by Danny Perry
The Nets wheelchair basketball team recapture a conference crown before falling in the Southern Regional tournament.
The Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association Nets, a wheelchair basketball team co-sponsored by New Jersey Nets and United Spinal, saw their roller coaster season conclude with a first round loss in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Southern Regional Tournament. Prior to that, the Nets were able to recapture the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference (EWBC) crown after having lost the title to their archrival New York Rollin’ Knicks, who claimed it for two consecutive seasons.
With the Nets finishing the 2002-2003 season by reaching the championship game of the Midwest Regional Tournament-one step from the Final Four, the team’s aspirations would be expected to hit peak level. Unfortunately, there were outside distractions factoring into the equation, with one being very tragic.
Early in the season, Nets player Freddy Jones passed away from heart failure as a result of a severe kidney ailment. His death obviously cast a dark shadow over the team. In addition, key players Patrick Donaghey, Edy Lopez and John Pugioti all bought houses a good distance from the team’s practice facility in Hackensack, New Jersey. Overall, the team’s practice commitment was lacking, and as a result, there was a level of inconsistent play. This was apparent at the start of the season as the Nets lost two out of three games at the 9th Annual Al Youakim Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.
Going into EWBC play, the Nets were able to steer their ship straight. The team finished their conference schedule with a 7-1 mark, tied for first place with the Knicks. “We really started getting our act together once we began playing conference games,” pointed out Donaghey, who is the Nets team captain. “That gave us a good amount of momentum going into the conference tournament.”
The single-elimination EWBC Championship Tournament put the Nets to the test. To capture the tournament title, they would have to win three games in a two-day period. In addition, the Knicks, based on a tiebreaker, automatically qualified for the championship game as the top- seeded team and would be well rested as they awaited their fatigued opponent. This didn’t phase the Nets as they defeated the Nassau Kings 61-46, advancing them to a second round match-up against the much-improved Long Island Express. The Nets didn’t blink against the Express and played maybe their best complete game of the season on the way to a 71-55 victory and a showdown against the Knicks for conference supremacy.
In the first half of that game, the Nets came out flat and went into halftime trailing the Knicks 29-22. That deficit increased to 10 points at the onset of the second half. The Nets, through precision fast break baskets, then rallied and went up by 10 points themselves before Lopez fouled out with four minutes remaining. In the end, Donaghey’s hot shooting helped hold off the Knicks for an 8-point Nets victory.
As the champions of the EWBC, the Nets easily qualified for post-season play. The NWBA Tournament Selection Committee placed them as the fifth seed in the eight-team Southern Regional Tournament. Their first round opponent in the single-elimination tournament was the Virginia Beach Sunwheelers, who, over the years, have consistently defeated the Nets during post-season play. With Pugioti not making the trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, the Nets were lacking a strong defensive presence, making the opportunity for an upset more remote.
During the first half, everything clicked for the Nets as they battled the Sunwheelers blow for blow. Denton Johnson stepped in admirably for Pugioti and was helping Lopez out with some inside scoring. In addition, rookie Jason Salawu came off the bench and seemed to surprise the Sunwheelers with his strong outside shooting ability. At the half, the Nets trailed by a mere five points, 39-34. Things quickly changed during the second half. The Nets lost the ability to score the basketball as the Sunwheelers became deadly from the perimeter. A lack of conditioning seemed to be the Nets’ downfall, as they failed to finish off plays. With 10 minutes left, the game was firmly in the Sunwheelers hands. The final score was 77-55 in favor on the Sunwheelers, knocking the Nets into the consolation bracket against the Charlotte Bobcats. In that game, the Nets battled the Bobcats throughout before falling by a score of 60-50.
Although the Nets weren’t able to take the next step and reach the Final Four this season, the team reclaimed their position as the elite team in the metropolitan area. This accomplishment didn’t go unnoticed by the team’s veteran players.
“I know that recapturing the EWBC title was a big focus for the older guys, in particular myself and Edy,” stated Donaghey. “We had it for 12 straight years before finally losing two straight.”
Danny Perry is a Public Affairs Officer.
