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Glass half-full On verge of being swept, Nets cling to positivesPosted: Monday June 10, 2002 6:05 PMUpdated: Monday June 10, 2002 10:50 PM
What the Nets had trouble accepting Monday was the notion that being swept, or just losing the series at all, would negate what they had accomplished in this amazing turnaround season. At first, rookie forward Richard Jefferson refused to answer. "Next question," he barked. A split second later, he couldn't wait. "We are the greatest team in the history of the New Jersey Nets," Jefferson said. "No team has ever made it this far, and no team has done what we have accomplished." As Jefferson shook his head, the frustration of a couple of bad games in the Finals and a heartbreaking 106-103 loss in Game 3 on Sunday night seemed to be getting to him. "Those are the same people who have waited for us to fail all year long," he said. "Just because we do it in the NBA Finals, then they have their final say so to say: 'I told you the Nets weren't that good.' "Well, you had to wait to the NBA Finals to say that," Jefferson added. The Nets have been the NBA's biggest surprise this season. Just a year after winning 26 games, New Jersey made the Finals for the first time since joining the NBA in 1976. To win the title they will have to make history. No team in NBA playoff history has overcome a 3-0 deficit. The Nets acknowledged that verbally and in their body language Monday. The eyes of center Todd MacCulloch looked tired and watery after three games against O'Neal. Forward Keith Van Horn's soft voice was even softer after a third straight ineffective effort. Lucious Harris even joked about the desperation he showed on Monday night, taking off his protective face mask in hopes that it would break a shooting slump that has seen him make two baskets in the series. "I was going to try anything to make a shot," said Harris, who has worn the mask for almost two months after breaking a bone in his face. He could have taken it off early in the playoffs, but he kept it on because he was shooting exceptionally well. "It's retired now," he said. "It should have been retired after Game 1." If there is a positive for New Jersey, it is that Game 3 was its best game of the series. The Nets finally shot the ball well, controlled O'Neal to a degree and had a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Lakers showed their championship form. Jason Kidd was outstanding, scoring 30 points, and second-year forward Kenyon Martin had 26 in his best game of the series. "We're not going to quit," Martin said. "We're going to go out there and fight in Game 4, try to force Game 5 and so on. But we will go out in Game 4, we'll give it all we got. We're not going to lay down. That's one thing this team hasn't done all season. It's not going to start now. It's the biggest stage, so we can't roll over and die right now." Nets coach Byron Scott said his message heading into Game 4 on Wednesday at the Continental Airlines Arena will be to build off Game 3 and improve on the areas that hurt them Sunday night. The rebounding was a bit of a problem late because the Nets switched to a sagging zone to keep the ball out of O'Neal's hands. The Lakers beat that by getting a key put-back basket from Devean George, a go-ahead 3-pointer from a wide-open Robert Horry and great play from Bryant. "We have to understand that we still have a lot to lose," Kidd said. "The big thing is you don't want to finish the series knowing that you didn't give 110 percent." That would take away from what the Nets accomplished this season. |
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The Nets realize that being down 3-0 in the NBA Finals makes every game a must-win.
