Nets Beat Back Thunder 116-85

Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are out for the Oklahoma City Thunder which means the Brooklyn Nets will catch a break in their home opener right?

Wrong.

"It's another NBA game and a game that counts," rookie forward Cory Jefferson said to What's The 411TV prior to the tip-off. "They are missing some of their key players but we still have to go out there and handle business."

He's absolutely right.

The Nets can't take anybody for granted. It doesn't matter what the current roster of their opponents reflect. In their regular season home opener, the Nets did the right thing. They took care of the hobbled Thunder 116-85 in front of a sellout crowd of 17,732 at the Barclays Center.

That's what they were supposed to do.

It was also a star-studded home opener which included Grammy award-winning R&B recording artist Ashanti, who sang the national anthem and hip hop artist Fabolous was also present announcing the starting lineups for the Brooklyn Nets.

Regarding the contest tonight, this wasn't a break for the Nets, it was a vacation, target practice, whatever "easy street" activity you would like to call it.

What's significant for the Nets and their personnel was the fact that this was the regular season debut for Nets center Brook Lopez, who sat out the first two games of the season with a sprain in his right mid-foot. Lopez contributed 18 points and six rebounds, an encouraging performance.

The Nets scored early and often and reminded the Thunder what the presence of stars like Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are capable of producing, when healthy.

In the first half, Williams and Johnson combined for 20 points.

Lopez in his first action of the season added seven points and four rebounds while rookie guard Bojan Bogdanovic provided some marksmanship from deep, connecting on two three-pointers scoring 8.

Eight of the ten available players for the Nets all scored as the Nets entered the intermission period up by a comfortable 19 points, 59-40.

Yes, almost 60 in 24 minutes of play.

When it's not your night, it shows and the Thunder made it very obvious that Durant and Westbrook are desperately needed if this team is to have any shot of competing in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

"We did a lot of good things in the first three games, and we didn't do that tonight," said Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks following tonight's game.

In the last two deciding quarters, more of the same continued.

The Nets were the favorites in this match-up and they played like it.

In the third quarter alone, the Nets enjoyed leads of +14, +18 and +23.

With 42.8 remaining in the third quarter, Deron WIlliams participated in a defense to offense sequence that just displayed the dominance the Nets enjoyed on both ends of the floor.

Off of a Williams missed three-point shot attempt, the Thunder's Kendrick Perkins collected the rebound and one bad pass later was intercepted by Williams who converted an uncontested layup which put the Nets up 85-62.

It was that kind of night, and with the offensive success the Nets enjoyed, the starters were able to rest for the majority of the 4th quarter as the bench finished off the remains of what was left of the Thunder.

Williams finished with 17 points and nine assists while Joe Johnson supplied 13 points and six rebounds.

Reggie Jackson was the lone high scorer for the Thunder recording 23 points.

Look, the Thunder are a shell of themselves right now and although this outcome was expected there are some legitimate positives that the Nets can take from this performance and apply it to the future games they will confront.

Positives like Brook Lopez exiting this game among the top two overall scorers for the Nets tonight along with reserve guard Alan Anderson, who also chipped in with an efficient 7-8 shooting from the field for 18 points.

"It was great seeing him out there," Nets forward Joe Johnson said about Lopez to the media following the game. "I think his presence alone opens up the floor a lot more for guys like myself and Deron, and he looked great tonight."

Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets Shooting guard/Small Forward

Positives like the bench scoring 50 points to compliment the starting five in a rout.

"Our bench was amazing for us tonight," Williams said in the post-game media sessions. "To come out of the game and get a lift from our bench, that's what we need."

Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets Point Guard

Positives like shooting 52.4% from the floor, 47.8% from behind the arc and connecting for 89.5% from the charity strike.

"We shot the ball extremely well," said Head Coach Lionel Hollins during his post-game press conference. "We moved the ball, we attacked and they just couldn't stay up with us."

Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins

And, one more positive was the exploits of rookie starting guard Bojan Bogdanovic, hailing from Croatia.

"He played well and he was much more aggressive tonight" said Head Coach Lionel Hollins about Bogdanovic. "I have confidence in him and I want him to play his game."

The Thunder coming to town also meant the return of Brooklyn's own, Sebastian Telfair now starting for the Thunder due to injuries of Durant and Westbrook.

"It felt good before the game started," Telfair told the media during the post-game sessions. "It is always good to come back to my roots, playing in front of my family and for some of my fans."

The biggest takeaway the Nets can use from this game and apply to their future opponents is confidence.

The offense flourished.

The defense denied any offensive consistency.

Tonight was evidence of what the Nets are capable of when they are clicking on all cylinders.

