Mikhail Prokhorov flew in from Russia just a couple hours before tipoff, admittedly cautious about the young and inexperienced Nets team that was much different than the one he envisioned.
The billionaire Russian amended his goals before his team's 101-98 season-opening victory over the Pistons, going from playoff-bound to work in progress.
"We just need time," he said.
But the Nets didn't need that Wednesday night. They needed only the final 1:40 to overcome a seven-point deficit, demonstrating fight and resiliency under coach Avery Johnson for an uplifting victory. After trailing for most of the game, the rebranded, rebuilt Nets completed their comeback with a big three-pointer from newly acquired Anthony Morrow, who buried an open look with 26 seconds remaining to give New Jersey a 97-95 advantage.
It was their first lead since early in the third quarter.
Detroit missed two potential game-tying threes in the final seconds, giving the crowd of 15,178 something to feel good about after the first regular-season game in Newark.
"In a perfect night we wouldn't have malfunctioned on some of our errors early in the game. But, then again, nothing's perfect," Johnson said. "But this was a beautiful ending. If this was a movie for a team coming out of the situation we came out of and a new team - it's a beautiful ending."
Two of those in attendance were Prokhorov and minority owner Jay-Z, who, at one point, shared an executive suite, standing side-by-side just as they did in the "Blueprint for Greatness" billboard. They witnessed an uneven performance until the final two minutes, when Devin Harris, Jordan Farmar and Morrow ignited the game-winning run.
"There was a period of time in the game when we looked like we were finished and our guys kept playing," Johnson said. "It just really showed the personality of our team that we're never going to quit. And we're going to win our share of some of these games."
The Nets also had encouraging performances from Brook Lopez (25 points, nine rebounds) and rookie Derrick Favors (eight points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes). Harris added 22 points and nine assists, including nine points in the fourth quarter.
The biggest disappointment was their most expensive free agent acquisition - starting small forward Travis Outlaw, who scored five points in 21 minutes, after getting a five-year, $35 million deal from the Nets.
BATTLE OF THE BILLBOARDS
It wasn't long before Prokhorov took a shot at the Knicks.
After toasting to his team and its quest for respectability, he resumed the billionaire brashness that has defined his brief tenure. Asked about the Knicks' billboard in the construction area of the Nets' future home in Brooklyn - which shows forward Amar'e Stoudemire posing above the words "Brooklyn Represent" - Prokhorov said, "I saw the picture but, Amar'e, he looks very sad. He looks like he wants to play in Brooklyn in a couple of years."
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