The Nets came out of their last meeting with the Pistons as the weirdest team in the NBA. They escaped as the hottest in the league.
The Shorthanded Nets celebrated an artisanal 100-95 win over Detroit before 1,364 at the Barclays Center, an ugly, defensive battle they would never have won a month ago – before theirs Season vote epiphany.
After a humiliating defeat in Detroit on February 9 – where they played no defense and allowed .560 shots, .448 from 3 point range – the nets were a disappointing 14-12. Worse still, they had shown little chemistry on the field and a tendency to get upset about teams they felt were among them.
Despite a poor shooting night, the nets (26-13) have improved to 12-1 since they were choked on that humble cake, a revelation that led them to evaluate themselves and decide what kind of team they really want to be. You have made a pledge to be a legitimate contender and know that to do so, you will have to defend yourself.
« Yes, you got the message. They didn’t want to play like that. They didn’t want the level of application or togetherness, ”said trainer Steve Nash. « And since then they have taken it to heart and taken their fair share of the responsibility.
» As coaches, we are here to facilitate their best efforts. But without them really wanting it, really caring about it, it won’t happen. So your care was great. And they were consistent. And we’re really proud of them as staff for the way they played. «
The nets only shot 0.222 (6:27) from 3-point range, but they relied on defense and balance to get that out.
After the Nets had a 12-point lead, pulled a Rodney McGruder Floater Detroit within 90-89 by three minutes. Mason Plumlee followed with an alley-oop dunk to give the Pistons a 91-90 lead.
But it was James Harden’s turn and sank both free throws to put the nets back in the lead.
Plumlee sank only one of two at the other end to tie it, and Harden’s maneuver loosened it. Kyrie Irving made sales from Jerami Grant, and Hardens Floater filled the lead with 1:04 in regulation to four. Harden hit another who doubled as a dagger and sent the nets to a lead of 99-93 and the butts to a time out.
Harden finished that Race with 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds to his ninth triple-do uble to achieve as a network. That was only three points less than the team record set by Jason Kidd in 2006/07 and the following year. Kyrie Irving had 18 points and Landry Shamet scored 15 on his 24th birthday.
But more importantly, the nets kept Detroit at just 0.409 total shots and .258 from depth.
All but one game The Nets hot streak game went without Kevin Durant, who is still out with a sore left Achilles tendon, while Blake Griffin (who scored nine points for the Pistons against the Nets on February 9) failed to make his debut Not yet given in Brooklyn.
A turnover from Nicolas Claxton – the sixth of the Nets – resulted in a Josh Jackson Fast Break Basket and a 30-28 Pistons advantage. But the Nets reacted quickly with an 11-2 run, crowned by Irving’s pull-up for a 39:32 lead 6:33 in the first half.
Irving found Shamet for a 3 to it To do 69-60 with 2:54 in the third. The Nets eventually lost the lead and fell back on Plumlees Dunk. But then Harden and the defense took over.
Grant led the pistons at 22. But the vastly improved defense of the nets – with Harden and Irving taking flashy steps – held on.
« The familiarity with what we want to achieve, the experience, the collective experience, the try, the way and Defend the way we ask them to defend themselves, « said Nash. “But only care and competition. They showed a lot of care for each other and for winning, and they competed.
« No matter what defense system you want to play, there is no successful defense without a lot of care and competition. That was really good. »
© 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved
Terms of Use
Data protection
Your ad choices
Page index
Your California Privacy Rights
Do not sell my personal information
Ref: https://nypost.com
