The Brooklyn Nets are coming off a very impressive win against the New York Knicks this past Friday in the 'Battle of New York'. The Nets were in for a tough game against a young and impressive Orlando Magic team on Sunday.
The Nets, who were on a four-game home stand, were looking to head in their upcoming west coast road trip with a 3-1 record in their home stand. The Nets have looked really impressive this season, while the Magic have been a work in progress.
In a Sunday showdown, the Magic gave the Nets a battle through three quarters, but the Nets were able to rebound and take control of the game in the second half. Bojan Bogdanovic helped carry the load in the third quarter as the Nets went on to close out the Magic 104-96 following a run that lasted a good chunk of the fourth quarter.
Thoughts on the game:
-The Nets defense had no answers for the Magic in the first half, but once the second half came around, a few defensive adjustments proved to be the difference in the game.
-Bojan Bogdanovic was the star in today's game, tallying up a career-high in points (22). He fueled the Nets in the third quarter to isolate themselves from the Magic with his offensive production.
-Deron Williams logged a season high in minutes today with 40:43 and rightfully so. D-Will has finally come to play and is silencing his critics with each passing game. Deron finished with 18 points and seven assists.
-Nikola Vucevic was a Net killer today. Vucevic was causing all sorts of mayhem down low for the Magic. Vucevic finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. He was held scoreless in the fourth quarter, however, mainly due to foul trouble.
-The difference in today's game? Costless throws. The Nets shot an impressive 87 percent from the line while the Magic shot 62.5 percent from the line. The Nets were really assertive in driving to the rim and drawing fouls.
-Mason Plumlee provided some big minutes for the Nets off the bench as he relieved Brook Lopez. Plumlee quietly earned himself a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
-The Nets scored 104 points, putting them over the 100-point threshold for the fifth time this season in just six games. The Nets are averaging over 100 points which is something they haven't done in a few seasons.
The Nets will take the road and go on a west coast road trip on Wednesday as they start off against the Phoenix Suns. The Magic will head to Toronto on Tuesday for a showdown against the Raptors.
