The Nets gained their second consecutive preseason sport, this time in a 112-102 victory in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the Target Center on Friday.
The preseason finale, nonetheless, wasn’t a few win or loss outcome. It was about how the Nets appeared on each ends of the ground earlier than the video games start to rely within the win-loss column.
The reply is a powerful “great.”
The Nets jumped out to an 11-1 lead within the first quarter, leaving Wolves followers — who stand till their workforce scores their first level of the evening — on their toes till Rudy Gobert hit a free throw three minutes and 15 seconds into the interval.
There’s an indication of the energy of the Nets’ protection. With no Joe Harris (foot), Seth Curry (ankle) or TJ Warren (foot), the Nets nonetheless have the depth to go toe-to-toe with a purported Western Conference contender. And with Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton and Royce O’Neale sharing the floro, the Nets flexed a stingy defensive muscle, one thing that hadn’t been seen in earlier seasons.
Simmons fouled out in simply 13 minutes of play. He tallied two factors on 1-of-3 capturing from the sphere to go together with six assists on the evening. Before he fouled out, he accounted for Nets baskets on three straight possessions: First it was a working hook. Next, a halfcourt alley-oop to Claxton. Finally, a drive and dish to stretch 5 Markieff Morris, who was lurking wide-open within the left nook pocket.
It’s unlucky that Simmons, who hadn’t performed for 470 days earlier than making his preseason debut, was the sufferer of suspect officiating. After checking into the sport with 5 fouls within the third quarter, officers blew the whistle when he reached round Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns’ again with minimal, if any contact wherever on Towns’ physique.
But the Nets continued to maneuver the ball and generate high quality appears to be like, which is strictly what they didn’t do of their iso-heavy offense final season.
Durant completed with 20 factors, six assists and three blocks, together with a four-point play capturing a 3 over a defender who slid beneath his toes on the touchdown. Irving scored a game-high 26 factors on 8-of-17 capturing from the sphere and 4-of-9 capturing from downtown. And second-year heart Day’Ron Sharpe got here off the bench and put up 15 factors and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes of motion. Sharpe tasks to see a major improve in his function with Claxton as the one different authentic heart on the Nets’ roster.
Former Net D’Angelo Russell tallied 17 factors and 6 assists, however the Brooklyn protection turned him over six occasions. Former Net Taurean Prince additionally tallied six factors and 6 rebounds.
The Nets fared nicely in opposition to a workforce a lot larger than them. The Timberwolves deploy two seven-footers of their beginning lineup: Gobert, the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Minnesota acquired from the Utah Jazz, and Towns, who gained final season’s Three-Point Contest and is a perennial All-Star due to his scoring skill.
It was an ideal solution to finish the preseason, with a wire-to-wire victory over an opponent poised to make a playoff run within the Western Conference. And subsequent Wednesday, the video games will start to rely, with the regular-season opener in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans looming quickly.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com