Nets makes improbable comeback against Warriors while down six rotation players
Yesterday at 01:50 AM
This season was supposed to be a throwaway year for the Brooklyn Nets as they tank for a top draft pick. Jordi Fernandez and his team didn’t get the memo.
After defeating the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Nets were double-digit underdogs against the Golden State Warriors on Monday at Chase Center. Fernandez’s squad was without Nic Claxton, Dorian Finney-Smith, Ben Simmons and Noah Clowney entering the matchup. They would lose leading scorers Cam Johnson and Cam Thomas during the game.
It didn’t matter.
Brooklyn overcame an 18-point third-quartet deficit on their way to a 128-120 win over the Western Conference’s No. 1 team. They outscored the Warriors 41-28 in the fourth quarter with several players casual NBA fans would have difficulty naming.
Dennis Schroder led the win with 31 points and seven assists on 10-of-18 shooting. However, Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford and Keon Johnson closed the game alongside him. Veteran guard Shake Milton and two-way signing Tyrese Martin played extended minutes during the closing period.
“All seven guys that finished… That group was amazing,” the coach said. “If you think about it, Tyrese was a two-way; he hasn’t seen the floor much, and he was ready to contribute… Keon’s defense, T Wat’s three, Dennis’ scoring and leadership, Ziaire’s fight as our center. Jalen Wilson played 41 minutes on a back-to-back. Shake is helping us score. You go down the line, and what this group did was amazing. So credit to all of them.”
Nets embracing Jordi Fernandez mentality during early success
Terms like “Brooklyn Grit” and “next man up mentality” may sound cliche. However, they’ve become accurate descriptors of the Nets in their first season under Fernandez.
“Everyone’s just ready. Everyone’s ready for the opportunity,” Wilson said. “Jordi always says next man up, and that’s the mentality that we all have. We always have to pick each other up, and if somebody goes down, we gotta find a way to win… No matter whose in or who’s out, we still gotta play the same style of our ball and understand what we wanna do, and that’s a win… Seeing people go down isn’t what we wanna see, but no one is gonna give us an excuse for losing, so we gotta play.
While the Nets received unlikely contributions, Schroder’s play continued to be at the center of their success. The veteran floor general scored or assisted on 27 of Brooklyn’s 45 points in the fourth quarter.
Like the Nets as a whole, Schroder has been among the NBA’s top surprises this season, averaging 17.2 points and 6.5 assists per game on 45/41/84 shooting splits. The 30-year-old is one of six NBA players averaging over 17 points and six assists on 40 percent shooting from three, joining LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Jalen Brunson and Darius Garland.
Thomas kept the Nets in the game before a nagging back injury sidelined him. The 23-year-old posted 23 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line in 23 minutes. The performance comes after he posted 34 points on 11-of-22 shooting with six assists and one turnover against Sacramento.
Monday’s victory brings the Nets to 8-10. After entering the season with an over-under win total of 18.5, Fernandez’s squad is on pace for 36.
Many within league circles have presumed Brooklyn would continue a teardown of its roster this season to maximize its draft pick. With each win pushing the Nets further away from the top odds in the draft lottery, general manager Sean Marks will soon face decisions on which direction to proceed with his team’s roster.
The post Nets makes improbable comeback against Warriors while down six rotation players appeared first on ClutchPoints.
