Nets spanked by LeBron James and Cavs

The King and his men Lower the Boom on Brooklyn’s Playoff Hopes

March 19, 2015 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

LeBron James passes over Joe Johnson Wednesday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers roll to a 117-92 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Quicken Loans Arena. AP photo

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With each of their next four games against teams they are battling for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets were hoping to steal a win in Cleveland against one of the league’s title contenders.

Instead, they received a methodical beat down from LeBron James and the Central Division-leading Cavaliers in front of 20,562 fans at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.

“LeBron went in the post,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins explained after James’ 16 points and seven assists, many of which came after Brooklyn opened an early 13-point lead, helped Cleveland to a 117-92 rout of the Nets.

“We tried to help a few times and he threw it out and they made 3s, and he was in the pick-and-roll and he made plays for people and they made shots. He wasn’t the man,” Hollins added. “It was the guys making the shots. He set them up. He was the orchestrator.”

The loss, expected as it was against a team that has reeled off 14 straight home wins, dropped Brooklyn 2 ½ games behind eight-place Boston and Indiana (both 30-37) in the hunt for the final playoff spot in the East.

Fortunately for the Nets (27-39), they’ll have an opportunity to catch up with the Celtics and Pacers, along with some of the other teams they’re currently pursuing in the playoff chase, over the next week.

Brooklyn will host Jason Kidd and sixth-place Milwaukee (34-34) here on Friday night, visit Indiana on Saturday, return home to take on the Celtics Monday and go to 10th-place Charlotte (29-37) next Wednesday.

With only 16 games remaining, 11 of which will be played at Downtown’s Barclays Center, the Nets can ill-afford a letdown in more than one of the following four contests if they want to remain in serious contention for their third consecutive playoff berth.

“All these games are huge games for us,” Deron Williams said after leading Brooklyn with 20 points against Cleveland. “I hope we realize that.”