EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—Sunday at the IZOD Center, the Nets raced out to a 25-22 first-quarter lead against the Philadelphia 76ers, but scored only 31 points in the second half, losing in the final minute for a second straight game. Jarvis Hayes took a three-pointer with 8.9 seconds left that could have tied the game, but airballed the shot under heavy pressure from Andre Iguodala. The Nets played tough defense for a third consecutive contest, allowing the Sixers only 83 points on .365 shooting.

For the full recap, read Bob Considine’s story on NBA.com: Click Here

Hayes Can't Convert a Second Shot
A night after missing what would’ve been a game-winning three-pointer, Jarvis Hayes got another chance, this time eyeballing a tie.

Trailing 81-77 with 22.1 seconds remaining in Sunday’s matchup with the 76ers, the Nets called a 20-second timeout. Philadelphia forward Elton Brand – a .750 percent free-throw shooter – had just missed a pair, giving the Nets renewed life in a game that gradually slipped away after a 25-22 first-quarter lead.

They condensed a full-court play into halfcourt form, running several flares in an attempt to not only burn clock, but also free Hayes or Keyon Dooling for a three. To that point, Hayes had connected on 4-of-7 long-range attempts, including two in the fourth quarter; Dooling was 1-of-6, though his .333 season mark is second on the team.

But the Sixers’ defenders switched at every opportunity, gumming up the works and leaving Hayes to take a contested catch-and-shoot trey from the elbow. Hayes thought he got a good look, but with Andre Iguodala flying at him, he caught nothing but air. A season-high 18 points and eight rebounds proved futile.

“No moral victories,” Hayes said. “We played hard, but we still got the ‘L’. We can take bits and pieces of it and try to translate it into practice and the next game, but it doesn’t feel any better.”

Nets coach and GM Kiki Vandeweghe took responsibility for the play call, acknowledging that the switches and the team’s lack of familiarity with the halfcourt version, fogged the execution. But he remained high on Hayes, praising the swingman’s defense and rebounding, part of a team-wide effort that led to a 50-47 advantage on the boards and the Sixers shooting only .365.

The seventh-year veteran readily admits he’s still working his body into shape after a 32-game layoff due to a torn hamstring. The injury came only two minutes into Hayes’ initial appearance in the season opener, as he chased down the Timberwolves’ Ryan Hollins on the break. That killed the momentum Hayes had built following his first fully healthy offseason in years.

“You can’t speed time up, as much as you want to,” Hayes said. “You want to fast-forward it until you’re in midseason form, because we’re in midseason right now. But unfortunately I can’t. I missed 32 games. I’m working my way back, I feel great, but I’m still getting there.”

T-Will Taking It Up a Notch
After getting 26 ½ minutes against the Sixers, Terrence Williams has played at least 15 minutes in six straight games after doing so only once in the previous eight. The rookie swingman has earned the extended run by contributing across the board, and allowing his offense to come in the flow of the game, as evidenced by Sunday's line of six points, 11 rebounds, three assists and a steal against only one turnover.

Despite scoring only 6.3 PPG during that stretch, Williams is also averaging 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals. Williams has committed only 10 turnovers and shot 16-of-39 from the field (.410). The rebound, assist and FG% numbers for the six games are each above his season averages, backing up his assertion that he’s made the most impact with his passing and defense.

At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Williams has been asked to guard players 1 through 4 at various points, and was responsible for covering Sixers from Willie Green (6-3, 201) to Andre Iguodala (6-6, 207) and Thaddeus Young (6-8, 220). Williams often runs the point in practice, going up against Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling, but also gets to mark swingmen like Chris Douglas-Roberts and Courtney Lee, which provides enough variety that he’s comfortable switching his assignment throughout a game.

“When you guard the point guard, you know you’re going to jab at him and get back on defense; you aren’t really pressuring,” Williams said. “When you guard somebody like Iguodala, who is a great player, you try to take him out of his sweet spot and contest his shot. It’s kind of easy to adjust.”

Getting Defensive
After seven-straight double-digit losses, the Nets have begun to tighten up on defense, holding three consecutive opponents below 90 points and allowing no better than .421 shooting.

Though the offense matched the intensity against the Clippers in Wednesday’s 103-87 victory, topping 100 points and 53-percent shooting, it fizzled in the fourth quarter against Washington (13 points) and the final three quarters against Philadelphia. The droughts have left the Nets with a 1-2 record despite taking both of the losses down to the final minute.

“This was a stretch we looked at as an opportunity to win, put some wins together and unfortunately, we weren't able to do it,” said point guard Keyon Dooling. “We started out pretty good against the Clippers but the last two we just haven't had enough to get over the hump.”

Couple Quick Ones
Brook Lopez tied Hayes for the team lead with 18 points, adding nine rebounds and three blocks...Yi Jianlian, who hit the late three that pulled the Nets within three points, finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and three steals...Keyon Dooling dished a game-high seven assists, also scoring 13 points, in his fifth start of the season...

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