Brooklyn Nets host more than basketball, the game featured Russian Culture Night and a welcome back to Brooklyn for Lance Stephenson 

On a game night when the Brooklyn Nets hosted an Evening of Russian Culture, the team needed a fourth-quarter rush to prevail for its sixth straight victory over the scorching Indiana Pacers, who came in on this late Sunday night riding its own four-game winning streak. These two streaking teams could possibly see each other in the playoffs. Way too early to say, but right now if the playoffs started today the Nets would be the fourth seed and the Pacers would be the third seed. Also, the Nets and Pacers present great match-ups of all-star caliber players Joe Johnson vs. Paul George and Brook Lopez vs. Roy Hibbert.

This was no ordinary night at the Barclays Center, there was a great team matchup inter-weaved with two big stories: Russian Culture Night and the homecoming of Lance Stephenson.

Russian Culture Night envisioned by Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, the Barclay's Center was packed with thousands of Russian-Americans waving the Russian flag. Among the Russians highlighted this night were Oleg Kolomyets who brought a lot of energy introducing the players on both teams and Alexander Markov, a violinist, who did a stunning job with the American National Anthem and at the halftime show with a glow-in-the-dark violin and bow performance.

The other half of the biggest story of the night was the homecoming of one of the most successful New York City high school basketball players in PSAL history. Pacers starting shooting guard Lance Stephenson of Abraham Lincoln High School was coming into Barclays with a season-high 39 minutes, 17 points, and four steals in a win against the Bobcats. Stephenson's improved play definitely caught the attention of Brooklyn Nets Interim Head Coach PJ Carlesimo who clearly knows a lot about New York City players. After all, Carlesimo played college ball at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY and he coached men's college basketball at Wagner College on Staten Island. At the pregame press conference, P.J. Carlesimo illustrated his knowledge about Lance and the history of New York City basketball.

"I have followed Lance Stephenson a lot," said Coach Carlesimo. "He has really improved from last year. He has really matured doing the little things that are helping his team win games."

"I recall not only watching the PSAL, and CHSAA but also the CYO leagues. Brooklyn is a big city they also have talent that even pre-dates me, Billy Cunningham, and Connie Hawkins," Coach Carlesimo added.

Unfortunately, due to a re-aggravated toe injury in the first quarter, Lance Stephenson's storied homecoming was short-lived, as he only played six minutes. However, taking the spotlight was tri-state area star, Teaneck, NJ David West of the Pacers who was coming off his first career triple-double (14,12,10). West gave the Nets problems for the first three quarters. West had 23 points at the end of the third quarter keeping the Nets down by six.

Nevertheless, the fourth quarter was an entirely different story for Nets.

Защита is Russian for defense and it was chanted over the surround sound at the Barclays Center, which seemed to help the Nets defense. The defense then sparked the offense, which guided the Nets turnaround. P.J. Carlesimo sent a furious double team commanded by Kris Humphries to shut down West. Pacers could not adjust and ended up shooting three for twenty-two in the fourth quarter prompting a 17-0 run by the Nets. A strong fourth quarter performance by the Nets big three, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez really put Brooklyn over the top scoring 22, 20, and 15 (ten in the fourth quarter) respectively. All three players talked about how they are starting to gel which allows them to be more aggressive.

With a final game score of Nets 97 – Pacers 86, the Nets have no time to rest. On Tuesday, January 15, it faces the team in which it grand opened the Barclays Center--- the Toronto Raptors. The Nets look to extend its winning streak to seven and improve to 9-1 under interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo.

After surrendering two straight to the likes of Washington and a heartbreaker in the city of brotherly love, the Brooklyn Nets failed to enter the win column, dropping their third straight to an Eastern Conference powerhouse, the Indiana Pacers 103-86.

The Nets continue to regress and now sport an overall regular season record of 9-18.

Any time these two teams match-up, a grind it out possession by possession game is to be expected, due to the half-court offensive styles these two teams execute, and that's what occurred tonight...... until Indiana's perimeter swingman Paul George and shooting guard Lance Stephenson decided to end the competitive tango.

