Nets, Devils share arena, not much else

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Yes, the New Jersey Nets are aware that their arena-mates, the New Jersey Devils, are in the Stanley Cup finals.

But that's about all they know about the hockey team.

"Don't ask me to name three Devils," Nets coach Byron Scott said with a chuckle. "Stevenson, toughest guy on the team, I know that. I can't pronounce it, but the goalie, I love the way he plays. He got them in the finals; that's all that matters."

As vague as that sounds, Scott was better informed than most of his players Saturday morning as the Nets prepared to emulate their Meadowlands brethren. New Jersey -- basketball version -- before the team finished a sweep of the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night to advance to the NBA Finals, one day after New Jersey -- hockey version -- did the NHL equivalent with a victory over the Ottawa Senators.

"It shows we've got some pretty good teams here in Jersey," Scott said. "The organization can be very proud of that."

Scott and players Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin and Lucious Harris all said they had never seen a hockey game live. Jefferson at least had one advantage over his coach: He could pronounce the goalie's name.

"When we're playing, they're on the road," Jefferson said. "But I have seen the inside of their locker room. I'm trying to steal a Martin Brodeur jersey, but the equipment guy won't let me."

For Martin, the whole Nets-Devils, Jersey-pride, finals-together thing was a bit of a stretch.

"It'd be cool, I guess," Martin said. "They already won them a title, so we have to win ours."

Harris was happy just to correctly guess the number of periods in a hockey game.

"Three periods? That's right?" Harris said. "I don't skate."

Scott was asked whether a dual national spotlight might help educate the rest of the country about the swampy northern end of the Garden State.

"I've learned everything I need to know about Jersey," said Scott, a California native in his third season with the team. "All I need to know is coming down 280 to the Jersey 'Pike to the office and the arena is always a pretty good trip. And I love 'The Sopranos.'"

-- AP