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They have to play the entire SW division on the road in consecutive games? Ouch. That's a 1-4 trip for just about any team. Well, maybe 0-5 for Miami.
I'm getting an early start. I'll get the AP and Spurs previews in when they come out.
The Nets play all 5 teams in the Southwest division in this 7 day trip. Damn.
http://www.nba.com/nets/news/Nets_Southwest_3_3_08.html
Nets Head to the Southwest
By Matt McQueeny, NJNets.com
East Rutherford, N.J. -- Even with their 93-83 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night, the Nets (26-33) still toe their own playoff destiny. As they hold down the eighth seed – the Atlanta Hawks are a game behind, the Philadelphia 76ers a half game in front – they would be in the playoffs if the NBA all of the sudden shifted to a 59-game schedule.
Obviously, that has not happened but the fact remains that the playoffs are in their sights.
But now it gets tough. The team boarded the buses and headed for the charter at around 1pm today on their way deep into the heart of Texas. Beginning in San Antonio on Tuesday, the Nets will play the entire Southwest Division – that’s five teams - on the road over a seven-day period. Memphis is not very good, currently at 14-45, but the other four teams – the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets, Houston Rockets, and Spurs – all have at least 39 wins on the season. Only two teams in the entire Eastern Conference can claim the same.
As of Monday, the combined record of New Jersey’s opponents on the trip is 172-122. Excluding Memphis, it’s 158-77. At home, those top four teams are a combined 90-27.
This is all daunting when you look at the trip as a whole but for the team it will be important to take it all one game at a time.
“I think we have to embrace the challenge,” said Head Coach Lawrence Frank, before packing up his bags. “The whole trip – you look at it – is going to be a great challenge and you look forward to it.”
“We’re excited about it,” said Richard Jefferson.
“It’s not different than any west coast trip, or than this trip we’ve had in the past.”
Beyond how tough it looks on paper, the trip will also feature some interesting story lines as well as some ghosts of Nets past. There will be Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright, and Malik Allen in Dallas; Jason Collins in Memphis; and former Head Coach Byron Scott in New Orleans.
There will also be marquee individual opponents: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili in San Antonio; Rudy Gay in Memphis; Chris Paul in New Orleans; Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard in Dallas; and Tracy McGrady in Houston.
It will all start, however, with the next game on the schedule and that is in San Antonio Tuesday night. Having played the Spurs on Sunday at IZOD Center should help the Nets know what they need to do to a certain extent, though San Antonio has rolled off nine wins in a row and is the defending NBA Champions.
“From a big picture there are some things we can do better,” said Frank.
“Specifically in some of our sets we can make some adjustments and we’re obviously going to have to do a better job on (Tony) Parker. We just weren’t as sharp as we needed to be. When you’re playing a team like San Antonio, your margin-for-error obviously is less so that means your attention to detail has to be greater and we just have to do some things on both ends…better.”
Parker had 25 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
“Obviously, we didn’t play very well,” said Devin Harris, who followed up his 21-point Net debut against the Bucks with 21 against the Spurs.
“We take out the things that we did well and try to emphasize that a little bit more. And obviously defensively see what was working and try to keep these guys out of the lane.”
“We’re going to need everyone,” continued Frank. “It was disappointing yesterday in that it wasn’t the fact that we didn’t come to play. We just didn’t play as smart or as physical or as well as we needed to. It’s very uncharacteristic for us to have eight assists. It’s very intriguing because we got a pretty decent percentage of uncontested shots and this is unfortunate. When you’re missing shots, it makes the game a whole lot uglier. But you have to give credit to San Antonio’s defense. It’s not the first time they’ve done it to a team and it’s not the last and we’ve got a great opportunity to come back and see what we’ve got tomorrow.”
