Nets, underdogs again, within reach of NBA title
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lucious Harris considered the possibility, and his eyes lighted up.
The New Jersey Nets as NBA champions? What once seemed a galaxy away is now a mere four wins from reality.
"We came this far, we're not going to lay down," the Nets' guard said. "We have confidence we can win this series. We've been underdogs all season. We're confident, every player."
NBA FINALS
(Best-of-7)
Wednesday, June 5
New Jersey at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m.
Friday, June 7
New Jersey at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 9
L.A. Lakers at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 12
L.A. Lakers at New Jersey, 8 p.m.
Friday, June 14
L.A. Lakers at New Jersey, 8 p.m., if necessary
Monday, June 17
New Jersey at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m., if necessary
Wednesday, June 19
New Jersey at L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m., if necessary
The Nets' confidence will be tested beginning Wednesday night when they meet the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Staples Center.
Game 2 is Friday night in Los Angeles before the best-of-seven series shifts to New Jersey.
Like the Sacramento Kings, the Nets have been one of the league's bottom-feeders through the years.
But times sure have changed.
The Kings, 27-55 four years ago, extended the mighty Lakers to overtime in the deciding game of the Western Conference finals.
While Sacramento's rise has been steady, New Jersey got there in a hurry. In the playoffs for the first time since 1998, the Nets were 26-56 last season.
The turnaround began with the acquisition of Jason Kidd from Phoenix last summer.
"What in the world is Phoenix doing?" Lakers star Kobe Bryant said with a laugh Tuesday.
What the Suns did was help make a winner of the Nets.
"We had players here that had it in them," said Harris, who grew up in Los Angeles but cheered for the Celtics as a kid. "Jason brought it out."
Going for the 14th championship in franchise history, the Lakers have reached the NBA Finals 26 times.
The Nets, winners of only 19 playoff games since joining the NBA in 1976, including 10 this spring, have advanced past the second round for just the first time.
Oddsmakers established the Lakers as 9-1 favorites.
"It would probably be one of the biggest upsets in history, I'll say," Harris said. "We've got to play a perfect game, period. We can't have scoring lapses. That's a true champion."
In Shaquille O'Neal and Bryant, the Lakers have the best at their positions -- inside and outside.