30 November,2009 12:08 PM IST | | AFP
The rudderless New Jersey Nets matched the worst start to an NBA season on Sunday as they stumbled to their 17th straight defeat against the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Kobe Bryant scored 30 points in the Lakers' 106-87 triumph, which came hours after the Nets sacked coach Lawrence Frank.
The Nets played hard for interim coach Tom Barrise, but trailed by as many as 27 points in the first half.
Now the Nets must beat Dallas back home in New Jersey to avoid sole possession of a dubious NBA record.
The 1988-89 Miami Heat and the 1999 Los Angeles Clippers both started their seasons 0-17.
Despite their dismal campaign so far, Nets players seemed shocked by Frank's dismissal.
"It's tough, because he was the hardest worker on the team," center Brook Lopez said. "He's so passionate about what he does. It was a rough situation, and he did a great job of not using our injuries as an excuse. He came in every night and had us prepared."
Frank's 225 victories are the most in club history, but this season he has been unable to compensate for a wave of injuries.
His roster featured eight players who have missed multiple games with injuries.
"He wasn't dealt a royal flush," said Rafer Alston, who joined New Jersey in the June trade that sent star scorer Vince Carter to Orlando. "It's almost like he had a pair of twos, and he tried to fight."
Barrise was a longtime scout for the Nets who became an assistant under Frank, had the unenviable task of stepping in at the last minute for Sunday's contest.
"It's a tough day," Barrise said. "It's a somber day. We've been together 10 years. It's the business we chose, and it happens. We move on. ... I think we've played motivated. I think we were competitive every night. I think what we need is to get healthy. As we get these guys back, it's almost like a whole training camp again."
Barrise, who may have been coaching his only game before the Nets settle on a permanent replacement for Frank, energetically backed his men.
"You jump in the deep end, and the sharks are there," Barrise said. "You've got to swim."
Spain's Pau Gasol had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who rolled to their 12th win in 14 games.
