Jacque Vaughn’s New Year’s Resolution has already come true. The streak continues to reside on in Brooklyn.
Hours after Vaughn stated his solely aim getting into the New Year was to win the night time’s sport, the Nets (24-12) prolonged their league-best successful streak to 11 video games with a 123-106 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
The Nets have now leapfrogged the Milwaukee Bucks for the Eastern Conference’s second seed. The Boston Celtics (26-10) have the most effective file in all of basketball.
They Nets are additionally now 2-7 all-time on New Year’s Eve with their first win on the vacation since 2003. They by no means trailed in opposition to the Hornets. It was their fourth wire-to-wire victory of the season.
And with celebrity ahead Kevin Durant watching from the sidelines for all the fourth quarter, there’s no higher approach for the Nets to enter 2023. Durant, who led the NBA in minutes performed for a big portion of this season, performed 30 of a attainable 36 minutes by the primary three quarters because the Nets constructed a lead that ballooned as massive at 20 within the third interval.
Durant tallied 23 factors on 9-of-16 capturing from the sector earlier than a uncommon fourth-quarter stint on the bench. Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 28 factors and powered the offense with Durant on the bench. Four different Nets rotation gamers scored in double figures, together with beginning middle Nic Claxton, who tied a career-high in with six blocks for the second sport in a row.
Both Irving and beginning ahead Royce O’Neale hit 4 threes in opposition to the Hornet protection. Reserve wings TJ Warren and Yuta Watanabe additionally every scored in double figures.
As a outcome, the Nets stay the most well liked workforce in all of basketball getting into the New Year.
Brooklyn is 22-7 since Vaughn took over for Steve Nash as head coach and the workforce received 18 of its final 21 video games
The Nets have completed so with a roster that has gotten wholesome however nonetheless stays inconsistent.
Sharpshooter Joe Harris missed his fourth straight sport with soreness in his left knee. After lacking all however 14 video games as a consequence of a extreme left ankle sprain that required two in-season surgical procedures, Harris — as he informed The Daily News he anticipated — has had ache in different areas of his left leg.
Harris has missed video games this season as a consequence of soreness in his left foot and most lately soreness in his left knee. While he stays one of many NBA’s high three-point shooters and a visibly improved defender, Harris has missed six of the workforce’s 35 video games, however Vaughn stated the workforce will re-visit him for Monday’s matchup at residence in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs.
“He’ll stay at home, rejoin us [in Brooklyn]. Hopefully, we’ll assess him when we get back,” coach Jacque Vaughn stated. “But he will not play Charlotte, so no need to fly him. Just thinking it through, keep them there, see what happens in these next three days.”
Nets star Ben Simmons has additionally been out and in of the rotation after a season-long layoff from basketball adopted by an low season process on his decrease again.
Simmons, who lately missed time as a consequence of a calf pressure, had a non-Covid associated sickness that rendered him questionable forward of Saturday’s sport. He performed 19 minutes and tallied simply two factors, three rebounds and two assists.
“[We left him] back at the hotel. Best to keep in there. He’ll fly with us to Charlotte,” Vaughn stated over the follow weekend. “I guess [Charlotte] could be up in the air as one of those non-COVID [illnesses]. I’m not even sure we’ll list him, but all signs point towards him playing.”
This Nets’ season has been outlined by successful video games no matter who’s on the ground. They will try to proceed the streak Monday in opposition to the Spurs.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com