Sports

Nets

Our borough's first major pro sports franchise since the Dodgers abandoned us in 1957 has its first playoff game on Saturday night (8 p.m., ESPN) on the corners of Atlantic and Flatbush avenues. … Full Article

The Brooklyn Nets don't have to deal with defending NBA champion Miami unless they get past the Chicago Bulls in their best-of-seven opening round NBA playoff series, which kicks off Saturday night (8 p.m., ESPN) on the corners of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues. … Full Article

Brook Lopez scored 20 points and reserve Andray Blatche added 15 as the playoff-boundNets held off the Pistons. … Full Article

The 16,774 fans that made their way to the Barclays Center on Monday night had to be at least a bit disappointed when four of the Nets' five regular starters were given the night off in advance of the team's much-anticipated playoff opener this weekend. … Full Article

On a night when the four of the Brooklyn Nets' five starters rested, a meaningless April game provided ample opportunity for a group of players that will be mostly watching from the bench when the playoffs tip off. … Full Article

TORONTO — Deron Williams crumpled up his stat sheet and threw it away in disgust. A loss to the lottery-bound Toronto Raptors meant his Brooklyn Nets had lost their chance at earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference. … Full Article

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets want a top-three spot in the Eastern Conference and they're going to do everything they can to get it. … Full Article

Is there suddenly bad blood brewing between soon-to-be former minority owner Jay-Z and the Nets? … Full Article

The last time the Nets saw the Celtics, way back on Christmas Day, Deron Williams was scuffling through a myriad of injuries and citing his lack of comfort in coach Avery Johnson's offense as Brooklyn was in the midst of falling back to .500 following a November to remember. … Full Article

P.J. Carlesimo didn't have the exact numbers handy, but he knows all too well how important it is for an NBA playoff team to have a potential Game 7 on its home floor. … Full Article