Savvy Griz, Carter deliver Nets 13th straight defeat
Before there was a Linsanity, there was a Vinsanity. Vince Carter was a star for the Nets, saving one season and helping lead them to conference semifinals in two more.
Still playing at the age of 40, Carter came to Brooklyn on Monday and found the Nets at one of their lowest, the league’s worst team on its longest losing skid of the season.
Carter had offered former teammate Brook Lopez some friendly advice and an open ear. Then he and his new Memphis team physically ground down and beat up his former club in a 112-103 win before 13,597 at Barclays Center — many of whom wore various Carter jerseys.
“I had five good years here, accomplished a lot. I’m just glad to see it’s appreciated. I saw my high school jersey, saw my Toronto jersey, saw Nets jerseys,’’ said Carter, who said he couldn’t pick one career highlight. “They were done for people to enjoy and go back on YouTube and look at. I’m just glad I’m not old enough where it’s blurry. I’m glad I’m not that old yet.”
The NBA’s Grand Old Man proved he’s still more grand than old. Mike Conley had a game-high 32 points and six assists for Memphis (34-23), while Marc Gasol added 19 points, nine boards and eight assists. But it was Carter that had 14 on 5-of-8 shooting and got the loudest applause from the crowd.
Nets fans saw their team put six players in double-figures, led by 17 points each from Lopez and Spencer Dinwiddie as the Nets dropped their 13th straight game and 15th in a row at home dating back to Dec. 26.
“I just tell [Lopez] to stay the course,’’ Carter said “He’s still the face of the franchise. He’s been here a long time, he’s accomplished a lot, seen a lot — and he’s been on both ends now. For him it’s just to continue to go out and play and be the warrior he’s been. It’s frustrating. It’s not easy to do.”
Games like Monday don’t make it any easier. Lopez’ young Nets have struggled all season with physicality, and Memphis excels at it, the sneaky shove, the subtle shoulder, with a hip-check thrown in for good measure.
Brooklyn got outrebounded 41-32, let Memphis shot 50.6 percent from the floor and could never bump the Grizzlies out of what they wanted to do, getting ground up by Conley in the pick-and-roll.
“They do what they do and they’re very good at it. Even when it got close in the first quarter there were just some 50-50 balls, rebounds I thought they were too physical for us,’’ Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s what they do. That’s their strength. And I thought our strength was spreading them out and making shots; that’s what we had to do. Their strengths were stronger than our strengths.”
Brooklyn let the Grizzlies hit 12 of their first 17 shots to set the tone. Sean Kilpatrick’s 3 put the Nets up 19-17 with 5:21 left in the first quarter, but they didn’t score again in the period. They missed their last eight shots and committed a turnover in a 10-0 Memphis run.
They never got closer than three in the first half, and never got closer than five in the second.
It was 55-50 early in the third quarter, but Conley’s free throw capped a 9-0 run to pad the lead. JaMychal Green’s hook extended the spurt to 15-5, and gave Memphis a 70-55 edge with 5:58 left in the third. Brooklyn got within 79-74 on Trevor Booker’s layup to open the fourth, but no closer.
“They definitely make their mark by grinding games out and being tough, being physical,” Lopez said.
ESPN reported that Portland wants to move the contract of injured Festus Ezeli for “some level of draft compensation” and suggests Brooklyn could be a candidate to acquire him. The Nets are $6.8 million under the salary-cap floor, while Ezeli makes $4.7 million this season and $1 million the next.