The Brooklyn Networks welcomed the Denver Nuggets to the Barclay’s Center on Sunday for the second and final match between the teams this regular season, losing 108-102. The regular season series between the two teams ends in a 1-1 draw.
For the nets, Mikal Bridges had 23 points while Nic Claxton had 19 points and eight rebounds. Cam Johnson had 14 points and Seth Curry had 12 points off the bench.
For the Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. had 28 points and nine rebounds while Jamal Murray had 25 points and eight assists. Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists and Aaron Gordon had 10 points.
In the first half, Denver made this game different from the first meeting between the two teams. The Nuggets got off to a quick start in the first quarter as Jamal Murray scored 20 points and fell a point short of Brooklyn’s score as a team. Things got physical in the second quarter as both teams started to match each other’s intensity. Mikal Bridges scored 11 points for the Nets, but it came from the field on 3-of-11 shooting.
The second half continued to get physical as Denver continued to attack the glass and hit offensive rebounds. Murray was cooling off from his electric first quarter, but Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. started resuming their offense in tremendous fashion. Brooklyn made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter thanks to his bench, but it wasn’t enough as the Nets couldn’t reverse their shooting at the right moment.
Here are your Nets player grades:
Spencer Dinwiddie: B+
Dinwiddie did a good job of kicking the ball in this case. He didn’t score many goals, but he was able to reach the basket a few times and finish well on the edge. Dinwiddie continued to play the ball sensationally as he kept finding his teammates for open shots. Dinwiddie made full use of his drive-and-kick ability, finding open shooters as soon as he pulled a second defender on the ball and even finding Nic Claxton for lobs.
Mikal bridges: B-
Bridges had a hard time shooting the ball in that game. He just wasn’t able to hit his jump shot from mid-range with the consistency everyone is used to. He was able to make his threes well and get to the free throw line, but was spinning the ball a little too much. Bridges often seems to lose his balance driving to the rim so it will be interesting to see how he fares if he can improve that part of his game.
Cam Johnson: B
Johnson didn’t have his most efficient shooting game for the Nets. He had some success driving to the rim and scoring in the paint, but his three-point shot was wide throughout the game. He did a good job helping on the glass and he was a threat on defense with the way he stole the basketball. Johnson didn’t shoot the ball as well in Brooklyn as he did in Phoenix, but it appears to be more of a rhythm issue than a shot selection issue.
Dorian Finney Smith: C-
Finney-Smith didn’t shoot the ball well in this competition. Once again, he was unable to get anything out of three-point land and there were a couple of times where he was either tucked on the edge or fiercely contested while trying to drive the ball. He did a good job rebounding basketball, but his defense suffered as he struggled to guard Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic.
Nick Claxton: A
Claxton had a great performance against the Denver Nuggets. He was great at finishing the rim and he was catching lobs practically the entire game as nobody seemed to be able to jump on the nuggets with him. Claxton did a good job despite having to deal with Jokic for most of the game. Claxton’s defense was solid as always, but he seemed to struggle with Jokic’s size as the game progressed.
Royce O’Neale: B+
O’Neale did a little bit of everything for the Nets in this film. He was a decent presence on the boards and he did a great job of handing the basketball around whenever he could find an opening or get past his man. O’Neale played good defense in that game and he was part of Brooklyn making his push to get back into the game in the fourth quarter.
Joe Harris: C-
Harris did a good job kicking the ball against the Nuggets. He was unable to get anything going from three-point land and that was a common theme for most of Brooklyn’s roster in the game.
Seth Curry: B
Curry did a great job shooting the ball from three-point land and his shot efficiency seemed the opposite of what he usually is. Curry was usually better from the halfway line than from the three-point line, but he didn’t stand a chance of making the three-pointer against Denver. Curry’s shot was big in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn tried to win the game.
Camera Thomas: C-
Thomas had a hard time shooting the ball in this one. He couldn’t get anything going from the centerline or from the three-point line as it seemed Denver was fighting every shot he made. Thomas is one of the better creators on the team, but with his inconsistent playtime, he seems to have a hard time finding a rhythm to his playstyle. He was +13 plus/minus, so it’s surprising that his poor shooting didn’t help the team’s success in the fourth quarter.
Day’Ron Sharpe: B
Sharpe saw his opening minutes in the fourth quarter as Jacque Vaughn looked for a way to inspire the team to make a comeback. Sharpe did a good job being aggressive up front and it resulted in him penalizing some important fouls on Nikola Jokic. Sharpe did a good job on the glass despite having to contend with Jokic, and he brought some energy to the pitch that Brooklyn seemed to ignite in the fourth quarter.
Source : sports.yahoo.com