The Brooklyn Nets struggled all four quarters, but came up clutch to win on the road over the Atlanta Hawks, 114-112.
- Brooklyn Nets 114 (35-33)
- Atlanta Hawks 112 (22-45)
- Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
- NBA, Final, Box Score
The Brooklyn Nets don’t have experience fighting for a playoff spot. They don’t know the pressure that comes with every single game down the stretch. Even against the lowly Atlanta Hawks.
It notion was showcased on Saturday night when the Nets showed up clearly unprepared for a feisty Hawks team. Brooklyn stayed afloat behind a surprisingly aggressive Jarrett Allen, who won a jump ball over Atlanta’s John Collins to seal the game.
Allen finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and one block over former Nets great Vince Carter.
The list remains unchanged, but can't knock the hustle and effort @_bigjayy_ pic.twitter.com/lgaMstKEDO
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 10, 2019
It’s just the third 20-point, 10-rebound game of Allen’s career. All of them having come this season.
He was aggressive against Atlanta down inside the post, attempting 16 free throws on the night, a career-high. That’s the Jarrett Allen they’ll need to see more and more down the stretch.
D’Angelo Russell has struggled in the month of March, and that didn’t change against the Hawks. He shot 6-for-23 from the field and 3-12 from the three-point line.
He's not easy to defend.@Dloading | #WeGoHard pic.twitter.com/yk9llcgMK6
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 10, 2019
Still, Russell is an All-Star, and he’s got a certain prowess down the stretch. He came up clutch with a three-pointer to give Brooklyn the lead with just over a minute and a half to go.
D'Angelo Russell with ice in his veins. pic.twitter.com/n75LsoVD7k
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) March 10, 2019
He finished with 18 points and six assists on the night.
Spencer Dinwiddie passed a franchise mark, becoming the leading scorer among players on the bench in history.
A record-setting night for @SDinwiddie_25 ??#WEGOHARD pic.twitter.com/rlN3vzku26
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 10, 2019
Brooklyn’s sixth man finished with 23 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in 30 minutes of play.
Elsewhere, Rodions Kurucs is growing more and more comfortable in his starting role at power forward.
He had a quiet, yet efficient night finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. Oh, and this absolute hammer drop of a dunk over Atlanta’s Alex Len.
SHOW 'EM, YOUNG FELLA ✈️??@RODIONS1 | #WeGoHard pic.twitter.com/EUXjeB2hbK
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 10, 2019
A win is a win, but there are some red flags to go with this one.
D’Angelo Russell’s shooting numbers to start March are a bit concerning, after his monstrous February. He’s averaging 32 percent shooting from deep and 67 from the line.
That’s coming off a month of February where he shot 36 percent from three, and 88 percent from the charity stripe. He’s going to have to get more efficient with his shot before it costs Brooklyn a game they can’t afford to lose.
And the free throws tonight almost cost the Nets the game. They finished 33-of-54 from the line, an abysmal 61 percent. Brooklyn hasn’t been a great team from the stripe at all this season, but even 61 percent is a low mark for them.
Per NBA.com, they’re the league’s 23rd worst team in free throw percentage, averaging 75 percent a night. (Behind who else but the Atlanta Hawks, who average 75.1 percent.)
Still, a night where Brooklyn remains in the playoff race is a good night by all means.
They’ll maintain the East’s seventh seed at 35-33, and watch closely as sixth-seed Detroit hosts Chicago Sunday afternoon.
When that’s over with, the Pistons will travel to Brooklyn for what might be the Nets most important game this season. They’ll face off on Monday night, tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET.
