Brooke Lopez dropped 24 points and 11 rebounds, as the Brooklyn Nets reclaimed possession of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a win over the Indianapolis Pacers. Joe Johnson helped the Nets with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 points. It's mind-blowing to think the Nets were even still in it, but they were. "It's just a mentality, I guess, sense of urgency. Realizing we have a chance to make these playoffs and we're just trying to make a push," point guard Deron Williams said.
The Pacers have lost 8 out of their last 10. Guard George Hill had 28 points in the loss Tuesday night. "We've just got to bring it more and take away the loss and how bad it feels," Hill said. "It feels like we're kind of giving the season away one game at a time so we've got to forget about it now and focus on tomorrow, bring it tomorrow and try to get a win tomorrow."
This Eastern Conference race is really interesting. The Celtics are also in a spot who could take control, and the Pacers as well. The Pacers are now 1 1/2 games back from the Nets. Now, is there any chance of an 8th-seed upset over the Hawks in the playoffs? No. But, for a team like the Celtics, the little taste of winning and making the playoffs can go a long way for their young guys.
The Nets jumped out to a 33-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. Against a good defensive team like the Pacers, that's pretty good. "I was as surprised as anyone by the way we came out and played," Hollins said, "because I knew they'd be ready and we just jumped on them and I think that was the game."
The Pacers will play the Celtics on Wednesday night, while the Nets will play the Knicks on Wednesday.