the Nets are eyeing their first 5-0 stretch at home since March 4-14, 2011. He's increased his team-best scoring average to 19.4 with 71 points over the last three contests.

"I am getting a lot of easy looks thanks to them," said Lopez, who paced the Nets with 26 on Friday.

Point guard Deron Williams is among the league's best facilitators with 8.2 assists per game, but he's shooting 40.7 percent after missing 46 of 69 shots, including 22 of 30 from 3-point range, over the last six contests.

Brooklyn's Joe Johnson enjoyed his best shooting performance of the season (8 for 12) on Friday, but he's hitting a woeful 38.7 percent.

Portland's Wesley Matthews and rookie Damian Lillard have been shooting at a much higher rate. Lillard is hitting 57.7 percent from the field - including 15 of 31 from 3-point range - and scoring a team-best 23.4 points per game while helping Portland win four of five, while Matthews is averaging 19.4 points during this stretch on 52.9 percent shooting.

Matthews (30) and Lillard (28) each had season high in points and were a combined 9 for 14 from beyond the arc in Friday's 103-95 victory over Minnesota.

"They came out ready to go, made shots and that's big for us," LaMarcus Aldridge told the Blazers' official website.

Portland (6-6), though, has plenty of issues as it hits the road for seven straight against Eastern Conference opponents. The Blazers are ranked near the bottom of the league in rebounds (39.2 per game) and points per game in the paint (33.3), and their bench is averaging a NBA-worst 12.5 points.

"Sometimes it's not going to be defined by a box score or winning a certain category, it's just playing with a rhythm on the offensive end and with a certain amount of intensity and grit on the defensive end," coach Terry Stotts said after his team held the Timberwolves to 17 fourth-quarter points and 15 assists - season lows for a Blazers opponent.

Portland went 3-6 on the road versus East opponents last season.

"It's a long road trip, a lot of games," Aldridge said. "Some are decent teams so we have to be ready to go."

The Trail Blazers have won 13 of 17 in this series following a 101-88 victory on April 4. Portland won four straight at the Nets before losing 98-96 in its last visit on Nov. 28, 2010.

Johnson helps Nets beat Trail Blazers 98-85

Posted Nov 25 2012 8:22PM

NEW YORK (AP) The Brooklyn Nets looked as if they were thinking ahead to their first matchup against the crosstown New York Knicks for the first three quarters Sunday.

Deron Williams had 15 points, 12 assists, four blocked shots and three steals, and the Nets used a run early in the fourth to break open a tie game and beat the Portland Trail Blazers 98-85 on Sunday.

Reserve forward Reggie Evans said "we didn't have no energy, no life" until he and his teammates turned up their offensive and defensive effort in the fourth quarter just like they did on Friday night in a victory against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It goes to show when it comes time to buckle down and get stops, we can make something happen. We just have to try to that in the first three quarters and not just in the fourth," said Joe Johnson, who scored 21 points.

The Nets' much talked about first game in their new home against the Knicks was postponed on opening day because of Superstorm Sandy and was rescheduled for Monday night.

Kris Humphries had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Brooklyn, which was looking forward to the Knicks and a crowd that they hope will be on their side as opposed to past few years when the teams met in New Jersey.

"There's going to be more energy. Each play is going to be bigger. So I think it's tough because of the atmosphere but we have to come out and execute, not get caught up in the Nets-Knicks thing," Humphries said.

Said Williams: "There's definitely going to be some Knicks fans in there but I don't think it will be as bad as it was last year."

The Knicks are 9-3 and have the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Nets are right behind them at 8-4.

Brook Lopez had 15 for Brooklyn, which has won five straight games at Barclays Center. The 6-1 beginning on the new home court is the Nets' best start since the 2002-03 season when they won 18 of their first 19 at home in New Jersey.

Brooklyn headed into the fourth quarter tied 70-all after reserve guard Marshawn Brooks' layup with 1.7 seconds left in the third. Both teams quickly exchanged leads in the opening minutes of the final quarter before the Nets went on a 9-0 run and never looked back.

With the scored tied 74-all with 8:32 remaining, Johnson found C.J. Watson open near the Portland bench for a 3-pointer that gave the Nets the lead for good with 8:14 remaining. Evans was then fouled and made a pair of free throws to make it 79-74 and after Damion Lillard lost the ball out of bounds, Evans found an open Lopez for a dunk and after Lillard missed an 18-footer, Johnson's floater increased the lead to 83-74.

Portland's J.J. Hickson then broke the scoreless run with a layup to cut the Nets' lead to 83-76. Lopez answered with a shot off the glass.

"There was a sense of urgency," Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "We talked about it at halftime. I was really disappointed with our defense at halftime."

