TORONTO – It was deja vu all over again. Sort of. Bostjan Nachbar was in the corner waiting to take a huge 3-pointer. Just like Game 1. Vince Carter drove and passed. Just like Game 1. Nachbar caught and shot. Just like Game 1.
But in Game 2, he missed. This was for the tie with 9.9 seconds left and the Nets down three.
“Obviously, Vince is one of the best at driving the ball and creating shots – last time, this play worked, and I made it,” said Nachbar, who was 4-of-6 before. “I thought it was good. Everyone on the bench thought it was good. It was up, it was high – I was shocked to see it was long. That’s why I was laughing. When you release it, you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s in.’ But I missed it. It happens.”
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The playoffs really are different than the regular season. Just ask Nenad Krstic.
“It’s really difficult for me – sometimes I can’t even watch,” said the injured Nets center who started running a couple of days ago in his rehab from a torn ACL in his left knee, suffered in December.
“I want to be on the court. When I’m watching regular-season games, it’s different. But watching the playoffs, I’m really upset. But I’m glad they’re doing good without me.”
Krstic said he expects to do full basketball work in June or July. But he started doing “a little jumping, with jump shots” and felt surprisingly strong.
“They said it would be sore, but it wasn’t, so that’s a good thing,” Krstic said.
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Nets’ 12 points represented their lowest playoff first-quarter total. … Mikki Moore managed to score and get an assist on same play. Moore fed Nachbar for second quarter 3-pointer. Moore was fouled away from ball by Kris Humphries and made the and-one free throw.