Ravaged by injury, the Chicago Bulls have given Deron Williams and the Nets a chance to climb back into their first-round affair, as the series shifts to the United Center for game 6 tonight. Tom Thibodeau's proud bunch heads home with a 3-2 lead, but reinforcements would surely help.
The Brooklyn Nets currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and second in the Atlantic Division. Sporting a record of 45-32, they have more than doubled their win total from last year, with 5 games left after their 104-83 thrashing of the 76ers Tuesday night. In Nets' 39 years in the NBA, only five other squads have more wins than this team currently does.
Chris Carrino, the radio voice of the Nets on WFAN and a WFUV alum, joined Alex Smith and Matt Sinise during One on One to chat about the Nets' recent winning ways.
New York is labeled by most as a basketball town, but this city hasn’t had much to root for on the hardwood during the new millennium. In the twelve seasons since Patrick Ewing’s departure following the 1999-2000 season, the Knickerbockers, for the most part, have stunk up the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena.’
Nolan Silbernagel and Mike Valdetara ask Howard Beck whether the firing of Brooklyn’s Head Coach Avery Johnson was justified or premature. They also talk about what possible replacement coaches could be, and if there is any chance the Nets land Phil Jackson.
They also talk about whether the preseason goals of Brooklyn were too unrealistic and if there was too much hype around this team after their hot start.
Click on the plug-in links below to listen.
Saturday during One on One, Amit and I had the distinct opportunity to speak with Yahoo Sports National Baseball writer Jeff Passan about the Winter Meetings that took place last week. We talked about the logistics of the what goes on in the hotel complex, inquired about the outfield market, and got the latest word on the Mets and Yankees. (This was taped just before Zack Greinke signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers).
Most people know Dan Lauria as the father in the iconic family drama “The Wonder Years,” the Fred Savage star vehicle. More recently, though, especially for New Yorkers as Dan mentions in our interview, he is now recognized quite handily as Vince Lombardi, for his portrayal in the Broadway hit two years ago.
For what seems like forever now, New York City has been called a basketball town. But, that really hasn’t been the feeling around these parts for quite some time now. The Yankees own the hearts of most of the city, with seventeen postseason appearances during the last 18 seasons and 5 Championships.
The atmosphere at 620 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn was nothing like anyone had seen before. The Nets were cheered in their home arena, Knicks fans were drowned out, and Carmelo Anthony was showered in boos just 3 miles from where he was born. It wasn’t something unique and isolated in history; rather, something new.
A rivalry? Deron Williams tried to downplay the hype. “It’s one game, it was a good win for us…we can’t just be excited like we just won a championship. We didn’t win the championship of New York.”
Tonight at 7:30 ET the Nets open up their 2012-2013 campaign at home against the Toronto Raptors. This however is no ordinary start to the season for a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2007. As the Nets take the floor tonight it will not be in New Jersey at the Izod Center, but Brooklyn on Atlantic Avenue, home of the new 4.9 billion dollar Barclays Center.
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