Injury ravaged New Jersey Nets knock over Indiana Pacers 100-84 - NBA Recap
On Wednesday night the New Jersey Nets finally managed to get the better of Indiana Pacers for the 1st time in 11 tries with a 100-84 win at the Prudential Center.
Deron Williams paced the Nets with a game high 30 points on 11 for 19 from the field and 9 assists, allowing only 1 turnover. He was jubilant over the victory.
"This was probably our best home win of the season against a playoff team,"
Rookie MarShon Brooks netted 17 and Gerald Green collected 14 points coming off the bench for the injury prone Nets, who were playing with only 8 healthy players. Forward Kris Humphries poured in 12 points and had 8 boards while
Gerald Wallace chipped in with 10 points in New Jersey’s 2nd victory in last 8 games.
Indiana stepped inside the arena after beating Miami Heat but their confidence proved to be counterproductive. Pacers had only 3 players in double figure index. Paul George led the team with 22 points while reserve Tyler Hansbrough
collected 13points.
David West netted 12 and was greatly exasperated by the outcome, especially after losing against the bottom feeders with a double digit margin.
"We just can't come out and play like this against a team like the Nets. We're the ones fighting for playoff position and we've got something to play for. It's just embarrassing."
Pacers displayed tepid resistance in the first 3 frames but they completely melted down in the 4th allowing Nets to take over. After some back and forth action in the 1st frame, the Nets took a 24-16 advantage
but the Pacers shaved that off to 25-22 with a 6-1 run right at the end.
New Jersey opened the 2nd period with a 6-nothing spurt and widened the gap to 31-22. The Pacers however bounced back with a 13-4 burst and the game was tied at 35 apiece with 5:31 in hand.
In the passage that followed, the Nets blew away with a14-6 burst claiming a 49-41 advantage. By the end of 1st half Pacers could only reduce the gap to 49-43.
In the third frame, Indiana made a push and managed to get as close as 62-60, but their efforts to switch places with Nets couldn’t bear fruit as New Jersey capped off the segment holding on to their slender 69-67 lead.
Nets switched gears in the decisive frame and ripped off a 20-8 spurt to muster a 89-75 lead. They didn’t look back afterwards and reeled off another 11-4 run claiming an insurmountable 100-79 lead with 2:04 to expire.
The baffled Indiana could only reduce the margin of their defeat to 100-84 by the end of 4th quarter.
Paul George admitted that his team didn’t consider Nets a worthy opponent in the start as a result they had to suffer at the progeny of their own hands.
"We have to approach these teams like they're the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls and stop looking past the teams that are sub-0.500. We let Deron Williams just take over."
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