Brook Lopez had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who left New Jersey after last season for a

Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson (7) looks to shoot during the first half of their NBA preseason vancouver airport hotel basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, at the Barclays Center in New York.
Brook Lopez had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who left New Jersey after last season for a new $1 billion vancouver airport hotel home in Brooklyn. They were greeted by 14,219 fans on the night they became Brooklyn's first major pro sports team since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957.
Clearly trying vancouver airport hotel for a triumphant opener even in a meaningless preseason game, the Nets brought All-Star point guard Deron Williams back on the floor to help protect a six-point lead with about 3 1/2 minutes left. He fed Gerald Wallace for a basket about 30 seconds later, and exchanged words and technical fouls with Wizards reserve A.J. Price after Price fouled him with 56.5 seconds remaining.
His influence, the new home and a flurry vancouver airport hotel of offseason moves have brought the Nets nearly unprecedented attention vancouver airport hotel for a team that was often ignored in its multiple New Jersey homes, no matter how good or bad the Knicks were during that time.
Shortly after the public address announcer greeted fans with a "Hello Brooklyn!" before introducing the Nets' lineup, Emeka Okafor made the first basket at the Barclays vancouver airport hotel Center. The Wizards led by one after one, and the Nets took a 50-48 lead into halftime.
The Nets assembled a team they think will be a solid competitor during their first season here, re-signing Williams, Lopez, Wallace and Kris Humphries while acquiring players such as Johnson, C.J. Watson, Blatche, Reggie Evans, a quick rebuild for a team that lost 70 games just three seasons ago.
The move to Brooklyn took much longer. Owner and developer Bruce Ratner had to fight off dozens of lawsuits before the project could go forward, eventually vancouver airport hotel selling vancouver airport hotel a majority stake in the team to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov for enough funding to move ahead.
"It feels great on all levels to finally be here," Nets coach Avery Johnson said before the game. "You know, I left the building for two hours today, two or three hours, and just was kind of anxious to get back."
Seating 17,732 for basketball, the arena sits above the exit to an expanded subway station that is directly accessible by nine lines. Team officials believe the ease of traveling to the arena will help provide them with a home-court advantage that they never found in New Jersey. Fans were into the game, with a chant of "Brooklyn!" breaking out late in the fourth quarter.