Nets and Pacers Keep It Close Early

George and Stephenson combined for 52 points, with George scoring 26 points, grabbing six boards and dishing five assists; while Stephenson enjoyed his Junior's cheesecake, as the Brooklyn native was cooking in his environment recording 26 points, cleaning the glass with seven rebounds and also promoting the fact that sharing is caring dropping 5 dimes, all while establishing that he is one of the best two-way shooting guards in this league.

A close game early, as both teams subjected each other to poor offensive execution ending the first quarter with the Pacers leading by a deuce to the Nets 17; the Pacers took control of this game in the second and put it out of reach in the 3rd, accumulating their highest advantage over the Nets up to 24 points.

At the end of the half the Nets only trailed by six, 39 to the Pacers 45, but the increase in defensive pressure by the Pacers halted the Nets and their offensive success, as they exploded out of the intermission period on a 15-4 run solidifying their control on the game, as well as, hitting the 70 point mark on a 4-foot made jump-shot by Pacers forward Ian Mahinmi with 4:09 remaining in the 3rd period to the Nets 47 points.

If their frustrations weren't conspicuous regarding the overall game itself, Nets forward Paul Pierce's flagrant foul on starting Pacers point guard George Hill served as evidence with 4:22 remaining in the 3rd quarter when Hill stole a bad pass by Nets guard Joe Johnson and embarked on a one man fast-break only to be met by a close line by Pierce targeting Hills neck which ultimately led to his ejection.

To begin the fourth quarter, the Nets announcer addressed the sellout crowd of 17,732 in attendance, engaging and encouraging them to lift the Nets emotionally and "STAND UP," as he articulated through the loud speaker, which served no purpose as the fans stood and the Nets remained seated.

Every opportunity and threat the Nets posed was deflected by stellar defensive play by the Pacers, who accomplished this feat albeit missing their defensive anchor and last line of defense in starting Center Roy Hibbert due to foul trouble.

Nets guards Deron Williams had 9 points and 8 assists; Joe Johnson scored 17 points; and off the bench, guard and journeyman Jason Terry provided a spark totaling 11 points with 8 coming within the 4th quarter.

As Terry connected for two back-to-back three's with 5 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter reducing the Nets deficit to 18 points, 98-77, Stephenson answered with a three of his own pushing the lead back to 21, 98-77.

He was having one of those nights playing in front of his home crowd, an individual home game for Stephenson, as he posed with friends and family for pictures after the match had commenced.

In other words, Stephenson earned his Juniors Cheesecake, in a resounding and resonating fashion.

The return of Williams and Brook Lopez to the Nets lineup brought hope to the franchise which experienced tough times early in this season and the now loss of Lopez for the season creates even more of an uphill climb for the Nets to achieve respectability in a conference that has failed to live up to the hype which revolved around the celebrated pre-season player transactions.

The Nets will have to contribute down low on offense and defense by committee which means larger roles for Forward Kevin Garnett, rookie center Mason Plumlee, and Forward Andray Blatche.

The various injuries the Nets have been obligated to this year, I would think have served as a learning curve for first year head coach Jason Kidd forcing him to make intelligent in-game basketball decisions on a game-by-game basis.

Jason Terry Looking Forward

In the postgame festivities, Terry shared his thoughts on the overall state of the Nets.

"We're together," said Terry to media correspondents in the Nets locker-room.

"It's just a matter of us picking it up. If we have to get kicked in the butt whatever we have to do, we must pick it up," Terry added.

He even suggested their future Christmas day matinee with the Chicago Bulls.

"It's a great opportunity for a team to come up in here like Chicago, who's going to make you play hard each and every possession, all is not lost and we get another opportunity here at home on a special day and what better Christmas present to get than a win against the Bulls," Terry continued.

The Nets host the Bulls on Christmas Day and what follows is a pre-determined schedule that could influence the Nets franchise to make some drastic changes. After the Bulls, the Nets will host a winnable game against the Milwaukee Bucks, and then the plot thickens the day after the Bucks match, at Indiana, at the San Antonio Spurs and at the Oklahoma City Thunder.

