Postseason dream may hinge on California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dropping the first three games of this hellish seven-city western trek has put the Nets’ playoffs hopes in a more precarious position. It’s also made their next two games — Tuesday versus the struggling Kings and Friday at the listless Lakers — must wins.
“On this road trip, this tough road trip, we’ve got two games that we need to go get with us being in the playoff hunt,” Kenny Atkinson said.
The Nets have already lost road games to the playoff contending Thunder, Jazz and Clippers. And after facing the Kings and Lakers they’ll finish this killer trip in Portland and finally Philadelphia, fourth in the West and third in the East, respectively.
They can’t let a three-game skid spiral to seven. And their best odds to pick up wins are against the Kings (who’ve lost seven of 10) and Lakers (who’ve dropped three straight and eight of nine). On Tuesday they’ll have to try to do it again without Allen Crabbe, sidelined for a third consecutive game with a sore right knee.
“We’ve got to try to hopefully get this game in Sacramento. I’ll say [we took] a mini-step, because I don’t believe in moral victories,” DeMarre Carroll said. “We’ve got to do it for 48 minutes: Not 46, not 42, 48. It’s as simple as that.”
The Nets can only hope they learned their lesson from blowing a 17-point lead against the Clippers on Sunday in Staples Center. It was made even more costly by the Pistons, Magic and Heat all winning.
After the Pistons’ loss, the Nets (36-36) are one game behind Detroit for sixth in the East. Bust one ahead of Miami and only 2 ½ clear of Orlando. And with an even more brutal stretch after this trip (facing league-leading Milwaukee twice, as well as secondplace Toronto, the Celtics and the Pacers), these games are vital.
“At this point I know how much these games mean — a lot,” Carroll said. “Me being in the league 10 years I understand. That’s my job as a leader to try to make these guys understand we can’t take these games for granted and we can’t have moral victories this late in the season.”