NET NOTES

MINNEAPOLIS – He doesn’t sit down and pay the bills. His wife handles the family finances. So the Nets’ Lawrence Frank seems like an improbable choice to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange today.

But then, he seems like an improbable choice as an NBA head coach, too.

“Better pull your money out of the market,” said Frank with a smile. “I’m doing it because it’s a great honor to our team. It recognizes an accomplishment of what our team has done. So it’s a nice special treat. There aren’t too many times when you’re asked to do it.”

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Latrell Sprewell was willing to talk about anything before the game – the Nets, the West, the T-wolves. Anything but one subject.

“I don’t comment on the Knicks,” Sprewell said.

But he did get a laugh when he was told that Garden chairman James Dolan had told Knick president Isiah Thomas he could make any trade he wanted, bring in any player he wanted. Even Sprewell.

“No comment,” Sprewell said laughing. “That’s funny, though.”

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Kerry Kittles on his coach: “One way or another he’s reaching guys, one way or another he’s pushing the right buttons.”

Jason Collins on the diminutive red-headed coach: “He’s the hardest-working coach I’ve ever played for, and I’ve had some great coaches.”

Jason Kidd on what to expect when Frank finally experiences a defeat: “I think he will react the same way maybe as if we won. He’s always going to pull positives, when we win he always pulls positives and also reminds us what we didn’t do right, so I wouldn’t see him to do anything different if we did lose. Everybody wants to win. I don’t know if we’re going to go undefeated, but the big thing is to understand you can also learn as much as you did from winning as you do from losing.”

Kevin Garnett entered last night’s game against Nets with a franchise-record tying (his own) 19 straight double doubles. Garnett, one of the prime candidates for MVP, had 51 double-doubles in 57 games.

Kenyon Martin entered with double figure rebounds in three of his last four games – the lone exception was the game he didn’t start in Toronto. He had 28 rebounds in his previous two games.