Krstic Returns, Nets Beat Knicks

By Matthew McQueeny, NJNets.com
October 18, 2007

Before Nenad Krstic was to play his first game in 10 months, Head Coach Lawrence Frank said the expectations and mission for the night were simple.

“Just get his feet wet, let him taste the game,” said Frank.

“I think he’s real excited to taste it a little bit. Let him get winded, and try to get his second wind, and go from there.”

From first tip, however, it was apparent that Krstic seemed driven for more than a just a taste. In the Nets 110-94 home preseason debut win tonight against the Knicks, The 24 year-old Center, coming off of surgery and rehabilitation for a torn ACL in his knee, played like he’d never been gone. He played like he had never missed those 56 games across last winter and then all of the playoffs.

He slotted in, starting alongside Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Darrell Armstrong, and displayed the skills that have made him a threat over his first couple of seasons. The whole arsenal was on display.

Krstic started all scoring off in the game with a lay-up, on a nifty feed from Darrell Armstrong. There’s got to be rust on the long-range shot though, right? Not so. At the 9:13 mark of the first, he hit a 22-foot jump shot from the top-of-the-key. Thirty-five seconds later he hit a baseline turnaround jumper. With 5:47 to go in the first, he hit another straightaway jumper, putting the Nets up 20-15. Krstic went 4-of-4 in the quarter, scoring seven, before being substituted for by Malik Allen at the 5:32 mark.

New Jersey led 33-27 after one. Richard Jefferson scored nine, Vince Carter seven.

Krstic subbed back in with 9:04 in the second; he hit a three-pointer – perhaps a new part of the repertoire – from straightaway with just over five minutes to go before the half. The shot put the Nets up 44-31, capping a 20-6 run between the first two quarters.

In the first half and in what turned out to be Krstic’s entire game, the four-year pro played 15:32, went 5-of-5 from the field, and scored 11.

“With Curly, he was much better than I thought he was going to be," said Frank. "He came in and got an easy bucket early and then he made his perimeter jump shots. He moved well defensively. For a first outing you probably couldn’t ask for a better taste. Physically, he felt good; he was able to produce on the offensive end. I thought it was encouraging.”

“Obviously, he looked very good,” said front-court counterpart Malik Allen.

“After coming off the type of injury he had, he looked good. Like he picked up right where he left off. With an injury like that, he’s going to have days where he feels good, better than others. But tonight he looked great, he looked like he belonged out there. He picked up right where he left off before he got injured.”

New York, however, went into the half on a 16-4 run, cutting to within a point (48-47).

The Nets came out of the half on a 17-5 run. Jefferson and Carter split 10 points in the run. New Jersey held a lead as high as 16 and went into the fourth up 86-72. Jefferson scored 15 in the third, Carter scored 11. The duo was 9-of-10 from the field.

Malik Allen hit consecutive pick-and-roll jumpers – one at the free-throw line, one on the left baseline – to put the Nets up 93-79. When Josh Boone hit an and-one baby right hook, the Nets led by 21 (105-85).

The Nets won – albeit in preseason – and they got their big man back on the court. Krstic was happy just to be back out there with his team.

“I’m really happy to be back on the court. I really don’t care about shots. I made a couple of shots. For me it doesn’t matter. Just to be back on the court after 10 months is a really great feeling.”

Kidd Update: Jason Kidd was not present at the game. He had an MRI today for his back and had an epidural administered. The coach gave up-to-date information before the game.

“The decision was this – and it was Jason’s decision – stay on the anti-inflammatory or get the epidural shot. And what the epidural shot does is it speeds up the process a little bit. So he chose the epidural shot. You need to get the MRI so you know exactly where to put the epidural shot. So the doctors were very happy with the way I went. I spoke to him a half hour ago. He has to kind of lay low right now and just rest. He feels better. Four days ago the guy couldn’t move, so he’s made significant progress and hopefully he continues to make progress and we can get him on the court next week.”

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