OLD MAN WINNER!
Garnett sparks Net stunner
AT LEAST for one night, Kevin Garnett won his battle with Father Time.
A week after he opened up about his struggles — including an admission t hat age is making his season more difficult — the 37-year-old carried the Nets in the fourth quarter of a big upset over the Warriors Wednesday night, scoring 11 points over eight minutes, blocking a shot and then intercepting a pass with 12.8 seconds left in a 102-98 win at Barclays Center.
“Tonight, offensively, he looked like he was 21,” Jason Kidd said.
The victory snapped a 10-game winning streak by the Warriors (24-14) and, amazingly, moved the Nets (14-21) into the eighth spot i n the Eastern Conference. Gar nett, who finished with 13 points and five rebounds, has been on a tight minutes restriction all season for long-term preservation, averaging just six points. But appa rent ly he treats his offense like a booty call.
“I want it to be that when I dial it up, I want her to pick the phone up,” Garnett said. “Tonight, I dialed and she was right there, answering like she’s supposed to.” The Nets have won a seasonhigh four straight, all with Kidd on the sideline sporting his superstitious no-tie look. They beat the hottest team in the NBA without Deron Williams, who missed his second game with ankle problems, overcoming a 16-point deficit in the first quarter. Brooklyn is now 4-0 in 2014, undefeated ever since Kidd ditched the neckwear and went with a small lineup featuring Paul Pierce at power forward.
“Burn that tie,” Andrei Kirilenko said.
“We should have that quote around the arena. That should be our thing.”
Joe Johnson scored a teamhigh 27 points in 37 minutes, including two free throws with five seconds left for the final margin. Andray Blatche, who dropped in 17 points, hit a jumper that tied the game at 93 with 2:26 left. The Nets never trailed again.
Kirilenko, who returned from back spasms on New Year’s Eve — one game before the winning streak — provided another defensive boost off the bench while helping limit Golden State’s highpowered offense to 40% shooting after the first quarter.
“Hey, I’m not the Messiah here,” Kirilenko said. “Don’t look at me like that. There’s a lot going on. It’s the new year, kind of a chance for us to start from scratch.”
The Nets have another chance to validate their play on Friday, when LeBron James and the Heat come to Barclays Center. The Warriors, despite their winning streak, were vulnerable in a backto-back game at the end of a seven-game road trip.
Stephen Curry, who finished with 34 points, missed his final eight 3-point attempts, shooting 11-for-25 overall. The budding superstar had a chance to tie the game i n the final seconds, but Garnett stepped in front of Curry’s pass for the steal.
Garnett then pounded his chest in celebration.
“Going into 2014, the new year, we said we obviously wanted to change this thing and I think effort-wise, our performance, we haven’t just been talking about it but coming out and giving a valiant effort and tonight I just followed the effort,” Garnett said. “I’m understanding more and more of what Jason needs out of me.”