The Brooklyn Nets’ legacy at the Barclays Center was put on hold due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, as a result, their home opener against the New York Knicks was pushed back to a later date. The Nets began their tenure in Brooklyn in a game against the Toronto Raptors. The Barclays Center was packed and the anticipation was unlike that of any basketball game the borough has ever known. This game which eventually resulted in a 107—100 win was highlighted by black and white jersey’s dispersed throughout the crowd, countless renditions of songs by Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z as the game went along, and tons of optimism for the future of sports in Brooklyn.
While at home playing in the Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets have had their way with opponents and have only lost one game so far in their new area while winning all of the other games they have played at home. A pivotal moment in the franchise’s inaugural season came when the Nets finally faced the New York Knicks and managed to pull off an overtime victory in this extremely closely contested match up. This marked the first time a Brooklyn team has beaten a New York team since the days of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was a closely contested match up throughout, but the Nets managed to pull off the win with a 96—89 victory. Other key wins at home included a 114 point blowout against the Cavaliers where the superlative performances of Deron Williams (26 points) Brook Lopez (23 points) and Joe Johnson (25 points) led the way to victory. In this game, the Nets had been losing but Johnson, a newly acquired Shooting Guard from the Atlanta Hawks and his late game heroics proved to be the clincher and boost the Nets needed to prevail.
The Nets can proudly say that they have beaten the Boston Celtics two times in two meetings against them. They did however, lose to the Lakers and Warriors on the road but managed to win three consecutive home games against the Clippers, Trail Blazers and Knicks in retaliation. This fighting and competitive spirit is one that Brooklyn showed through tough times during the hurricane and one that the Nets have shown as well. Their bench has played a key role in igniting the fire and causing excitement. Led by Marshon Brooks, Andray Blatche, and Reggie Evans, the Nets bench depth alone is a reason to go to the Barclays Center.
Along with the team’s very solid performance on the court, off the court the Barclays Center has played host to many fantastic musical events as well. With Jay-Z as a partial owner, the excitement in both concepts of basketball and entertainment is always bound to be off the charts. From Nov. 30—December 2 Disney on Ice will present Rockin’ Ever After. Many of the Disney princesses and heroines such as Ariel, Rapunzel and Belle will be on hand as will others like Mickey, Minnie, Beauty and Beast will all, for the first time ever, skate in Brooklyn.
Andrea Bocelli will be singing on Dec. 5 and the Barclays Center is the proud to be the only revenue in the entire New York City area that will play host to an Andrea Bocelli performance. Bocelli will bring with him famed Welsh mezzo Soprano and former dancing with the stars contestant, Katherine Jenkins to assist him in his performance. On Dec. 8, the Rolling Stones will be performing. This is significant because it marks the Rolling Stones first US performance on the Stones “50 and Counting Celebration Tour.”
Mixed in with these fantastic musical events, the Brooklyn Nets will be playing games against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder (who made it to the NBA Finals last year) on Dec. 4th and will have a rematch against the Knicks again at the Barclays Center on Dec. 11 which is sure to be another fantastic match as the Knicks look to get revenge, right before Christmas. All in all, the Barclays Center will sport some fantastic events throughout the month that cover the entire spectrum in terms of musicals, opera, and sports. Be sure to also look into the Nets Dec. 29 matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only is it expected to be a fantastic basketball game, but it will also be the last game Brooklyn plays at the Barclays Center before we ring in the new year.