One week later, the view is different for the Brooklyn Nets.
Last Tuesday in Detroit they dropped their third straight game with a loss to league-worst Pistons. Now, they’re fully back in rhythm after winning their third straight Monday night against Sacramento. They’ll go into Phoenix for a late-night game on Tuesday having won 12 of their last 18 overall. They’re third in the Eastern Conference with a 17-12 record.
Brooklyn’s little slide a week ago coincided with Kevin Durant’s absence due to health and safety protocols, but they’ve only had him back for one of these three wins, with a hamstring strain sidelining him Monday against the Kings that will also keep him out against the Suns.
In the 136-125 win against the Kings, Kyrie Irving scored 40 points, James Harden posted a triple-double, and the Nets shot 57.3 percent overall and 57.4 percent from 3-point range while making a franchise-record 27 3-pointers. They had seven players score in double-figures against the Kings, one game after all five starters scored at least 15 points for the first time in 22 years for the franchise.
“This was the vision right here, this game itself,” said Harden. “Obviously, KD was out tonight, but it was next man up. Tyler (Johnson) did an unbelievable job of coming in and playing really good minutes. And then I think, from top to bottom, everyone has the same goal and that’s to win. Obviously, (DeAndre Jordan) dealt with family over these last few days. He came in and he came off the bench and Jeff (Green) started and there was no conversation, there was no pouting. It was a mentality that, ‘All right, I’m coming off the bench, I’m going to do whatever it takes to impact the game’ and he did that. So from top to bottom no matter when your number is called, you’ve got to be ready to come in and contribute no matter what it takes. I think each individual guy has that mindset and that’s a championship-caliber team already at this point.”
A week ago, the Nets answered the Detroit loss with a stronger defensive effort in their 104-94 win over Indiana, then they hit the road and rolled past both Golden State and Sacramento on the first two games of their five-game road trip.
“We saw a response, and they’ve been able to build on it,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “We had a tough stretch here; tomorrow will be three games in four nights and then I think the Lakers will be four in six. It’s a tough stretch, but to get three in a row here is really, really positive and it shows the toughness that we have when we stick together and keep fighting.”
Nash said he doesn’t expect Durant’s hamstring strain to lead to a long-term absence. The Nets have navigated a lot of roster fluidity — Monday’s new starting lineup was their league-high 19th of the season — and Harden sees momentum building that will only grow with some consistency.
“Yes, because it’s a total team effort,” said Harden. “Obviously, we would love to have Kevin back for more than one game, but once we get our full roster and Kevin is back and we can kind of get a rhythm, we haven’t really had a whole roster where we can get a rhythm yet for multiple games. So, once we can get that full roster, then we can really see what we got and we can really be something special. But, until then, defensively it’s going to have to be our mindset because offensively, like I keep harping on, we can score with the best of them. So, you know, shootarounds is helping us, watching film is helping us and communicating is helping us. And I think each individual guy comes in the game with that defensive mentality.”
BACK TO PHOENIX
Brooklyn’s game in Phoenix on Tuesday night will be Nash’s first as a coach against the team he played 10 seasons for.
Drafted by the Suns in 1996, he was traded to Dallas two years later before returning as a free agent in 2004. Over the next eight seasons, Nash won back-to-back MVPs, earned five All-NBA selections, and led the league in assists five times. It was with the Suns that Nash went from All-Star guard to Hall of Famer.
“It’s a super special place for me,” said Nash. “There’s no doubt. It’s where I had my best years and incredible memories of not only my teammates and the organization but being a Phoenician and living in that city and everything that it entails. It’s a very, very special place for me, so to go back and actually be in a game there is something I look forward to and feel very fortunate to be able to do.”
SEASON HIGH FOR TYLER JOHNSON
After appearing in just seven of Brooklyn’s first 24 games, guard Tyler Johnson has been part of the rotation for four of the last five, and had a season-high 10 points against Sacramento on Monday. That followed nine points in 14 minutes against Golden State on Saturday. Johnson is shooting 7-for-14 overall and 5-for-10 from 3-point range over the last two games.
“He worked really hard,” said Steve Nash. “He's very competitive. And I think he's earned an opportunity. I think it's tough; there's so many perimeter players. But trying to shed some minutes for guys, it really. He can come in and give us a lift. So, I just love him as a person and a player, his competitive spirit is outstanding. He's been making some shots as well, and he's very capable offensively, of course. But just that competitive nature I think is really important for our group.”
SHOOTAROUNDS ARE BACK
The Nets added gameday shootarounds to the mix for the first two games of their West Coast trip. With practice time hard to come by in a condensed schedule, Steve Nash felt it was worth a look to squeeze in some extra time with the team to aid in preparation.
“I think just lately, trying to find some consistency and form with this team and having so little practice time, I wanted to experiment with shootarounds,” said Nash. “It’s tricky with all the protocols and the condensed schedule and the mental and physical toll there is on the players, but we have to find ways to improve and if our games are the majority of our opportunity to improve, the shootaround each morning can help us at night with the game. It adds a little bit to the players’ plate, but I’m excited that we’re throwing in some shootarounds and getting more touches with the guys and kind of able to drill down on some of our principles.”
“I think it just helps guys stay locked in and engaged, able to kind of walk through stuff, especially against teams that you maybe haven’t seen or played against like a Sacramento,” said Joe Harris. “For us, we don’t watch a ton of their games on the East Coast, so it’s good for us to get familiar, good to get preparation in when you’re not able to practice. So these shootarounds basically are subbing in for what practice time would have originally been.”
NETS WAIVE PELLE, SIGN ROBERSON
Following Monday night's game, the Nets announced they had waived center Norvel Pelle, and on Tuesday afternoon they announced the signing of guard/forward Andre Roberson.
Pelle appeared in three games for the Nets after signing on Jan. 28. Roberson was an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2016-17 who missed all of the 2018-19 season after suffering a knee injury in 2017-18. He played in seven games last season for Oklahoma City, for whole he's played the entirety of his career to date since being drafted in 2013. Roberson was a college teammate of Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie at the University of Colorado, in addition to having played with Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City.
ABOUT THE SUNS
The Suns are 17-9 and in fourth place in the Western Conference after winning six straight games and nine of their last 10, beating Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Boston along the way. Their offensive rankings are middle of the pack, except for their effective field goal percentage of 54.7, eighth in the NBA. Though their 29th in the league in steals (5.2) and 25th in blocks (4.1), the Suns are sixth in defensive efficiency, allowing 109.0 points per 100 possessions, and sixth in opponent effective field goal percentage (51.8). That’s fueled a net rating of 2.9 that is eighth in the NBA. Devin Booker is averaging 24.5 points to lead Phoenix. Chris Paul is sixth in the league with 8.2 assists per game and averages 16.7 points, and Deandre Ayton is fourth with 12.3 rebounds per game and averages 13.8 points while shooting 58.4 percent.
The Link LonkFebruary 17, 2021 at 01:00AM
https://www.nba.com/nets/news/preview/2021/02/16/nets-vs-suns-brooklyn-brings-three-game-win-streak-to-face-red-hot-phoenix
Nets vs. Suns: Brooklyn Brings Three-Game Win Streak to Face Red-Hot Phoenix - Brooklynnets.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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