"Dunleavy? Quit dancing and get back on defense."
(Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The worst case scenario I felt prior to the game actually played out exactly as I envisioned. First, Jermaine O'Neal was unable to answer the bell after doing more harm to his ankle and knee against the Cavs on Tuesday night. The Nets had the full compliment of Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson to take liberties against the Pacers defense. So, without J.O. as their top defensive safety blanket the three athletic Nets toyed with the Pacers backcourt and turned the game into a thumping from the get go and ending with a 118-94 Nets win.
I caught portions of the game here and there while preparing for the family vacation that starts after work tomorrow. Missing J.O. was a hardship, but for a team fighting for it's playoff life, the lack of resistance from the Pacers was staggering. I mean, Josh Boone and Boston Nachbar combined for 42 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.
A flicker of light for the Pacers was the extended minutes for Shawne Williams. He managed to pump in 19 points with a couple of 3-balls in 23 minutes.
While I was out running a couple of errands, I listened to Slick and Boyle suffer through the action. In the second quarter, they described a play (which I later watched on dvr) where Kidd picked up a loose ball after Murphy appeared to get hit on a drive but didn't get the call. There were three Nets and three Pacers ahead of the ball, but Tinsley just grabbed Kidd for a foul to keep him heading to the other end. Murphy instantly earned a T, but Slick was not pleased with Tinsley's effort. He didn't understand why Tinsley just wrapped up Kidd to stop the play and said, "You're conceding. Get back on defense!"
I couldn't help but think that Tinsley and the Pacers were conceding more than just that one play.