Jason lives
Kidd, Nets can put a big scare into Spurs with Game 5 win
Posted: Friday June 13, 2003 12:42 AM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jason on Friday the 13th?
The omens don't get any better than that for the Nets. Tied 2-2 with the Spurs going into Friday night's Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey hopes star point guard Jason Kidd can once again slash and cut his way through the Spurs defense.
With the series set to shift back to San Antonio for the duration, the Nets know they need this victory. Since adopting a 2-3-2 format in 1985, there have been five Finals series tied 2-2. The team with home-court advantage won four of those times, and the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series three of five times.
"Obviously [a New Jersey victory] puts a lot of pressure on San Antonio to go home and win both games," Nets coach Byron Scott said.
NBA fans are just hoping the Nets and Spurs can put the ball in the basket. The last two Finals games have been ugly affairs, with neither team managing to reach 85 points. Few want to see another sequel to that horror show.
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San Antonio Spurs at New Jersey Nets
Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
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| Series Snapshot |
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| Game 1 |
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101 |
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89 |
| Game 2 |
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87 |
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85 |
| Game 3 |
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84 |
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79 |
| Game 3 |
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77 |
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76 |
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The past ... Kidd had 16 points, eight rebounds and nine assists as the Nets held off the Spurs in dramatic fashion to claim Game 4, 77-76, and even the series at 2-2. Kenyon Martin added 20 points and 13 rebounds for New Jersey, which trailed by as many as five in the fourth quarter before rallying for the victory. Playing with the desperation of a team on the brink of elimination, the Nets limited San Antonio to 28.9 percent shooting and recorded 13 blocked shots. Still, Tim Duncan (23 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks) and David Robinson (14 points, seven rebounds) were able to keep the Spurs in the game until the final seconds. San Antonio had a chance to tie it at the end, but Manu Ginobili's open 3-point attempt came up short before Duncan put in the offensive rebound for a meaningless putback at the final horn.
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Kenyon Martin will need another big game for the Nets in Game 5. AP |
The present ... The Spurs are confident. They know they won't shoot so poorly in Game 4. They feel they'll get a few more calls from the refs. They probably won't have as many bad bounces. The key will be getting point guard Tony Parker back on track after a miserable 1-of-12 shooting night. If the Nets stick to using Kerry Kittles on Parker, the Spurs must make them pay by having Parker drive on him. Also, Bruce Bowen must make a few outside shots to pull Kidd out and not allow him to play free safety. For the Nets, the focus will be on playing with the same fury they did in Game 4. New Jersey did a better job attacking San Antonio's zone defense last game, but Richard Jefferson must stay aggressive and hit some mid-range shots to take the scoring pressure off Martin and Kidd.
The future ... San Antonio has bounced back well after tough losses throughout the postseason. The Nets will be hard-pressed to duplicate their Game 4 intensity. Look for the Spurs to stave off Jason's attack with a barrage of shots and stagger out of the Swamp with a 3-2 series lead.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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