They have to play the entire SW division on the road in consecutive games? Ouch. That's a 1-4 trip for just about any team. Well, maybe 0-5 for Miami.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=280304024
Nets-Spurs Preview
AccuScore Projections
Gameday Matchup
W-L PF PA HOME ROAD STK L10
NJ 26-33 94.4 99.2 15-17 11-16 L1 6-4
SA 41-17 96.1 90.8 24-5 17-12 W9 9-1
2007-08 Season
San Antonio leads 1-0
Sun 3/2 SA 93, @NJ 83 Recap | Box Score
Mar 4, 2008 NJ @ SA 8:30 PM ET
Injury Report
NEW JERSEY
· Bostjan Nachbar SF - Mar 3: Day-to-Day
· Devin Harris PG - Feb 29: Day-to-Day
· Richard Jefferson SF - Feb 28: Day-to-Day
SAN ANTONIO
No significant injuries
Last 5 Games
NEW JERSEY (ET)
Mar 02 SA Loss 93-83
Feb 28 MIL Win 120-106
Feb 26 ORL Loss 102-92
Feb 23 IND Win 102-91
Feb 22 @IND Loss 113-103
SAN ANTONIO (ET)
Mar 02 @NJ Win 93-83
Mar 01 @MIL Win 96-94
Feb 28 DAL Win 97-94
Feb 25 ATL Win 89-74
Feb 23 NO Win 98-89
Depth Chart
POS NEW JERSEY (PPG) SAN ANTONIO (PPG)
PG M. Williams 4.8 T. Parker 18.7
SG V. Carter 20.8 M. Ginobili 20.6
SF R. Jefferson 23.3 B. Bowen 5.7
PF N. Krstic 4.5 T. Duncan 19.7
C J. Boone 8.0 F. Oberto 5.0
Team Stat Leaders
NEW JERSEY SAN ANTONIO
Points R. Jefferson 23.3 M. Ginobili 20.6
Rebounds J. Kidd 8.1 T. Duncan 11.6
Assists J. Kidd 10.4 T. Parker 5.9
Steals J. Kidd 1.5 M. Ginobili 1.6
Blocks S. Williams 1.7 T. Duncan 1.9
Today's Line
FAVORITE OPEN CUR UNDERDOG O/U
@SAN ANTONIO --12 -12 NEW JERSEY --
ATS New Jersey San Antonio
Record: 26-33-0 (.441) 41-17-0 (.707)
As Favorite: 14-13-0 (.519) 39-9-0 (.813)
As Underdog: 12-20-0 (.375) 2-8-0 (.200)
At Home: 15-17-0 (.469) 24-5-0 (.828)
On Road: 11-16-0 (.407) 17-12-0 (.586)
STATS LLC
Devin Harris has had mixed results against the San Antonio Spurs since joining the league in 2004. The New Jersey Nets would gladly settle for mixed results against the Spurs.
Harris, who has played well in his first two games with New Jersey, looks to help the Nets avoid an 11th straight loss to the surging Spurs when the teams conclude a home-and-home series Tuesday night.
Harris played in 12 games against San Antonio while with Dallas, helping the Mavericks earn wins in six of those contests. The fourth-year point guard played against the Spurs (41-17) for the first time as a member of the Nets (26-33) on Sunday night, finishing with 21 points in a 93-83 New Jersey loss.
It was the Nets' 10th straight loss to the Spurs since a 91-82 win on Nov. 13, 2002. San Antonio, which has also won nine straight games overall, has held New Jersey under 90 points eight times during that run.
Sunday's game was Harris' second with the Nets since being acquired Feb. 19 in an eight-player trade that sent Jason Kidd to Dallas. He was nursing a sprained left ankle when the deal was made.
Harris has scored 21 points in each of his two games with New Jersey, but his effort against the Spurs wasn't enough to help the Nets avoid one of their worst offensive games of the season. The Nets, trying to hold on to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, shot 34.6 percent (27-for-78) from the field.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has seen enough of Harris over the years to know the Nets have picked up an outstanding young player.
"He's a young, dynamic kid who's got a lot of energy," Popovich said. "He's just going to get better and better. He's a of a talent."
San Antonio has its own dynamic point guard in Tony Parker, who made sure the Spurs' season-best winning streak remained intact by making two clutch fourth-quarter baskets in the first game of this series. Parker finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Since Parker joined the team in 2001, San Antonio is 5-0 at home against New Jersey.
"He finishes games nicely, making shots in the fourth quarter that he's not making in the first half," said Harris, who matched up with Parker often in the Western Conference. "That's what makes him so tough. You've got to remember that he was an NBA finals MVP and he knows how to finish."
Parker helped San Antonio sweep Cleveland in last year's NBA finals. The Spurs won 13 straight around this time last year before making their playoff run, and their current streak is their longest since then.
San Antonio leads the West with a .707 winning percentage, just ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers.
"The race in the West is very tight," Parker said. "You can't afford too many tough losses ... against teams that you should win against."
http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/080304.html
Probable Starters:
Parker
Guard
18.7 PPG
Ginobili
Guard
20.6 PPG
Bowen
Forward
5.7 PPG
Duncan
Forward
19.7 PPG
Oberto
Center
5.0 PPG
Spur in the Spotlight
Tony Parker
Tony Parker had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Spurs won a season-high ninth straight game with a 93-83 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night.
Did You Know...
