Mikhail: Don’t buy sale talk
TO LISTEN TO Mikhail Prokhorov, everything is fine and dandy.
To look at the standings, the Nets are in trouble.
With an optimistic owner making his first appearance around the team in five months, the Nets dropped a heartbreaker to the Hawks, 114-111, clanging three 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds.
The Nets (36-42), now assured of their first losing season since moving to Brooklyn, fell to eighth in the Eastern Conference behind the Celtics via tiebreakers. They are only one game ahead of the Heat and Pacers for the final playoff spot in the conference.
“We are on the rise and we need to continue on that level,” said Prokhorov, who indicated later that he won’t make changes to the staff or front office. “Everything is stable.”
Prokhorov’s public comments haven’t exactly been the picture of reliability, starting with his vow five years ago to win a title by 2015. But he has been consistent on one important topic, reiterating Wednesday that he will not sell a majority share of the franchise.
He also sent out an endorsements for the Nets coach, GM and free-agent-center-to-be Brook Lopez.
“I never intended to sell the team and have looked at selling only the minority stake,” he said, noting there have been “approximately” 10 offers for his shares. “And for the time being there is nothing on the table. . . . If somebody wants to send me any kind of proposal, why not? Just to have a look. But we’re only speaking about minority stakes in the team.”
Reaching his threshold for financial questions, Prokhorov finally told a reporter, “You like to count other people’s money?
“At the time being, I like the number (the $1.6 billion valuation of his team). But I think it’s a waste of time to discuss a nonexistent deal.”
With his five-year plan about as close as ever to falling flat, Prokhorov watched from his suite as the Nets made a determined fourth-quarter comeback behind a 16-3 run, taking their first lead of the game, 109-108, with 3:36 remaining.
But Atlanta center Al Horford capitalized on Brooklyn’s defensive lapse, finding himself alone under the basket for a dunk with 19 seconds left for the go-ahead bucket. The Nets never scored again because Jarrett Jack, Joe Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic all missed their 3-point attempts. The Hawks (59-19), led by Horford (24 points), were shorthanded because one star was injured (Paul Millsap), and two role players were inactive after being arrested at a Manhattan club the morning of the game. But they still beat the Nets for the second time in four days, setting up a situation where if the playoffs started today, they would host Brooklyn. The Nets, who had their fivegame home winning streak snapped, got a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds from Lopez. Deron Williams added 10 points and 13 assists. Joe Johnson had 21 points and eight boards, but his three-point try at the buzzer rimmed out.
“From my angle, it was right on top of the rim,” coach Lionel Hollins said. “It just didn’t go in.”
Prokhorov, the absentee owner who has attended just three games this season, plans to be at Friday’s game against the Wizards, but that could be it for the season if the Nets miss the playoffs. If that happens, he might change his upbeat tune.