Brooklyn held Portland to 19-of-43 shooting from the field and 5 of 10 beyond the arc in the first half but in the fourth quarter held the Trail Blazers to only six baskets.

"We kind of let it slip away in the fourth quarter. The rebounding hurt us. Brooklyn is a big physical team and that may have had an effect on us on offense late in the game," Portland coach Terry Stotts said.

The Trail Blazers were out-rebounded 48-34 by Brooklyn and had 16 turnovers, including seven in the final quarter.

Wesley Matthews scored 20 points and J.J. Hickson had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who were without LaMarcus Aldridge. The All-Star forward was out with a stiff back.

Rookie Damion Lillard added 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists. The Blazers selected Lillard with the first-round draft pick they acquired in the Gerald Wallace trade with the Nets last spring.

"They made shots and we didn't. I think we fought the whole game and we kept ourselves in position to win the game," Lillard said.

"To be without our best player and come to Brooklyn and then have a chance down the stretch . Just to be in that position without LaMarcus says a lot about our team," he added.

Deron Williams, who again struggled with his shot, made a 3-pointer that upped the lead to 92-80 and then found Humphries for a layup to extend the lead to 94-80 with 1:57 remaining.

Andray Blatche scored 13 and Evans had 14 boards, a new season high.

Nicolas Batum and Meyers Leonard each scored 12 for Portland.

NOTES: Aldridge, a game-time decision, received treatment earlier Sunday from the training staff and was in uniform but never entered into the game. . Portland's game in Brooklyn was the first of a seven-game, 11-day road trip, their longest this season. . Nets point guard Williams had a career-high four blocked shots.

Notebook: Nets 98, Blazers 85

Jake Appleman, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Nov 25, 2012 6:40 PM - Updated Sun Nov 25, 2012 6:40 PM

THE FACTS: Tied 70-70 heading into the fourth quarter, the Nets ran away from the Trail Blazers, finishing a sluggish Sunday afternoon with a flurry. Five Nets finished in double figures in the 98-85 win, led by Joe Johnson's 21 points (11 in the first quarter). Kris Humphries (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Reggie Evans (14 rebounds) put in excellent, efficient work at the power forward position. Wesley Matthews paced the LaMarcus Aldridge-less Trail Blazers with 20 points.

QUOTABLE: "There was a sense of urgency. We talked about it at halftime. I was really disappointed with our defense in the first half. They responded." -- Nets Coach Avery Johnson

THE STAT: The Blazers bench did not score for the first 3 quarters. Sasha Pavlovic broke the scoreless streak early in the fourth quarter with a pretty fadeaway.

TURNING POINT: Evans picked up a loose ball and shoveled a pass to Brook Lopez (15 points, 8 rebounds) for a dunk to give the Nets an 81-74 lead. The play signified that the Nets were taking full control of the game.

QUOTABLE II: "To be without our best player and come to Brooklyn and then have a chance down the stretch; it just came to them making shots down the stretch and we didn't." -- Damian Lillard

INSIDE THE ARENA: Well short of a sellout, the crowd lacked enthusiasm for much of the afternoon. ... Former Mets and Yankees outfielder Daryl Strawberry attended the game. Strawberry also went to the Pistons-Knicks game at Madison Square Garden earlier in the day. ... A fan proposed to girlfriend on the Jumbotron. She said yes and then "Let's Get Married" by Jagged Edge blared through the arena loudspeakers.

ROOKIE WATCH: Lillard had an uneven performance, per his stellar early season standards, and he battled foul trouble, but he still finished with a respectable 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. Meyers Leonard (12 points, three rebounds), starting for Aldridge, made some good contributions inside, spanning late first into the second quarter, but was quieted in the second half. Joel Freeland grabbed one rebound and turned the ball over twice in 12-plus minutes of action.

NOTABLE: Matthews led the Blazers back late in the first quarter, scoring eight points as the team mounted its comeback following a slow start. ... Lopez crashed hard on the floor in the middle of the second, fouled by Leonard. ... Humphries made an impressive mid-air rejection of a Matthews dunk attempt midway through the third quarter. ... Deron Williams (15 points, 12 assists) continued to struggle with his shot but quarterbacked the Nets well and finished with a career-high four blocked shots, a few on Lillard, staying aggressive through pick-and-roll coverage. ... The loss began a seven-game road trip for the Blazers.

UP NEXT: For the Trail Blazers, Monday @ Detroit, Wednesday @ Washington, Friday @ Boston. For the Nets, Monday vs. New York, Wednesday @ Boston, Friday @ Orlando.

• Trail Blazers: Claver, Williams
• Nets: Shengelia, Teletovic

• Trail Blazers: Hickson, Jeffries
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #36 David Jones, #79 Kevin Scott
• Attendance: 16542
• Duration: 2:12