When Nenad Krstic was lost, there still were expectations. When Richard Jefferson went down, there still was hope. But when Jason Kidd went out, there was nothing but a beating for the Nets against the Spurs last night. No Krstic, no Jefferson, no Kidd.
Did you really expect anything other than the type of 107-82 thumping the Spurs laid on the Nets at the Meadowlands?
“We missed his being the floor leader, the floor general,” Bostjan Nachbar said.
Kidd will also miss tonight in Toronto with a lower back strain that has required constant treatment over the past few days. He skipped yesterday’s morning workout, spending time with the doctor instead of prepping for the Spurs. Kidd also missed Monday’s practice. He had some back pain last month, but missed no time.
“I have been undergoing treatment for the past two days and my condition has improved significantly. Although I am feeling much better, rest at this time is the way to go,” Kidd said in a statement released by the team before the game.
The wipeout ended the Nets’ three-game winning streak. Sure, Kidd didn’t play, but then again, neither did the rest of the Nets (25-28).
“It’s one game against a team that you knew was going to come in with a great sense of force,” coach Lawrence Frank said of the Spurs (34-18), who had dropped two straight. “They’re one of the elite teams in the league. We didn’t measure up. But you turn the page and now we’re going against the best team in the division [tonight], so obviously we have to play significantly better.”
The Spurs, getting 21 points and eight rebounds from Tim Duncan, 19 points from Tony Parker and lots of moral support from front-row fan Eva Longoria, hammered the Nets with 20 unanswered points (seven by Duncan) to start the second quarter. That was part of a larger 32-4 run, which included 13 straight missed shots by the Nets to start the second.
When they blitz was over, the Nets stared at a 46-22 deficit. Figure they would have preferred staring at the sun without blinking for a couple days straight.
“It was a combination of our offense and defense. We went six minutes without scoring,” said Marcus Williams (4-of-14 shooting, nine points, 10 assists), making his first NBA start in place of Kidd.
Vince Carter (18 points) tried to pick up the offensive slack, but Krstic (16.4), Jefferson (16.1) and Kidd (14.3) equal 46.8 points. Carter needed to score about 71. He was a tad short. Eddie House added 16 off the bench.
“They double-teammed, stayed in the double-team until I got rid of the ball,” Carter said. “It’s just important for us to continue to move the ball, guys if they’re open take shots. If the rest of the guys hit shots, it opens things up for everybody. It’s an adjustment period, but I think we’re going to be OK.”
The Nets, who shot 39 percent to the Spurs 53.4, trailed by as many as 27 in the first half. They had a chance to gain real ground in the third quarter. The Spurs stalled, going 1-of-7 with four turnovers in the first six minutes. But all the Nets managed was 2-of-11 shooting that knocked five points off the lead, to 61-45. Parker deflated hope with a twisting three-point play at 5:50. The closest the Nets got was 14.
Kidd has been receiving treatment from athletic trainer Tim Walsh. Frank said Kidd is unsure when the injury occurred.
“He doesn’t know,” Frank said. “It’s been hurting him for the last couple games. . . . He put some heat on it during the Orlando game [Saturday]. He had discomfort but he really couldn’t isolate it.”
At least the Nets could isolate their problem last night. No Kidd. No Krstic. No Jefferson. No chance.
Spurs 107 Nets 82