With nine games remaining, the Nets' chances of making the playoffs are dim, at best. But they vow to keep fighting for a spot, stressing that they have not been mathematically eliminated.
So Monday at home the Nets play the trail end of a back-to-back and face one of the teams in a similar situation, the Bucks. The Nets trail the Bucks by a half-game. The game, of course, will be another reunion with Richard Jefferson, who came out on the losing end of two of the three previous meetings with his former team. Jefferson is coming off a 32-point game in a loss to Miami.
The Bucks, like the Nets, are doing a late season fade. They will carry a five-game losing streak in against New Jersey. And the Bucks have lost nine of their last 12.
The two guys the Nets received, Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian, in the trade for Jefferson, have had their own issues lately. Simmons was suffering from muscle tightness in his back and missed Sunday's game at Minnesota while Yi has been dropped from the rotation for struggling play that included a 6.0 scoring average in the 18 games since he returned from a broken pinkie.
The Bucks won the first meeting of the two teams, 104-102, on Jan. 9 in Milwaukee when Luke Ridnour scored with 0.5 seconds left. Yi scored 16 points before breaking his right pinkie. Vince Carter tallied a triple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists) to lead the Nets to a 99-85 win at home Feb. 3. Then back at Milwaukee on Mar. 3, the Nets won, 99-95, as the Nets bench outscored the Bucks subs, 40-19.
TIMBERWOLVES 108, NETS 99: "Disappointing" was the word that echoed throughout the Nets locker room post-game. After competing against the Cavs (twice) and Lakers, the Nets were basically a no-show at the start of their game Sunday at Minnesota. The T-Wolves, who broke a seven-game losing streak, won for just the fourth time since Al Jefferson was injured Feb. 8. The Nets' defense was riddled for 51 percent shooting, negating 36 points by Vince Carter, who supplied 28 of those after halftime. Devin Harris scored 19 for the Nets who finished the game five games behind the last playoff spot with nine to play.