The challenge is to do their due diligence when playing a team that shares the same aspirations in team goals that they promote.

The Nets will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, November 5, the New York Knicks on Friday November 7th and the Orlando Magic on Sunday, November 9th. Following this home stand is a west-coast road-trip featuring the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers.

How will the Nets respond to the teams on its West Coast swing?

That will be an important stretch to see how these Nets measure up against some of the best teams the NBA has to offer.

The Nets won this game because it was what they were supposed to do. However, the games scheduled in the coming weeks will be telling.

Only then will we see what the Nets are really made of.

In this video What's The 411Sports reporter, Gregory Alcala gives his account of Brooklyn Nets Media Day, which was held on Friday, September 26, at the Brooklyn Nets Practice Facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Greg told the What's The 411Sports panel of Bianca Peart, Glenn Gilliam, and Chris Graham that the themes of the day focused on health, motivation, and redemption. The Brooklyn Nets players appeared to be revitalized and ready to go. Brook Lopez is ready to play without restrictions, Deron Williams feels some improvement, and to a man, the respect for Lionel Hollins is palpable.

Watch Video About Brooklyn Nets Media Day

Kevin Garnett told the vast number of reporters in attendance that head coach Lionel Hollins has a presence, and as Hollins was the first member of the Nets franchise available for the press, I acknowledged exactly what Garnett was referring to. Hollins' press conference wasn't just filled with the generic "This is what we're going to do..." soliloquy, it was honest, very honest, straight forward, and relaxed. Hollins is a stand-up guy and answered every question from a relaxed state, as if he is incapable of being rattled. When asked how he was going to deal with the personality of one Deron Williams, who has been labeled "a coach killer,"

Hollins's simply answered with a smirk: "I have the reputation of being a player killer...".

Hollins wasn't just insightful regarding what he has in-store for this current blend of veterans and journey-men, he was actually quite funny.

Check out Greg's full article here.

I've been waiting for the fall season for a reason. This particular time of the year is usually associated with leaves on trees changing colors, the beginning of yet another academic calendar and the resolution of summer. For me personally, it means NBA basketball is back! The Brooklyn Nets kicked off its media day at the Nets Practice Facility in East Rutherford, NJ on Friday, September 26th. It was clear, it is a new day in Nets land. Nothing but positive messages filled the air on a beautiful day revolving around all things Brooklyn Nets, and I was a part of that experience.

Newly-appointed head coach Lionel Hollins addressed the media first followed by Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez. The remaining players on the roster spoke in groups of four, separated by 10-15 minutes each.

No one was allowed to shy away from the microphone, as this day was for the media. During his press conference, Kevin Garnett told the vast number of reporters in attendance that head coach Lionel Hollins has a presence, and as Hollins was the first member of the Nets franchise available for the press, I acknowledged exactly what Garnett was referring to. Hollins' press conference wasn't just filled with the generic "This is what we're going to do..." soliloquy, it was honest, very honest, straight forward, and relaxed. Hollins is a stand-up guy and answered every question from a relaxed state, as if he is incapable of being rattled. When asked how he was going to deal with the personality of one Deron Williams, who has been labeled "a coach killer,"

Hollins's simply answered with a smirk: "I have the reputation of being a player killer...".

Hollins wasn't just insightful regarding what he has in-store for this current blend of veterans and journey-men, he was actually quite funny.

In referring to what has impressed him the most from the group of guys at his disposal during early scrimmages, Hollins expressed that the most impressive thing from these scrimmages was that he himself looked good coaching from the sidelines, which was received well from the media correspondents. On a serious note, Hollins shared his coaching thought process, indicating a system that involves everyone, as well as, highlighting that he likes the fact that his team has a number of guys with experiences and accomplishments that he can rely on to be in the forefront and lead. The keyword in the discussion of the team for Hollins is toughness. Hollins articulated that he wants his team to be tougher, more aggressive and compete harder. This should not serve as a shock coming from a residential Western Conference Head Coach for the majority of his coaching career.

One person who symbolizes toughness is Kevin Garnett who seemed upbeat, prepared for the season while noting that although he is entering his 20th season, there is still something worth playing for.

"The mindset has to be Championship or nothing..." Garnett said during his conference session.

Garnett still believes he has something to offer at the tender age of 38 but noted that the Nets success will solely be based on the core three guys in D-Will, Lopez and Johnson. The main focus of D-Will's conference session was health, which at this point in his career is essential to any success the Nets hope to enjoy this season. Williams is recovering from ankle surgery on both of his ankles, an injury that affected his performance the previous year which might've been his most disappointing.

