 |
| Joe Johnson got hot again for the Nets, scoring 16 points in the first quarter alone and 26 in the game overall |
With Marc Gasol (MCL injury) and Zach Randolph (ingrown toenail)–who was a late scratch for Memphis–out for the Grizzlies due to injuries, Saturday's night game was one the similarly banged-up Nets had to have. Brooklyn was coming off a thorough beatdown at the hands of the soaring (pun intended) Houston Rockets the night before, and would have fallen to an abysmal 4-13 on the season if they were to have lost last night in Memphis.
Still, even with the almost-fully wire-to-wire win, Brooklyn is just 5-12, which is truly horrendous with regards to the talent and expectations of this team. However, 5-12 with a win against a probable-playoff team–albeit an injured one–is much, much better than 4-13 with another embarrassing road loss.
The Nets started off the game with what they usually lack: energy. Brooklyn held a five-point lead after the first quarter of play. Tyshawn Taylor started in Shaun Livingston's place in a ploy by Jason Kidd to reignite his team, and it worked. Tyshawn didn't do much in terms of the box score, but he certainly brought a fire to the starting unit–which was missed Paul Pierce due to a bruised hand–that hasn't been present for much of the season. This surprising play continued into the second quarter as well, so the Nets took an 11-point lead into the half after leading by as much as 15 at one point.
The always-troubling third quarter struck again, but it wasn't a devastating blow to the Nets like it normally is. Brooklyn bent, but didn't break, in the frame, and was only outscored by three–in fact, the win was the first of the season for the Nets in a game in which they didn't win the third. This was important, because it allowed the Nets to head into the fourth with a sizable eight-point lead.
Then, in the final quarter, the Grizzlies–led by Quincy Pondexter–staged a furious comeback, and nearly tied the score by making it 75-74. Pondexter rattled off a self-run of 9-2 to start off the fourth, but he and Memphis weren't able to actually grasp the lead away from their opponent. Five consecutive points from Mirza Teletovic made sure of that, as they restored the Brooklyn lead to six, which it wouldn't dip back under the rest of the way.
Some other observations I had from the game: Another DNP-CD for Reggie Evans. With KG returning to the lineup, and Blatche, Plumlee, and Mirza playing extremely well, it looks like Reggie is the Brooklyn big man being squeezed out of Jason Kidd's rotation. Obviously we'll have to see how the next few games play out, but Mason and Mirza may have taken over the minutes normally given to Evans……Brook Lopez was absolutely unstoppable in the paint, especially when the Nets were trying to close out the game late in the fourth. He kept getting fed the ball, and he converted accordingly, scoring 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting (and he grabbed nine rebounds!!!)….Joe scored a game-high 26 points while going 9-for-15 from the field, with four three-pointers to boot. He was the "old Joe" that destroyed teams with Atlanta and has done so sparingly with the Nets. However, when old Joe presents himself, it's beautiful and extremely hard to defend this team…..Mirza Teletovic came through big time again in yesterday's win. He hit two threes, scoring eight points but making himself most known late while the Nets were in the final stages of ensuring their victory. He's really coming into his own as a NBA player…..Andray Blatche was good Andray against the Grizzlies. He hit a career-high three three-pointers and made 7-of-10 field goals to score 21 off the bench. As Chris Carrino and Tim Capstraw noted on the Nets' radio broadcast on WFAN, when Andray comes off the bench he seems to be more comfortable, and thus plays better. When he starts, he tries to do too much and takes too many risks.
Looking Ahead
The Nets get a much-needed two-day break and wait until Tuesday to play their next game, which is against the Nuggets at Barclays. Maybe the solid end to their quick road trip will give the Nets some momentum as they head home?
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
