Last game against the Raptors, the Nets had a pretty good first half, but like they tend to do, they couldn’t hold onto the lead, and the Raptors ended up pulling away late. It comes down to something we have talked about at length here. The Nets just settle for too many jumpers in the second half.
I don’t know what it is to be honest. Maybe it is because teams amp up their defense (though the Raptors are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, so you figure it out). I honestly think that the Nets get so nervous that they just want the game to end when they get the lead. They hold onto the ball at length, there isn’t a lot of passing, and the ball goes up on the outside. The Nets are going to have to play better in the second half if they are going to want to win three more games (and let’s be honest, that is the goal here). Onto the lineups (a quickie):
Devin Harris vs. Carlos Arroyo
Advantage: Devin Harris
Courtney Lee vs. Dwyane Wade
Advantage: Dwyane Wade
Terrence Williams vs. Quentin Richardson
Advantage: Push
Yi vs. Michael Beasley
Advantage: Michael Beasley
Brook Lopez vs. Jermaine O’Neal
Advantage: Brook Lopez
