Although the Brooklyn Nets were playing on the second night of a back-to-back series and hadn’t fared well in those situations the Nets dug deep in the second half to pull out a vital victory.
Entering the night the Nets were 1-6 on the second night of back-to-back sets and had lost a heartbreaker to the Boston Celtics (108-105) in the closing minutes of the New Year’s Eve match. Additionally, wins had been hard to come by recently as Brooklyn had only two ‘W’s to show for their previous nine matches.
Cold night from the field:
After an all out attempt to beat the Celtics the night prior it was understandable the Nets would be moving a little slow. The fact they kept the Magic within range to finish the half was important since the Magic have demonstrated an ability to get hot from the perimeter. On this night however the Magic were freezing from the perimeter shooting 19.4 percent (6 of 31). Orlando weren’t much better from the field as the Nets held them to 36.5 percent as they shot 35 of 96.
Conversely the Nets shot 43.9 percent from the field on 36 made field goals out of 82 attempts. From distance the Nets were a decent 36 percent as they made 9 of their 25 attempts.
Other key stats:
Despite being tired the Nets managed to stay close in all the key stat categories.
- Turnovers: Nets- 13, Magic 12
- Points in the Paint: Nets were plus 2 (48) to Magic (46)
- Fast Break Points: Orlando were plus one (6) in this area over Nets (5) which is a major accomplishment for Brooklyn given the high flyers on the Orlando squad.
- Rebounds: Magic grabbed one more board (60) than Nets (59). Notably the Magic owned the offensive glass (19 to 10) but weren’t able to translate it into major points.
Key takeaway for Brooklyn Nets:
If Head Coach Kenny Atkinson wants markers to share with his young squad points allowed and defense should be his area of focus. Backing up this information is the Nets have not lost when holding opponents under 100 points (9-0). Furthemore, Brooklyn are undefeated when they keep teams under 40 percent (7-0).
Carroll comes through in clutch:
Although the end of the game was similar to a kid’s game of hot potato – “here you take it, no you take it” ultimately veteran DeMarre Carroll stepped to the line and coolly sank a free throw with 34 seconds remaining to seal the victory. On the night Carroll scored 14 points
Rookie Jarrett Allen makes a mark:
Nets rookie Jarrett Allen continues to grow and integrate into the system. On this night it was the rookie who lead the Nets in scoring with 16 points. Although there is ample areas Allen can improve upon it’s encouraging to see him beginning to feel his oats within the Nets lineups.
Crabbe makes play of game:
The youthful Magic showcase their age particularly in late game situations. This was evident in the final two minutes as the Magic either rushed shots are failed to tie the game on their numerous opportunities. Oddly, veteran D.J. Augustin played like his young counterparts rushing his attempted perimeter shot. Orlando’s best opportunity to tie the game came off the hands of Evan Fournier. But, in arguably the play of the night Allen Crabbe reached up to block the shot. Although Crabbe added 15 points in the win, it was his blocked shot versus Fournier which was the play of the game.
Aaron Gordon best of Magic men:
The high flying dunker worked this offseason to add offensive versatility to his game and it shows each time he takes to the court. Gordon led the Magic with 20 points and added 12 rebounds. With Nikola Vucevic out due to a broken hand Bismack Biyombo is revelling in his role of paint defender. Biyombo led both sides with 17 rebounds and also tossed in 12 points. Rounding out the Magic’s top performers Elfrid Payton maneuvered his crazy hair to score 17 points and dish seven assists.
Up next:
The Brooklyn Nets are next in action Wednesday when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Game time is This game is the one of eight home games Brooklyn will host in their next 10 scheduled.
