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Nets Set NBA Futility Mark, Now 0-18 After Loss To Mavericks
The Nets sank to a new low defensively with their second-quarter performance Wednesday against Dallas and are now in the record books with an 0-18 start to the season.
New Jersey allowed 49 points in the second quarter on the way to a 117-101 defeat to the Mavericks. The Nets now stand as the only team to start an NBA season with 18 straight losses. They had been tied with the 1988-89 expansion Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers in the lockout-shortened 1999 season.
The Nets were actually tied after the first quarter, 28-28, but were dominated in the second by a 49-22 count. The 49 points are the most-ever allowed by the Nets in that quarter and tied the most given up by the team in a single stanza. It also represented the most scored by Dallas for a second quarter. Dallas shot a sizzling 17-of-19 from the field in the period.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points, pulled down seven rebounds and had eight assists for the Mavericks, who have won two in a row and nine of their last 11 games. Former Net Jason Kidd burned his old team with 16 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and five steals. Erick Dampier chipped in 18 points and 11 boards in the win.
Chris Douglas-Roberts had 24 points for New Jersey, which also received 17 points from ex-Maverick Devin Harris and 16 from Brook Lopez.
This marked the final game for Tom Barrise as head coach of the Nets. He took over on an interim basis after the firing of Lawrence Frank on Sunday. Kiki Vandeweghe, who has been serving as the Nets' general manager since May 2008, will take over as head coach for the remainder of the season, starting with Friday's home game against Charlotte.
Barrise ran the club Sunday night against the Lakers, a 106-87 setback that dropped the Nets to 0-17. That also set the team record for consecutive defeats.
The Nets are now flirting with the longest overall single-season losing streak in NBA history. That record is 23 games, held by the Vancouver Grizzlies (1995-96) and Denver Nuggets (1997-98).
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