NET NOTES

In this case, familiarity breeds a heck of a matchup at point guard.

The Pacers come in with Anthony Johnson starting, the same A.J. who was so important to the Nets’ success a few years ago when he backed up Jason Kidd.

“J [Kidd] has always been my favorite point guard. After backing him up for two years I know him pretty well,” said Johnson, who shot .680 from the field against the Nets this season. “I know he’ll take his game to another level come playoff time. I feel pretty good about my success against him in the regular season, but it’s the playoffs.”

Kidd expects the same. He knows Johnson – and that’s why he plans a curveball.

“You’ve got to show him something different because we both know each other pretty well,” Kidd said. “He’s a very confident player, runs the team well. He plays defense, plays both ends of the floor, and the thing is, he competes. He thrives in this atmosphere.”

Johnson is wary.

“I know what he likes to do in half-court and transition,” Johnson said of Kidd. “His right-to-left crossover is unbelievable. I don’t want to get too close to him so he can pull that out of his bag.”

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The Pacers had 12 players who started at least 15 games this season. The Nets had five . . . Fred Jones (thumb) practiced for Indiana yesterday and is possible for tomorrow’s game. Jamaal Tinsley (Achilles) is out at least two games . . . The Nets came up draft winners, of sorts, when they won a coin flip with Memphis yesterday. Both teams finished 49-33. The Nets will pick 23rd, for their second pick in a row. They have the Clippers’ 22nd pick through Denver from the Kenyon Martin trade.

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During Cliff Robinson’s last season in Portland, 1996-97, he looked at the Blazers’ depth chart and really liked what he saw at power forward. In the No. 3 spot was a kid named Jermaine O’Neal.

“He was young. He had Rasheed [Wallace] in front of him. He had myself in front of him. You could tell that he was going to be a really good player,” Robinson recalled about the Pacers star, now the Nets’ chief playoff worry. “It was just a matter of him . . . getting an opportunity to play.”