MIAMI, FL. — Deron Williams had just banked in a prayer three-point attempt as the third-quarter buzzer sounded, cutting the Heat lead to 79-66 with 12 minutes left and giving the Nets a sliver of an opening.
But Nets coach Jason Kidd elected to sit his starters for most of the fourth quarter, playing Kevin Garnett for just 76 seconds and sitting Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Paul Pierce entirely.
Kidd said he wanted to see if the bench could get them into single digits. “I wanted to give those guys, the starters, a break,” Kidd said at the podium just after the loss. “Give them some rest. When we went with that group, I thought that group could make some shots, but also get some stops and get it to where it’s under 10, and then go from there. But it never happened.”
Kidd defended the decision Wednesday afternoon at the team’s practice. “We all trust one another and that is what this team is all about,” Kidd told reporters. “We are a team, it is not an individual. It is not just a head coach. Not just a 19-year player. We are the Brooklyn Nets, and that is what we stand for, trusting one another. When things are tough and things are good, we continue to rely on one another and that is what makes this a special group.”
Players defended their coach for doing what he felt was right, though they all agreed they wanted to play. “We’d love to get back out there, But that was coach’s decision,” Williams said after the game. “He probably just felt like 20 points is tough to overcome at that point in the game. But as a player you definitely want to be out there.”
Garnett kept it sharp and concise when asked about returning to the game in the fourth for less than 90 seconds. “Kidd told me to sub for Mason. And then he subbed me out. Following directions, dog, following directions.”
But fans didn’t much like Kidd’s strategy:
So Jason Kidd gave up on this game with 9 min. to go in the 4th Quarter? #Nets were only down 13 points. Onto Game 2 it is… #BKNvsMIA
— Tyler Young (@TylerMYoung2) May 7, 2014
anyone esle think the #Nets gave tup in and cleared the bench too early in this one? #HeatNation
— Teeroy (@GTroj79) May 7, 2014
Jason Kidd's is such a rookie. It shows. He gave up. Bullshit. This is the playoffs. You fight until the very last second #nets
— IsaYankeeDiva (@IsaYankeeDiva) May 7, 2014
#Brooklyn still has no starters in the game. I'm not sure I like that coaching decision by Jason Kid. #Heat 96 #Nets 77 #NBAPlayoffs
— GC Kokell (@REALCOACHK) May 7, 2014
And Kidd still doesn't enter a starter…. Only the most expensive team EVER assembled in #NBA history. Yea, I'd sit em too. LMFAO #Nets
— Robert Spahn (@rspahn4) May 7, 2014
Jason Kidd should have given the starters a shot in the 4th. Probably still would have lost but it's the goddam playoffs. #Nets
— Paul Myron (@pmyron41) May 7, 2014
#Nets threw in the towel at the start of the 4th quarter, the hell?
— Coach Sarow (@dSarow0220) May 7, 2014
Check out the #Nets giving up in game 1! I feel a #sweep coming on….
— Blake Startz (@Startz_B) May 7, 2014
Check out the #Nets giving up in game 1! I feel a #sweep coming on….
— Blake Startz (@Startz_B) May 7, 2014
@TheBKGame Absolutely! How can you bench your starters the entire 4th Q, especially after D-Will's buzzer beater? Could've built momentum
— Lee Tawil (@LeeTawil) May 7, 2014
But not everyone minded:
@TheBKGame Right move by Kidd Nets looked off tonight coming off game 7 Sunday….better to regroup for game 2 weren't winning tonight
— LouAlbanese (@loualbanese) May 7, 2014
@TheBKGame Jason Kidd has been in way too many games he knows when they should give up and when they shouldn't
— grapefruit (@superdanUUu) May 7, 2014
@TheBKGame @MeowKitten_LSD im all for it. Game was lost. Regroup for game 2. Too many coaches wouldn't do that. That's y I love Kidd
— RJC (@Rob_Starrk) May 7, 2014
@TheBKGame never gonna win this game.
— Matt Engel (@mreng220) May 7, 2014
Reporting by Devin Kharpertian
