NET NOTES

LOS ANGELES – Vince Carter was in the middle of a firestorm and didn’t know why.

He had addressed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point explosion.

He said it was great, but that he hoped kids didn’t think they could go and do it – because only Kobe Bryant has that kind of ability.

So Carter has been ripped for ripping Kobe.

“I wasn’t trying to put down what was accomplished,” Carter said last night. “What was said was that kids who think they can be Kobe Bryant and score 81 points in their high-school basketball game, they can’t. There’s only one guy who can do that, and he already did it.”

But Carter was bashed in L.A. and on television.

Bryant was quoted as rebutting Carter with, “As for a message to the youth, [it] is that if you work hard, you can go beyond anyone’s expectations, even your own.”

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Nets still waiting for Toronto to send MRI results from old exam on Lamond Murray. Nets want to compare to recent exams. Murray (knee) remained out.

Nets own Clips’ draft pick, which seems destined to be out of the lottery.

“The Clippers have a lot of road games in February,” said Thorn. “That will certainly decide a lot.”