Brooklyn did what experts knew they would do. They struggled early with a clueless coach, who learned on the job. A team built for the playoffs paced themselves. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were not acquired for the regular season. They are here for the postseason where there are no more five games in seven night contests and they can put in more minutes.

Entering January, the Nets were 10-21. The Nets have posted the second-best winning percentage in the East since Jan. 1 (.667, 34-17), largely on the strength of a new small-ball style, an approach that gave the Raptors fits in their most recent game