It was a busy week for the Brooklyn Nets, even though they didn't make any moves at the deadline. The team finally hired a much-needed general manager in Sean Marks and they unveiled their brand new training facility in Brooklyn. Above all that, they had a game against their rival, the New York Knicks. Needless to say, the Nets are undefeated under the helm of Marks.
With tonight's win, the Nets jump to 15-40 on the season. They're on a bit of roll, winning three games this month already. The game was ugly at points but thanks to Brook Lopez, the Nets pulled away and earned a nice victory at home. In fact, it was their largest margin of victory this season. Welcome to Brooklyn, Sean.
Victory In Brooklyn
It was a back and forth battle for most of the first half. The Knicks dominated at first, scoring 32 points in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Nets managed to grab 23. Headed into the second, Lopez came in soldily for the Nets and scored 13 points in the quarter. His performance would be essential all night long. Under the leadership of Lopez, they jumped to a huge 14-point lead in the third quarter. The Knicks didn't go down easy and fought back to cut the lead to only four points. But, the Nets refused to lose this one. They went on a monster 13-0 run to lock the game down and give them their 15th win on the season.
Big Game For Lopez
One of the few bright spots this season for the Nets has been their star center, Brook Lopez. The 27-year-old player had 33 points and eight rebounds in tonight's game. He's been having a phenomenal season in Brooklyn, averaging 20.2 PPG and 8.2 RPG. Tonight was no different for the big man. Facing off against his twin brother Robin Lopez, Brook was able to dominate the paint and grab some good boards.
After the game, Lopez said, "We felt like it was good timing to play the Knicks. Always a high energy game."
Domination For The Starters
Brooklyn's starting five came in strong, all five scoring in double-figures. Donald Sloan had 14 points and 10 rebounds, notching a double-double for the point guard. Wayne Ellington got the start at shooting guard and netted 11 on the night. Joe Johnson had a solid overall game, scoring 12 points along with six assists and six rebounds. Finally, Thaddeus Young fell just shy of his typical double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. The team flowed cohesively and played as a unit, which certainly helped boost them to a victory. Young further expressed this notion post-game, "We went out there and executed. Got a few steals and was able to build a comfortable lead."
Bogie Off The Bench
Bojan Bogdanovic had a good scoring night for the Nets. He finished with 16 points on 6-8 shooting. The rest of the bench didn't contribute much, however. They combined for only 10 points. Rookie Chris McCullough had just two points, as did Shane Larkin and Markel Brown. Thomas Robinson had four points and four rebounds. One of those four points was a monster dunk by way of McCullough.
A New Hope?
The Nets have been playing better since the departure of Lionel Hollins, and the addition of Sean Marks should help boost them even more. Interim coach Tony Brown has been guiding the team in the right direction, though not without fault. There have been blowout games but there's also been exciting victories too. More than anything, the players seem inspired and possibly even hopeful. It might be too late to save their record but it's definitely not too late to have a little fun. The new GM puts it best, "By no means is this a wasted year. You can still get some things out of this year. We’ve got some really talented young guys on this team who need to be developed."
