If that is what an expedited jelling course of appears like, the Nets want a brand new in a single day supply service.
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned forward of tip-off in opposition to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday that the workforce has executed every little thing — from spending extra time collectively within the locker room to profiting from further observe days — to quick observe chemistry for a beginning lineup that was assembled on the commerce deadline.
It’s clear after a dull efficiency in opposition to the league-worst Rockets simply how a lot floor the Nets need to make up in the event that they’re going to safe the sixth and remaining assured playoff seed — the identical seed the No. 7 Miami Heat are eyeing with their impressed play in latest weeks.
The Nets rallied late to safe a 123-114 victory over the Rockets at Barclays Center on Wednesday, ending a skid through which Brooklyn had misplaced six of its final seven video games. The Rockets, nevertheless, who’ve but to crack 20 wins on the season and personal the worst file within the Western Conference, stayed inside hanging distance the complete night time and took a one-point lead into the half.
“It’s an interesting case study on this one. I don’t think I’ve been a part of a team where you’ve got four new guys and all the guys are starters. And I just think that’s a different atmosphere than I’ve been a part of,” Vaughn mentioned pregame on Wednesday. “I think we’ve tried to expedite the process of the jelling of this group, whether that is more time in the locker room, whether that is yesterday taking advantage of us being on the court together and talking amongst each other, because you still have old habits from your old team and you still can revert back to old terminology, so it’s just habits. That’s probably been the hardest part while you’re trying to win games at the same time.”
Houston led by as many as 9 within the fourth quarter and by no means trailed by greater than seven till they succumbed to Brooklyn’s late-game run. The Rockets led, 108-103, on the 3:40 mark of the ultimate interval earlier than the Nets responded with a 16-4 run that prolonged into the ultimate seconds of regulation.
The Nets outscored the Rockets, 37-27, to shut the sport within the fourth quarter.
Cam Johnson led the Nets with 31 factors on 5-of-9 capturing from downtown, and Mikal Bridges added 27 with 4 threes of his personal. Spencer Dinwiddie recorded one other double-double with 20 factors and 11 assists, and Nic Claxton completed with 18 factors and 10 rebounds.
The Nets, nevertheless, must tighten up. The Rockets are hardly playoff competitors.
Houston dropped its earlier three video games by a mixed 76 factors earlier than strolling into Barclays Center on Wednesday. The Rockets got here to Brooklyn driving a six-game shedding streak which prolonged to seven in opposition to the Nets.
The identical can’t be mentioned for the remaining six groups on the Nets’ schedule, or the groups they might see within the play-in event in the event that they cede the sixth seed to Miami.
Of the six remaining groups on the docket, solely the Detroit Pistons have fared worse than the Rockets in latest weeks, shedding 20 of their final 22 video games.
“Not having a full training camp, I think you get a lot of that established in your philosophy during training camp, and right now, I’m still figuring out what’s best for this group, whether that is defensively, whether that is how to improve this group, whether that is continuing to learn how a particular player can take input that I give him,” Vaughn continued. “So you still have those things where relationships over time, they just get built, and our time is being expedited right now.”
The Nets have now improved to a 41-35 file on the season. They proceed to carry sole possession of the Eastern Conference’s No. 6 seed and are 2.5 video games behind the fifth-seeded Knicks.
The Knicks beat the seventh-seeded Heat, 101-92, at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Miami (40-37) now trails Brooklyn by 1.5 video games within the standings.
The Heat solely have 5 video games remaining on their schedule to the Nets’ six. The Nets entered Wednesday with the best remaining schedule amongst all 30 NBA groups. Miami has the seventh-easiest.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com