NETS INSIDE LOOK: A GRAND DELUSION NETS STILL THINK THEY HAVE SHOT AT STOPPING LAKERS.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

The Nets thought they could play with the Los Angeles Lakers even before Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Nothing about Wednesday's 99-94 loss makes them think otherwise, especially after they fought back from a 23-point deficit in the first half to get as close as three points in the fourth quarter.

``We're going to fight for 48 minutes win or lose,'' Jason Kidd said.

Left for dead after a horrible start put them in such a huge a hole against the defending the two-time defending world champions, the Nets managed to collect themselves enough to make a run in the second half to at least make a game of it.

If the Nets are looking for something positive to take into Game 2 on Friday, they can start with that.

``Once we settled down we played much better,'' Nets coach Byron Scott said.

Kerry Kittles agreed.

``We're a team that never gives up,'' Kittles said. ``Obviously, we feel as though we have a chance of winning when we're out there competing. The guys on this team agree we can win. We just have to keep fighting.''

Granted, it was tough to tell how much of the Nets rally was the result of Lakers' indifference or the doing of Kidd and the Nets, but no matter what it was there were the Nets late in the fourth quarter within three points.

``We had our chances at the end, but we just couldn't get it done,'' Kenyon Martin said.

The problem for the Nets is that every time they got that close, the Lakers awakened from their nap, threw the ball into Shaquille O'Neal for a dunk or free throws and pushed the Nets far enough away that victory never seemed in doubt.

O'Neal finished with 36 points and 16 rebounds, abusing centers Todd MacCulloch and Aaron Williams. The only Net who showed any ability to slow O'Neal was rookie Jason Collins, the former Harvard-Westlake of Studio City standout who put his big 6-foot-10 body on O'Neal in the fourth quarter and at least made him work. Not that the Nets expect anyone to stop the NBA's most dominating player for long.

``When he wants to get to the basket, there's nobody in this league that's going to stop him,'' Scott said. ``And there isn't going to be anybody for a long time.''

The Nets poor start - they made just 6 of 22 shots in the first quarter, were outrebounded 17-10, including 6 to 3 on the offensive end - might have been the result of nerves. The Nets weren't even in the playoffs last year, and now they're in the NBA Finals.

``That's going to happen, that's just human nature,'' Scott said.

Kittles wouldn't argue.

``Obviously, that was not the kind of basketball that we were planning on playing in the beginning of the series, but it happened,'' Kittles said. ``It was the first time that most of us were here in this situation and came up a little bit nervous, and getting off to a slow start hurt us.''

By the third quarter, the Nets settled down, went to work on the boards, let Kidd dictate the pace and select his scoring opportunities and suddenly the Nets were within striking distance.

Kidd finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

``The problem is we dug ourselves too big of a hole to begin with,'' Lucious Harris said. ``You take away that first quarter and we're right there.''

The Nets get a chance to show they can play with the Lakers for four full quarters Friday in Game 2 before heading to New Jersey.

``I give my guys a lot of credit because we could have folded the tent and went back to the Marina and waited for Game 2,'' Kidd said. ``But we fought.''

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Photo:

Kobe Bryant doesn't let the Nets' Lucious Harris stand in his way as the Lakers guard goes for a loose ball Wednesday night at Staples Center.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer