With the NBA on hiatus and New York continuing its battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, Brooklyn Nets games will not be played for the foreseeable future.
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 impressive individual performances and major moments throughout Nets history:
After reaching both the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals, the New Jersey Nets showed in the first round of the 2004 NBA Playoffs they were going to be a problem for the rest of the Eastern Conference once again.
Carrying a 3-0 series lead into the fourth game of their first-round matchup against the New York Knicks, the Nets had no interest in losing a single game to their rival — and Kenyon Martin made sure that didn’t happen.
“K-Mart was having a monster night,” said Richard Jefferson said after Game 4. “We couldn’t get him the ball fast enough.”
Martin finished with 36 points and 13 rebounds in New Jersey’s 100-94 series-clinching win (full box score).
Jason Kidd was second in scoring for the Nets (20). He also had eight rebounds and seven assists.
“With all the talk throughout the year, that they were going to
catch us, that they were the better team, that they wanted to play
us in the playoffs, sometimes it’s fool’s gold,” Kidd said.
“Sometimes you wish for something you don’t want.”
Jefferson scored 13 points and Kerry Kittles chipped in 10.