The Spurs captured their second NBA Championship in franchise history when they defeated the Nets 4-2 in the NBA Finals on 6/15/03 … Tim Duncan notched his second NBA Finals MVP award after averaging 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists over the six-game series … the 2003 Finals also marked the first time that two former ABA teams met to decide an NBA Championship … the Spurs own a Nets opponent record for points scored in a regulation game with 151 on 11-25-78 … San Antonio won the game 151-110.
Just hope the Spurs aren't looking beyond this game. Had an easy time with them Sunday. But they Spurs need to hunker down from the start, get a big lead and let the bench protect it.
This isn't what we mean by SPAM
Translation: "We're screwed!"
It will be interesting to see how much PT KT gets in this game.
I personally feel he's been deserving of more than he's received so far. The guy just inhales rebounds.
^Same here..
You know Pop has something up his sleeve for him though, as always.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorec...ticleID=125758
Nets, Spurs wrap up home-and-home set
(Sports Network) - The New Jersey Nets and defending-champion San Antonio Spurs conclude a home-and-home set tonight, as the clubs battle at the AT&T Center.
Tony Parker scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out seven assists as the surging Spurs defeated the Nets, 93-83, on Sunday at the Izod Center.
Manu Ginobili poured in 17 points, while Tim Duncan scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Spurs, who have won nine straight and 13 of their last 14 games overall. Ime Udoka ended with 13 points for San Antonio, which has won 10 straight over the Nets.
Vince Carter scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the loss for the Nets, who have dropped four of their last seven contests overall. Devin Harris scored 21 points, while Richard Jefferson had 18 points and six rebounds in defeat.
New Jersey, which is 11-16 on the road this season, opens up a five-game road trip tonight. The Nets will also visit Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas and Houston on the swing.
The Spurs are 24-5 at home this season. They play the first of a brief two- game homestand against New Jersey. San Antonio is scheduled to host Indiana on Thursday at the AT&T Center.
The last time the Nets defeated the Spurs was on November 13, 2002 at the Meadowlands. New Jersey has lost five straight and eight of its last nine trips to San Antonio.
Spurs need to take care of business tonight.
Quietest 10 game streak of the year, let's get it!!!
http://www.betus.com/sports-betting/...purs-9556.aspx
NBA Action – New Jersey Nets at San Antonio Spurs
By Eric Williams
While the New Jersey Nets, (26-33 SU, 23-35-1 ATS, 26-31-2 O/U), are in the midst of an immense struggle with their inconsistency, alternating wins and losses in each of their last eight games, the San Antonio Spurs, (41-17 SU, 28-29-1 ATS, 23-35 O/U), have quietly won nine consecutive games while every basketball fan and analyst in the country has been talking about the recent flurry of trade activity that has altered the fortunes of several franchises in both conferences.
Tonight’s matchup concludes the back end of a home-and home series against the Nets as the Spurs spanked the Nets 93-83 in New Jersey on Sunday night, limiting the Nets to a pathetic 34.6 percent (27-for-78) shooting mark from the field.
The Nets are 5-5 against the spread in their last ten games but have failed to cover in two of their last three games, while the Spurs have gone 6-4 against the spread over the same span but have failed to cover in two of their last three though they did manage to cover as 4.5-point favorites over the Nets on Sunday.
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my analysis and NBA Betting Free Picks:
The Nets are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a S.U. loss.
The Nets are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a ATS loss.
The Spurs are 6-0 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
The Spurs are 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. Eastern Conference.
The Under is 4-0 in Nets last four vs. Western Conference.
The Under is 4-0 in Spurs last four vs. Eastern Conference.
The Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
The Under is 13-5 in the last 18 meetings.
Analysis: The Spurs should be able to beat the Nets by ten points at home with their eyes closed tonight after beating them by ten at their own home. Take the Spurs to cover with a huge win.
NBA Free Picks: San Antonio -10 Points/Over 183˝ Total Points
08:35 PM EST NBA Betting Odds
New Jersey Nets +10 -110
San Antonio Spurs -10 -110
Over 183˝ -110
Under 183˝ -110
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...vs_nets_1.html
Updates: Spurs vs. Nets
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has referred to winning low-profile games early in the season as money in the bank.
The Spurs' rematch with the New Jersey Nets tonight might not look very glamorous, but with the Western Conference standings being so tight, any game the Spurs can deposit in the win column is gold. Going into tonight, the top seven teams in the West are all within 3 1/2 games of each other.
It was just two nights earlier that the Spurs beat the Nets 93-83 in New Jersey.
why the heck are playing this team back to back? i thought that never happened in the NBA.
-Mars
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