So long to the team who posed a possible threat to the Miami Heat; now they must modify the dreams of the front office and its billionaire owner from Russia with love, Mikhail Prokhorov. With their injuries, stars failing to perform at the highest level, and a first year coach struggling to find his way on Flatbush and Atlantic Avenue, the Nets need more than hope they need luck, in the toughest place to find it especially in the city that never sleeps, as everyone else is up searching for their own.

Turnovers and a lackluster 2nd Quarter seal Brooklyn Nets loss to Lakers

It’s been tradition that when the Los Angeles Lakers come to town, there’s always a bit of that “show-time” excitement. And, even though the Lakers have a losing record (0-4), Lakers fans came to the Barclays Center Friday night in droves to see their favorite player, Kobe Bryant.

For both the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers, last night was the battle for the “W,” as neither team had a win so far this season.

Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, a win would prove once again to be elusive, the Lakers defeated the Nets 104-98. As you can see from the score, it was not a blowout. In fact, the Nets led the Lakers at the end of the first quarter 27-18, but for the Nets, things went awry in the second.

“I thought we had our moments,” said Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins. “We started off really well 27 - 18, but then we went into a slump in the second quarter, which really cost us the game. We played so well early, but we didn't do such a good job in the second quarter.”

The Nets tried to dig itself out of the proverbial hole it created for itself in the second quarter, by ending the third quarter 25-27 and then the fourth quarter 26-25. But, the deficit created in the second quarter when the Lakers outscored the Nets 34-20 was too much to overcome.

“In the end we got down, we battled back, and we had our chances,” Coach Hollins continued. “We had an open look for that 3:40 that would have made it 100 - 98 and it just didn't go down. But our team is playing harder and trying to play more together. We just have to cut down the turnovers. We had 12 at halftime and we only had four in the second half which allowed us to play better.”

When a prideful team is chasing a win with a 0-5 record, and then loses, it does take its toll on the players.

“We need everyone at this point, you know, so it’s tough, Brook Lopez said regarding the disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. “We came out so strong, and we just stalled many times. You know, you can see what it’s like. Obviously they were fighting just as hard to get their first win. It’s tough.”

“We allowed them back into the game,” Nets point guard Jarrett Jack said. “We didn’t take care of the basketball, as well as we did in the first half and allowed them to get some momentum. They took the lead at halftime, and you know, they kind of just carried on from there.”

As for Kobe Bryant, he led all Lakers scorers with 18 points, followed by Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell with 16 points apiece. Roy Hibbert only put up two points for the Lakers, but he did come through with seven rebounds and one assist.

Unlike the performance against the Bulls, the Nets reserves were not clicking on all cylinders. Metta World Peace and the rest of the Lakers bench outscored the Nets reserves 38-16.

If the loss wasn’t bad enough on Nets players, they had to put up with loud cheers from Lakers fans.

“...We understand what it is. It’s a guy who’s a first ballot hall of famer. We understand what it is,” Jarrett Jack said regarding the cheers for Kobe Bryant.

At the end of the day, Kobe Bryant’s fans and their cheers are butts in the seats and ca-ching for the Nets and the Barclays Center.

VIDEO: Is Kobe Bryant delusional about the Lakers playoff chances, or, does Kobe know something that the rest of the world doesn't?

Oddly enough, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant is in a story that is Flying Under The Radar. In a phone interview with yahoo.com (Yahoo Sports), Bryant believes that his Lakers team can make the playoffs this season.

In defense of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles did make some post-season moves to help the team in Brandon Bass, Roy Hibbert, and D'Angelo Russell.

Also, Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Byron Scott is no slouch.

Joe Johnson Provided the 3-Point Dagger with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter en route to 21 points

Until the end of this season, every game the Brooklyn Nets play will feature the same overall theme: the race for 8th.

With nine games left in the regular season excluding tonight's game-hosting the Indiana Pacers, the Nets playoff chances are still very much up in the air.

In yesterday's 116-104 win against the Charlotte Hornets, the Boston Celtics moved back into 8th place, which the Nets enjoyed for a day, following their win on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, which was nice for the time being.

