3. LOS ANGELES, June 5 - Pound for pound, the New Jersey Nets are no competition for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. I
n many ways, it's like matching Lennox Lewis, the heavyweight boxer, against Jerry Lewis, the comic actor. However, for the sake of basketball, it's a relief that the Nets themselves aren't buying any of the negative press. I still don't know if the Nets have enough to upset the Lakers and win this series. But after Wednesday, I do believe they can make it a series. I get the overwhelming sense the Nets feel the same away. After a dreadful first quarter Wednesday night inside Staples Center, the Nets calmed themselves and came after L.A. They were not in awe. They did not bow down. Instead, they sharpened their focus, capitalized on the Lakers' erratic play and made it a game. "Now that our guys got the first-quarter jitters out of the way," Nets coach Byron Scott said, "maybe this will be a better series than a lot of people thought it would be." What is the controlling idea of this article?
The New Jersey Nets can give the Los Angeles Lakers some competition.
Explanation:
The writer's main idea is evident in this sentence: However, for the sake of basketball, it's a relief that the Nets themselves aren't buying any of the negative press. The author believes the Nets can give the Lakers some competition and that they proved as much in the first game of the series.
