Stars or no stars, the Nets stay one of many extra resilient groups in all of basketball.
That a lot turned clear as they clawed again from down 22 to make it a good sport down the stretch earlier than the Bucks pulled away for a 118-113 victory over the Nets in Milwaukee.
And it marked the fourth time within the aftermath of the trades that despatched Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out West that the Nets have erased a major double-digit deficit towards a top quality opponent.
The Nets set a brand new file for largest comeback of this season once they erased the Celtics’ 28-point benefit to safe a 115-105 victory on the street in Boston on March 3.
They got here again from down 18 to lose in Atlanta on Trae Young’s buzzer-beating, game-winning floater on Feb 26.
And within the hours that adopted the Durant deal on the evening of the Feb. 9 commerce deadline, the Nets erased a 13-point deficit to defeat Chicago Bulls, 116-105.
Then got here Thursday.
The Bucks put all their starters on the ground minus their MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was a late scratch as a result of proper hand soreness. Milwaukee ran a veteran laden lineup towards the Nets, who — within the first sport of a back-to-back — rested Spencer Dinwiddie and sat Nic Claxton (proper thumb sprain/left Achilles tendinopathy), Cam Johnson (proper knee soreness) and Royce O’Neale (left knee soreness). Ben Simmons (left knee/again soreness) missed his eighth straight sport for the reason that All-Star break, and Mikal Bridges didn’t see the ground after taking part in the complete opening interval, one other signal the Nets had been rationing out minutes sparingly forward of Friday’s second sport of a back-to-back in Minnesota towards the Timberwolves.
Resilience has develop into a via line for a Nets staff that after relied on their former offensive superstars. Against a Bucks staff that began former All-Stars Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and ex-Net Brook Lopez alongside Bobby Portis and Grayson Allen, the Nets — who entered the evening heavy underdogs — made it a one-possession sport within the late minutes of the fourth quarter.
And give credit score to the Nets’ bench: 98 factors from the second and third models is a brand new franchise file, and Cam Thomas led the cost with 21 factors on a flurry of second-half buckets. Patty Mills added 23 extra factors off the bench and rookie Dru Smith scored a career-high 17 factors.
Lopez, the ex-Nets star heart, registered a career-high 9 blocks to go together with 24 factors and 10 rebounds. Portis shot 11-of-15 from the sphere for 28 factors and 13 rebounds in Antetokounmpo’s absence, and Holiday completed with 11 factors and 7 assists.
The Nets now advance to their third sport in a five-game street journey towards Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves on Friday. They will journey to Denver for a matchup towards the reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Sunday earlier than ending their journey in Oklahoma City towards the Thunder on Tuesday.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com