With the NBA going on hiatus — which NBA commissioner Adam Silver set as at least 30 days on Thursday — and New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, placing a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, no Brooklyn Nets games will be played for the time being.
For the Nets, as much as any team, this comes at an odd time — Brooklyn was battling the Orlando Magic for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. At the stoppage of play, the Nets had a half-game advantage over the Magic.
Since there aren’t any games, each day Nets Wire will highlight major individual performances and key developments throughout Nets history.
Long before he was an NBA head coach, Jacque Vaughn spent two NBA seasons in New Jersey playing for the Nets alongside Vince Carter and Jason Kidd.
On March 13, 2005, that trio went off against the Magic, who Vaughn also coached after his playing days.
Carter led the charged with a 33-point performance on 10-for-19 shooting. He also knocked down 12 of his 16 free throws in the Nets’ 98-82 win.
Kidd scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had 10 assists. The walking triple-double also had five steals.
Vaughn, meanwhile, scored 22 points on 11-for-17 shooting (full box score).
“Jacque was huge, running the floor, active as heck and Vince getting to the line 16 times,” then Nets head coach Lawrence Frank said after the win.
The win was the start of a five-game winning streak for the Nets. Before facing the Magic, New Jersey trailed them for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings by five games. By the end of the winning streak, the Nets trailed the No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers by one game.