I said before this thing started that you shouldn’t count the Nets out, and, despite the heroic effort the Pistons delivered to force a Game 7, you still shouldn’t.

The two-time defending NBA East champions got beat 81-75 Sunday, but the Pistons, who should have locked this thing up long ago, didn’t show enough to convince me -- or the Nets -- that they can win one more, not even at home.

The Pistons did enough right Sunday to avoid being eliminated, but if that was the best game they can put up with elimination staring them in the face, they’re not going to win this series.

They won’t because the Nets are now just as desperate as they are, and it’s already been established in this series that New Jersey’s best game is better than Detroit’s.

And New Jersey didn’t have nearly their best game Sunday. The Nets shot just 2-of-14 from beyond the 3-point arc and just .397 overall. They let the Pistons outrebound them 46-31. They let the Pistons run out to a 17-point lead in the third quarter.

And still, the Nets were within one made shot of winning the game.

OK, close counts only in horseshoes, hand grenades and maybe water balloons. But the Nets didn’t have to win Sunday; the Pistons did. But the Nets have had two games in this series they couldn’t afford to lose -- Games 3 and 4 -- and they won them. They won Game 5 in Detroit, in triple overtime.

They’ll win Game 7.

Maybe if the NBA didn’t let its television networks draw up the schedule and Game 7 were Tuesday it would be different. But the game is scheduled for today, and that is the Nets’ ultimate advantage.

Both teams are banged up. Chauncy Billups and Ben Wallace are the aching Pistons, with back and foot problems respectively. They’ll both benefit by the extra days of rest, but it wouldn’t matter when the game was; they’d be ready and effective.

You can’t say that about Jason Kidd, the player who is most capable of winning the game for his team. Kidd has had one great game, and one very good one, and he’s run the break and gotten his assists. But he was dragging Sunday, and there was nothing in his legs to get his shot to the rim.

Kidd is working on a bum knee. With the extra days off, you can be sure he won’t be the same guy who shot 4-of-11 Sunday, got to the free-throw line just twice all night, and finished with a paltry five rebounds.

If Kidd was forced back to the court earlier this week, you’d get more because of the importance of the game, but not much more. But since he is playing Thursday, you can pretty much count on a double-double, and maybe a triple-double.

Kidd by himself is reason enough to call a Nets’ win. As good -- no, great -- as Ben Wallace is on the boards and the Pistons are defensively, they don’t have a floor leader like Kidd. With the game on the line Sunday, the Pistons won not because they made shots, but because the Nets didn’t.

Detroit's defense had a lot to do with that. But fatigue probably was a bigger factor. After fighting their way back into the game, the Nets didn’t have enough left to win, not against a desperate team.

They’ll have enough Thursday, because they won’t get caught flat-footed again, even if they do run out to an early lead. Lawrence Frank, the little guy who Larry Brown doesn’t think should be coaching the Nets, will see to that.

Brown, the veteran coach who’s been everywhere and done everything except win an NBA title, should be the Pistons’ big edge in this series, especially against a rookie who took over New Jersey in mid-season.

But every time Frank has had to win a game, he’s found a way to do it. He brought his team back after they got blown out twice in the Palace to return the favor in New Jersey. He got the win in Detroit that allowed the Nets to lose Game 6 at home and still have another shot at it.

And now he received a long break to prepare his team for a game they have to win. I think he’ll do it.

MORE FROM NBA

NBA Section Front

Hornets snap Hawks’ 7-game winning streak Live updates on Saturday's NBA games LeBron, Cavs put 76ers in lockdown late Nets drop to 0-13 with loss to Knicks   Vote: Will Nets set mark for worst start to season? Jennings scores 26, leads Bucks to 3rd straight win Marv Albert denies altercation with 50 Cent Clips’ broadcasters booted after Iran comments Winderman: With strong class, point guard is back Opinion: So far, Nowitzki is the league’s MVP NBA Section Front   Add NBA headlines to your news reader: