Trail Blazers vs Nets Sunday, 11/25/12 AT 12:00PM

Postgame Notes And Quotes: Game One Let Down

11/25/12

Written by: sarahhecht

November 25, 2012 Nets 98, Trail Blazers 85

POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS
On the game overall:
“We kind of let it slip away in the 4th quarter. We got down early, competed and got back into it. The rebounding hurt us. Brooklyn is a big physical team and that may have had an effect on us on offense late in the game. The Nets have four All-Stars on the floor and they know how to play. With the personnel that Brooklyn has now, they have a lot of go-to players, they’re big and strong inside, they’ve got a bench that compliments its starters and bring energy to the game. Brooklyn is a very competitive team. I love this arena, the building is great. It’s certainly different than the Meadowlands. ”

DAMIAN LILLARD
On the game:
“They made shots and we didn’t. I think we fought the whole game and we kept ourselves in position to win the game. Then down the stretch they just made shots and we were not able to get good looks. They just played better down the stretch. ”

On being the leader of the team:
“I think we have multiple leaders on the team. I wouldn’t say that I am the leader of the team. There are times when something needs to be said and I will say it, but we have multiple guys on our team that lead. I don’t think we look to one person.”

On playing without LaMarcus Aldridge:
“There is a positive we can take from every game. To be without our best player and come to Brooklyn and then have a chance down the stretch. It just came to them making shots down the stretch and we didn’t. Just to be in that position without LaMarcus (Aldridge) says a lot about our team. “

NICOLAS BATUM
On playing without LaMarcus Aldridge
“We played well without LaMarcus (Aldridge). We have some positives and some negatives from this game and I think we did a good job without LaMarcus. At the end, we need to play good for a complete 48 minutes.”

On first quarter execution:
“We did a good job in the first half. In the first quarter we came out aggressive. The game was on the line without LaMarcus. We still made big plays and big shots.”

POSTGAME NOTES

- Deron Williams set a career high with four blocks tonight. Williams also recorded his team-leading fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 assists and became the 11th player since '85-'86 to record at least 15pts/12ast/4blk in a game and the first since LeBron James 2/18/10 vs. DEN.
- Brooklyn is now 6-1 at home on the season, their best start since the 2002-03 season when the team started 18-1 on its home court. The lone loss in that stretch was to the Dallas Mavericks, who current Nets Head Coach Avery Johnson played for at the time.
- The Nets current home winning streak is now five games.
- This marks the first back-to-back home wins against Western Conference opposition since March 9th and 11th 2011 when the Nets defeated the Warriors and Clippers, respectively. - - The last time the Nets won consecutive games against the West overall was March 30th and 31st, 2012 against the Warriors and Kings.
- The Nets bench outscored the Portland second unit 31 to nine, a +22 advantage.
- This is the second consecutive home win over the Trailblazers but just the fifth win in the last 18 meetings between the two clubs.
-All five Trailblazers starters hit double-digits.
- Joe Johnson scored 11 points in the first quarter and 17 in the first half on 8-12 shooting, one point shy of the Nets season-high for points in a half (Andray Blatche, second half at SAC 11/18). Johnson finished with a team-leading 21 points.
- Reggie Evans became the 3rd Net since ’85-’86 to grab at least 14 rebounds and score as few as two points (J. Feick 2/2/00 and J. Williams 2/10/99 and 1/1096). Evans notched double-digit rebounds for the fourth time this season, third time in the last four games and second consecutive game.