This essentially means the Nets still have work to do, which basically means the Nets have to continue winning.

And tonight, that's exactly what the Nets did: win.

Behind the strong play of Brook Lopez, once again, scoring a team high 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, his 14th double-double of the season, the Nets claimed victory over the Indiana Pacers, 111-106 for their fourth straight win.

Brooklyn Nets center, Brook Lopez

The Nets improved to (33-40) with nine games left in the season while the Pacers fell to (32-42).

Before tonight's contest, I caught up with Pacer's center Roy Hibbert (7 points) about his approach towards his 1-on-1 match-up with Lopez, to which he was nonchalant about.

"Gonna go out there and give it my best," Hibbert said during the pre-game media availability period.

"It's a tough match-up because he scores really well, so Imma have my hands full the whole way."

And that's exactly the night Hibbert fore-saw which became a reality.

Lopez scored 14 of his 24 points in the first half and continued his strong play which has contributed to the Nets winning six of their last seven games when Lopez scores 20+.

"I think the ball has just been moving really freely the past number of games," Lopez said post-game.

"You can see everyone is really comfortable on the court, and we have been gelling and playing well together."

Fortunately for the Nets, tonight's outcome wasn't just about Lopez.

He wasn't the only player that made headlines.

This was an all-team performance, where contributions were generously dispersed from several members of the Nets cast tonight.

Deron Williams looks like he has his boogie back, and was a pest during the first quarter.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Deron Williams

He did a little of everything, scoring eight of his total 11 points, finding his teammates for five assists, two steals and was pretty much the main catalyst who sparked the Nets’ early run in the first quarter, pinning the Pacers up against the wall, as the Nets entered the second quarter up 33-15.

"I'm just trying to get guys the ball, run the offense and do whatever I can," Williams said post-game.

Joe Johnson can be counted on for 20+ points a game and timely shooting, as he provided the dagger tonight, giving the Nets an eight point-lead, up 108-100, on a corner three, with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter en route to 21 points.

"...If there is one guy you want open at the end of the game, that is the guy, and they left him open," Lopez said, regarding the three-point shot he assisted to Johnson.

Alan Anderson was very effective throughout this game and knocked down two three's in the third-quarter, scoring 20 points by games-end, pacing the Nets, as the Pacers made their run to come-back from their early 1st-half deficit.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Alan Anderson

Jarrett Jack is proving to be incapable of having a bad game, even in limited minutes, scoring 13 points along with four assists in 18 minutes of play and rookie Markel Brown is making the most of his time on the floor with his perimeter defense and shooting, scoring 10 points.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Jarret Jack

These individual performances strung together as a group has the Nets peaking at the right time, gaining confidence as they prepare to enter a tough April schedule for the final push towards the playoffs.

The operative word here is together, and Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins acknowledged that this has been the most together the team has been all season.

And it’s showing in their play as the Nets totaled 16 assists.

"When we play the way we are playing, we're sharing the ball," Hollins said.

Hollins even mentioned that guys care about one another now, and if they didn't earlier in the season, they definitely picked the right time to share the love.

This was the type of the game the Nets would've lost maybe two months ago.

The NBA is full of runs and after the Nets lost their early advantage, the Nets would've found a way to lose this game in the closing minutes.

But this is a different team.

George Hills’ 28 points didn't matter nor did three double-digit scoring outputs by Luis Scola, C.J. Watson and rookie Damjan Rudez.

The Nets are in a different space.

Instead of folding it in and quitting on games, the Nets found a way to execute late in the game where it was most necessary to do so and that is what post-season basketball is all about.

If the Nets continue doing what they are doing, they will find themselves exactly where they want to be, even if it means a first round exit, just kidding.

Up next, the Nets will travel to the city to take on the woeful New York Knicks which should be a guaranteed win.

All in all, this team realizes the moment, and it’s not just one player or two, it’s a collective mindset.

"...We hold our destiny in our hands, so it is up to us," Anderson said following the win.

"We have, I think, nine games now. We control that so we just have to take it game by game. We have a tough one tomorrow on the road against the Knicks and we just have to go from there."