Byron Scott's decision to leave Kenyon Martin on the bench for 7? second-half minutes of Game 1 with four fouls and his decision to continue limiting Dikembe Mutombo's role prompted plenty of questions Thursday.

Last month, Martin remained in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit after picking up his fourth foul in the final minute of the third quarter and never fouled out as the Nets overcame a 10-point deficit. Of course, he wasn't defending Tim Duncan at the time.

"We were still within striking distance," Scott said of benching Martin in Game 1. "I knew when he came back in he was going to be exclusively on Tim, and the way Tim was going at that particular time, the only thing we could do then was just get [Martin] out."

When Martin departed at the 2:28 mark of the third quarter, the Nets were down by 13 and when he returned at 6:56 of the fourth, they trailed by 16, and they never got closer than 10 in between and nine after he returned.

"That was his call, man," Martin said of Scott.