"I don't think I'm 100% yet just because I've only had one month but, I'm pretty close," Williams said. "I'm getting strength. I'm getting confidence on it, I've played 5-on-5. I feel like I'm at least 20% better than I was all of last year."

On the new head coach: "He's going to be great for us in what we're trying to do here and I'm excited to play for him," Williams said.

Johnson, the team's second leading scorer also weighed in on coach Hollins hoping that he is the primary voice for this team going forward into the future.

"This is my third year here, and every year we start with a different coach," Johnson said. "Hopefully this one turns out a little better with us getting off to a great start."

Johnson also took a playful shot at former head coach Jason Kidd hinting that they hardly practiced at all. It will be the exact opposite with Hollins, as he plans to challenge guys and put them in tough situations during their practice sessions.

The most integral member of the Nets starting-5 in Lopez, scheduled to speak to the media last provided the answers to questions that the media in general all shared.

When asked how his body felt, Lopez stated: "I feel great right now, I'm not looking for any restrictions, I'm just ready to go."

For Nets fans, that should be encouraging. He also talked about what coach Hollins expects of him as a center, which is an enhanced effort in rebounding the basketball.

"It's just a matter of increasing my effort," Lopez said. "It's not just boxing out but going to get the rebound after and focusing on offensive rebounding."

All in all, the core pieces of the Nets franchise which includes coach Hollins revealed how much of a responsibility it is to be who they are having their own press conferences while the remaining players of the Nets roster held their media sessions on four tables positioned outside of the press conference space. Johnson described newly acquired point guard Jarrett Jack as the x-factor of this team, and while he was available I asked what he believes he can bring to this roster.

"Just energy man," Jack said. "I think pushing the pace, trying to get easier quicker baskets in transition or off turnovers, I think that is something that I can provide."

Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack

I also asked Jack how he felt when he received the news that he was coming here to which he replied: "I was happy, I was all smiles," Jack said. "I think as basketball players we all wonder about playing in a big city, under the bright lights, in NY so I was chomping at the bit to get this opportunity."

Very rarely do you hear athletes state the desire to play in New York and with his answer I have to take Jack for his word. Mason Plumlee, now a gold medalist talked about his summer competing in Spain but targeted Vegas, Chicago and NY as the best part of the trip. Plumlee added that those three locations tested him the most as he was one player in a large group of NBA hopefuls battling each other for a roster spot on Team USA, a situation that you cannot simulate. Due to that experience alone, Plumlee is a player to watch for the Nets going forward. Plumlee is also looking forward to playing under Hollins with the ambition of becoming a better NBA player.

The Nets finished 44-38, second in the Atlantic division under first-year head coach Jason Kidd. Under the guidance of Hollins I believe the Nets will be revamped. They will be rejuvenated. They will have a viable opportunity in playing for first place in the Atlantic Division, but it all boils down to the same individuals who held their media session ahead of everyone else. There's a reason why Hollins, Garnett, Lopez, Johnson, and D-Will were scheduled ahead of the rest of the roster in a secluded area stationed on the Nets practice court. They are the core pieces to which this franchise has built its foundation on. The Nets can't progress if Lopez doesn't have a bounce back year, which I believe he will. Lopez was the leading scorer for the Nets last season albeit missing the majority of the season, averaging 20.7 points, better than D-Will and Johnson. Go figure. The Nets can't progress if Johnson is incapable of reminding us why he is a 7-time All-Star. Johnson averaged 15.8 points per game last season, his lowest points total since his 4th year as a pro. D-Will has to prove he is healthy and Garnett has to keep his commitment to the Nets all while sustaining his health. Last but not least, Hollins has to prove that he can corral this group for the greater good, and from listening to his words, I have no doubts that he will be successful. These are exciting times in the NBA world and on the east coast for one particular team, it all began on Friday, September 26th at the Nets Practice facility in East Rutherford, NJ. That team is the Brooklyn Nets.

In this episode of What's The 411Sports, the panel of Bianca Peart; Chris Graham; Glenn Gilliam; and Gregory Alcala are talking about isues and events in sports.

• • San Antonio Spurs head coach, Greg Popavich, selected Becky Hammon to be an Assistant Coach for the team. Hammon now becomes the first woman to be a full time coach for an NBA team.
• Division 1 shools are revising their policies as it relates to student athletes.
• Court regulation in a post-Paul George injury era
• Danny Jacobs beats cancer and boxing opponent
• Brooke Lopez Cleared to Play
• Mason Plumlee selected to play on USA Basketball National team for 2014-15 season 

In the Dog House this week are: Golden State Warriors, Marreese Speights and Michigan State's Kenny Kaminski

 WATCH VIDEO HERE: