Joe Clutch Johnson

The new year started off great with road victories for both New York teams.  While the Knicks defeated the Spurs, the Nets gave OKC and the Thunder an home court loss in dramatic fashion.  Being down 10 with seven minutes left in regulation the Nets went on an 14-0 run to go up 93-89 with several minutes left.  The rally was sparked by Paul Pierce who finished with 18 and Deron Williams who ended his night with 29 points.  Being tied at 93 after an Ibaka layup, the Nets gave all-star guard Joe Johnson the rock and he delivered with an isolation play at the top of the key. Joe Johnson who finished the night with 9 points and 4/11 of shooting made the biggest one of the night, the one that sealed the deal.

In order for the Nets to win games Deron Williams has to be in attack mode.  By him being aggressive it allowed other players to get shots and have important roles in the offense.  I think Deron is starting to realize his play and tempo he sets will ultimately decide how the team will react.  If they are feeding off his energy the team starts to play with confidence.  They could have easily thrown in the towel against the Thunder as they were down by 16 at one point.  However they found a way to persevere and get a huge win against an elite team in the West.   I’m not a fan of superstitions but in the two games that the Nets have won Jason Kidd has not worn a tie.  So expect to see Jason Kidd tie-less for the next few games.  The Nets are currently on a 2 game win streak, after beating OKC they beat the handicapped  Cavs two days later without Kyrie Irving.

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Rose for 30

YES YES YES the NBA season is almost here, and I can’t wait.  This year will be even better then last year. I know that’s hard to imagine but trust me its true.  One of the biggest stories that will be covered is the return of MVP Derrick Rose in Chicago.  I know it is just preseason but from what I have seen, he looks good.  And by good I mean he hasn’t lost a step.  In fact it almost looks like he gained one, and put on more muscle in the off-season.  According to him he is even jumping higher as well. ( That I don’t believe )  Chicago made some noise in the playoffs last year and you can believe they will make even more now with him in the lineup.  I was a big critic last year when he decided not to play and so far it looks like it was the right decision. Here are the highlights of his 30 point performance in a preseason win over the Pacers.