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December 1, 2009

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Home » Sports » Basketball

Nets match record losing start despite giving coach the boot

Source: Agencies | December 1, 2009, Tuesday | Print Edition

THE New Jersey Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank on the same day their nightmare season took a historic turn as they slumped to 0-17, matching the NBA record for worst start to a season on Sunday.

Following their 87-106 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, the league's worst team joined the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers for the mark of futility.

New Jersey's internal changes failed to produce a shake up on the court and with assistant Tom Barrise assuming the head role the Nets found no special remedy to quell their woes, least of all a matchup with the defending NBA champions.

"To have all this happen, to need a win and then to play the champions, it's a tough situation," point guard Devin Harris said after his team reached another regrettable distinction in setting a franchise record for a longest losing run in a season.

"It came as a shock (to lose our coach) this morning. Whoever takes over on Monday will have our support. We just have to find a way to win."

As if the reeling franchise did not have enough obstacles to deal with, a determined Kobe Bryant put on a shooting display with five 3-pointers and 30 points to lead the Lakers to a routine victory.

Pau Gasol added 20 and Los Angeles (13-3) left the turbulent Nets dazed and confused, practically putting the game away before halftime when they took a 59-34 advantage.

New Jersey made its first two shots and briefly led 8-5 before an brutal 22-2 Lakers' run vaulted them to a 27-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points and 12 rebounds and Harris showed good signs in his second game since being restored to the starting lineup as he works his way back from a groin injury that has sidelined him for most of the season.

Injuries, however, cannot be blamed for the team's string of errors this season. New Jersey is last in the NBA in points per game and field goal percentage, confirmed by their 43 percent marksmanship on Sunday.

The Nets will host the Dallas Mavericks next as they try to avoid setting a new record for the NBA's worst ever start.

"I don't think the (record) is on their mind but I think they're aware of it. It's mentally tough to deal with right now," Barrise said. "I've been coaching 35 years in college and the NBA (and) you have three, four-game losing streaks, and you can deal with that. But when you go a whole month, you wake up and you feel it. You lose your coach at 10 in the morning, you know - the guys are human."

Frank left with a 225-241 record in six-plus seasons with New Jersey. Having started his NBA head coaching career as the Nets interim in January 2004, he was the longest-serving coach in the Eastern Conference.



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