New Jersey Nets Make Final Playoff Push

The New Jersey Nets beat the Charlotte Bobcats last night to sweep the season series 4-0. This win was coming off of a two game slide against Memphis and Minnesota. New Jersey still sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, seemingly forever 2.5 games back of the 8th seed. This is their last chance to stand up and claim a playoff spot. They are done with playing Western Conference teams after the forthcoming Clipper game on Wednesday and can focus on winning within their conference. No more crazy travel, no more dominant big men to contend with, just go out and win.

The Nets have 11 games left (6 home, 5 away). They play two back-to-backs, including the last two games of the season. They play the Clips at home, at New York , home for Orlando, at Cleveland, home for New York and Boston, at Indy, at Toronto, home for Philly and Washington, and finishing up in Boston. I will begrudgingly give the Nets a 7-4 record. Many of these teams are fighting for the same thing so the games will be highly contested. Plus, the Nets are relying on Vince Carter to score into the thirties every night in order to give them a chance to win. He might be great, but that is hard to ask.

Via Matthew McQueeny/RealGM

New Jersey Nets

Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets

Mourning Half-Apologizing To Toronto Fans

Now with the Miami Heat, center Alonzo Mourning says he is sorry if Toronto fans feel “duped” over him not playing for the Raptors after being sent there as part the Vince Carter trade with the New Jersey Nets.

“I knew I wasn't going to win in Toronto,” Mourning said.

"I apologize," Mourning said in his first public discussion of the Dec. 17 trade which made him a Raptor — at least theoretically—and sent Vince Carter to New Jersey. "That was my main purpose of not stepping foot in Toronto at all, not to raise anyone's hopes or anything like that.

Mourning is adamant that the Toronto staff was made aware by the New Jersey execs that there was a good chance Mourning would not report to the club.

"I'm 35 years old and I've been a part of rebuilding teams and considering my health situation, I didn't want to be in a situation where I was going to waste my time out on the court," Mourning said.

"I want a reward for my efforts and I'm not saying Toronto didn't have the talent to get into the playoffs, especially if I had come there to contribute but it's not about getting into the playoffs for me any more. I'm at a stage in my career where I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to do this so if I do it, I want to do it on a level where I can see a reward at the end of it."

Via The Toronto Star

Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat

Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets

Vince Goes For 39 In Charlotte

Vince Carter scored 39 points as the Nets barely beat the Charlotte Bobcats 95-91 on Monday.

``It was important for us to find some energy, so I just tried to get us started early,'' Carter said. ``Once I got going and got double-teamed, it opened things up for everyone else. In the situation were in, we have to have the mentality to get off to a fast start.''

``Vince is an All-Star, we all know he's going to get his, but we still had a chance to win,'' Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace said. ``If you execute and do what you have to do on the offensive end, you can still win. We didn't do that tonight.''

``You have to find a way to win, and they are not all going to be masterpieces, especially coming off two losses,'' Lawrence Frank said. ``Winning on the road is not easy, and Charlotte competes hard every night.''

Via Yahoo!

New Jersey Nets, Charlotte Bobcats

Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets