Man of Steel
02-29-2008, 10:59 PM
Harris' debut is making Nets fans and the media to openly state--
JASON WHO?
Jason who? Devin Harris stars in debut as Nets topple Bucks
BY JULIAN GARCIA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Friday, February 29th 2008, 4:00 AM
Devin Harris drives to the basket during his impressive Nets' debut on Thursday night. Keivom/News
Devin Harris drives to the basket during his impressive Nets' debut on Thursday night.
There were just over two minutes left in the Nets' 120-106 victory over the Bucks on Thursday night when what remained of an announced crowd of 14,034 at the Meadowlands started chanting, "Devin Harris! Devin Harris!"
In New Jersey, that translates to "Jason who?"
It didn't take long for the Nets' new point guard to erase some of the bitter memories left behind by their old one. Harris, the key piece the Nets got back in the eight-player trade that sent Kidd to Dallas on Feb. 19, provided the kind of energetic spark that Kidd used to ignite long before he demanded to be traded earlier this season.
Playing for the first time since suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain on Jan. 27, Harris scored 21 points and handed out five assists in nearly 21minutes in his Nets' debut. After coming off the bench with 2:30 left in the first quarter, Harris flashed game-changing skills, helping the Nets turn a tight game into one they had full control of from that point on.
After replacing starter Marcus Williams with the game tied at 22, Harris fueled a 10-1 run, handing out an assist and making two three-point plays as the Nets went into the second quarter up by nine.
He then scored 10 points in the second, finishing his first half in a Nets uniform with 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting and helping the Nets take a 68-55 lead into the break.
"It's great," said Harris, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday. "I couldn't have scripted it any better, playing well and the team wins."
"That was a very, very impressive performance to say the least, for him to impact the way he did," said Lawrence Frank.
Harris' influence was obvious. The Nets (26-32) shot 70% for most of the first half and scored 25 fast-break points overall. They also set a season-high for points scored.
Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson each scored 19 points, Josh Boone had 14 and Williams, starting for the fifth time since the Kidd trade, had 11 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Bostjan Nachbar scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, burying a trio of three-pointers over a span of 1:50 to help the Nets pull away. Michael Redd scored 33 points to lead Milwaukee (22-36).
With the Nets nursing a nine-point lead late in the third, Carter shared Harris' first highlight reel moment, pulling an underhanded lob pass out of the air for an electrifying alley-oop. With Harris practicing only once with his new team, the new backcourt tandem did not have time to rehearse such a move, and Carter "wasn't quite sure if he threw lobs or not" when they were racing up court side-by-side.
"He's quick in the open floor," Carter said. "I was just trying to stay close."
Before the game, Harris wasn't concerned with the task of filling Kidd's shoes, even saying he thinks he's "a little bit faster than (Kidd) is" and that he "can shoot it just a little bit better" than Kidd can.
Harris then backed up his words, knocking down each of his three 3-point shots in the opening half and driving for layups and a couple of assists.
"When you're making perimeter shots like he is, as fast as he is, that's a really hard (guy to) cover," said Frank. "And then he made some great passes. . . . He really was special tonight."
JASON WHO?
Jason who? Devin Harris stars in debut as Nets topple Bucks
BY JULIAN GARCIA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Friday, February 29th 2008, 4:00 AM
Devin Harris drives to the basket during his impressive Nets' debut on Thursday night. Keivom/News
Devin Harris drives to the basket during his impressive Nets' debut on Thursday night.
There were just over two minutes left in the Nets' 120-106 victory over the Bucks on Thursday night when what remained of an announced crowd of 14,034 at the Meadowlands started chanting, "Devin Harris! Devin Harris!"
In New Jersey, that translates to "Jason who?"
It didn't take long for the Nets' new point guard to erase some of the bitter memories left behind by their old one. Harris, the key piece the Nets got back in the eight-player trade that sent Kidd to Dallas on Feb. 19, provided the kind of energetic spark that Kidd used to ignite long before he demanded to be traded earlier this season.
Playing for the first time since suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain on Jan. 27, Harris scored 21 points and handed out five assists in nearly 21minutes in his Nets' debut. After coming off the bench with 2:30 left in the first quarter, Harris flashed game-changing skills, helping the Nets turn a tight game into one they had full control of from that point on.
After replacing starter Marcus Williams with the game tied at 22, Harris fueled a 10-1 run, handing out an assist and making two three-point plays as the Nets went into the second quarter up by nine.
He then scored 10 points in the second, finishing his first half in a Nets uniform with 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting and helping the Nets take a 68-55 lead into the break.
"It's great," said Harris, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday. "I couldn't have scripted it any better, playing well and the team wins."
"That was a very, very impressive performance to say the least, for him to impact the way he did," said Lawrence Frank.
Harris' influence was obvious. The Nets (26-32) shot 70% for most of the first half and scored 25 fast-break points overall. They also set a season-high for points scored.
Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson each scored 19 points, Josh Boone had 14 and Williams, starting for the fifth time since the Kidd trade, had 11 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Bostjan Nachbar scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, burying a trio of three-pointers over a span of 1:50 to help the Nets pull away. Michael Redd scored 33 points to lead Milwaukee (22-36).
With the Nets nursing a nine-point lead late in the third, Carter shared Harris' first highlight reel moment, pulling an underhanded lob pass out of the air for an electrifying alley-oop. With Harris practicing only once with his new team, the new backcourt tandem did not have time to rehearse such a move, and Carter "wasn't quite sure if he threw lobs or not" when they were racing up court side-by-side.
"He's quick in the open floor," Carter said. "I was just trying to stay close."
Before the game, Harris wasn't concerned with the task of filling Kidd's shoes, even saying he thinks he's "a little bit faster than (Kidd) is" and that he "can shoot it just a little bit better" than Kidd can.
Harris then backed up his words, knocking down each of his three 3-point shots in the opening half and driving for layups and a couple of assists.
"When you're making perimeter shots like he is, as fast as he is, that's a really hard (guy to) cover," said Frank. "And then he made some great passes. . . . He really was special tonight."