On Sunday afternoon, in Brooklyn, NBA history was made. In an experiment, the Nets and Celtics played a 44-minute game consisting of four 11-minute quarters, one less per period than is per usual. The idea, conceived at the offseason meetings between NBA coaches, is in the vein of possibly shortening games in a way that other professional leagues have considered in recent years.
To be honest, it didn’t affect the game very much. It was still pretty high-scoring and was indicative of the better team (the Celtics) but did allow the game to end in exactly two hours, roughly 15-20 minutes less than normal games. It was also the Nets’ first loss of the preseason.
Brooklyn controlled the first half, on the strength of big performances from Deron Williams and Jarrett Jack. The Nets were up 51-40 at the break, and seemed poised for their fourth consecutive victory.
However, the third quarter–which has been a problem for the Nets for what seems like an eternity, going back to their New Jersey days–struck, and gave the Celtics a 73-65 lead. In the frame, Boston scored 33 points to Brooklyn’s 14.
The fourth quarter was a little back-and-forth, but too many times did the Nets miss open shots and allow the Celtics to make their, especially from three-point range. Jared Sullinger and Marcus Smart combined to hit six of their 13 long-range attempts.
Some other observations I had from the game: I’m not a doctor, and not studying to be one, but Deron Williams looks like a healthy basketball player. He shot 5-of-9 in his 25 minutes, scoring 16 points with four assists. But the stats don’t show the whole story. On multiple occasions, he drove right at the heart of the Boston defense to either draw a foul, hit a floater or put up a layup. Regardless of whether the shots fall or not, this is the preseason, so just seeing that behavior is a big positive…The Nets were one of the worse rebounding teams in the NBA last season, and today they played like it. The Celtics won the rebounding battle 50-42, but the deficit was much greater during the third quarter and the Nets caught up with garbage boards late. Sullinger grabbed 19 rebounds just by himself. That’s unacceptable…Jack and Jerome Jordan were the two Nets, other than Williams, who were spectacular today. Jack put up 17 points in 19 minutes and exhibited why he has been so valuable to so many teams during his career. The Nets picking him up in the Marcus Thornton trade was a steal. Also, Jerome Jordan, who was picked up by Brooklyn this offseason as a non-roster invitee for training camp, was amazing. He’s huge and was able to use his size to dominate on offense, even hitting a few jump shots to go with dunks and lay-ins. Whenever you go 7-for-7 from the field, you know you had a good day. He’s making a great case for himself to make this team.
Looking Ahead
The Nets are back at it tomorrow night at Barclays against the 76ers.
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