Bojan Bogdanovic's 44-Point Performance Leads Brooklyn Nets To Blowout Victory Over Philadelphia 76ers

The Brooklyn Nets were looking to avenge their 95-89 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night with a home win at Barclays Center. They did just that, thanks to Bojan Bogdanovic's career night.

Bojan Bogdanovic Shoots Lights Out

Bojan Bogdanovic recorded a career-high for points in a quarter during the first stanza of the game. He scored 17 points while going 6-of-6 from the floor and hitting 2-of-2 shots from beyond the arc. The Nets were leading 32-15 at the end of the first period. Bogdanovic continued to do damage in the second frame, adding seven more points to his stat sheet. By halftime, the Brooklyn offense got contagious with Shane Larkin and Markel Brown scoring eight points apiece off the bench while leading 71-51.The Nets were shooting 50 percent from the field and Philadelphia was at 39 percent. Turnovers were also a struggle for the 76ers early on with 10 after the first 24 minutes of action.

Philadelphia Tries Comeback Run

Brooklyn extended their lead to 24 points (largest lead of the night) in the third quarter with Bogdanovic going for 11 points. Philly however, outscored the Nets 32-29 in the frame. The 76ers then were on a 16-8 run to begin the fourth quarter and were down by only nine with 8:05 left in regulation. Nets head coach Tony Brown quickly called for a timeout to change the offensive strategy. Brooklyn went from missing jump shots to becoming aggressive in the paint by attacking the rim and getting high percentage field goals. From that point on, the Nets kept their lead and never led by less than 11.

Top Performers

Bogdanovic finished 17-of-27 from the floor, 4-of-9 from downtown and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

Brook Lopez chipped in 18 points and 10 rebounds while Thaddeus Young added 14 points and 16 boards. Sean Kilpatrick, who is playing on his second 10-day contract, had 19 points in 23 minutes of action off the bench. Isaiah Canaan lead the 76ers with 20 points. Nerlens Noel and Ish Smith had 18 points apiece.

Nets’ Quotes

In the post-game interview, Coach Brown said “Bojan had a huge night. Biggest thing was coming back out in the 2nd half, play hard & smart." Lopez added, “We all shot confidently tonight. Came out aggressive & held it the majority of the game."

Other Things To Note

-Bogdanovic’s 44 points was the highest points scored by a Net this season. He also tied his Idol's career-high, Drazen Petrovic. When asked about his opinion regarding the experience in the post-game interview, he said, “really proud to tie the record”.

-The last Net to score 40 or more points in a game was Deron Williams, who went for 42 points against the Washington Wizards on March 8th, 2013.

-The Nets 131 points was the most points scored in a game this season, while their 71 point first half was the highest scoring half since 2003.

-Brooklyn concluded the season-series with Philadelphia 2-2

-Brook Lopez hit his second three of the season.