The Nets picked up a good win despite a slow start.
After a lengthy homestand in which the Nets went 4-2, Brooklyn kicked off their six-game road trip with a visit to Little Ceasars Arena for a rematch with the Detroit Pistons. It wasn’t pretty for most of the game but the Nets were able to outlast the young gun Pistons for a 96-90 win to push their winning streak to a modest four games.
Kevin Durant (20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) led the charge for Brooklyn Friday night, however, it didn’t start off so hot for Durant, or anyone for that matter. The first half for both teams was an offensive nightmare. The two teams both shot under 34 percent from the field in the first half and were only able to muster up a measly 39 points each.
Whether it was the Gatorade or a fiery speech from head coach Steve Nash, the Nets came out in the second half like a different team. Brooklyn started the third quarter on an 8-0 run with some quick buckets from Durant and Bruce Brown. A wild sequence in which Josh Jackson missed a wide-open dunk leading to a KD three-pointer was the springboard for a monster quarter for Brooklyn.
Durant, who had shot 3-11 in the first half, scored 12 points in the frame missing only one of his six shot attempts. James Harden (13 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) who had a fairly quiet first half came alive in the quarter knocking down a few 3s. After scoring only 39 points in the first half the Nets erupted for 39 points in the third quarter taking a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Credit to Detroit as they made a furious comeback in the final period cutting the Brooklyn lead to as little as one. However, the Nets have Kevin Durant and the Pistons do not. Brooklyn leaned on KD down the stretch as he scored 8 of the team’s last 10 points including a heavily contested layup with 12.2 seconds left to essentially ice the game.
KEVIN. pic.twitter.com/Xkc1JiPo3q
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 6, 2021
Durant’s final basket wouldn’t have been possible if not for the effort by Blake Griffin back tapping a missed shot out to Harden thus setting up the layup. The possession prior Griffin drew a key charge on Saddiq Bey. For the game, Griffin tallied 13 points and grabbed 5 boards. It’s a season-high in points for Blake so far on the young season.
Another Nets vet that played a key role in the win was the timeless LaMarcus Aldridge. At this point, fans may start calling him “LaMidRange” as once again the old man of the team put on a clinic from the midrange. At one point in the 4th quarter, he hit four mid-range shots in a row and had the Nets bench on their feet. With each passing game it’s becoming clear he is the team’s third scoring option. And doing it off the bench at that.
The Nets will continue their road trip with a visit up North to take on the Toronto Raptors
Other Nets Notes:
- James Harden passed Clyde Drexler for 32nd place on NBA all-time scoring list
- James Harden also passed Larry Bird for 7th place on the NBA all-time triple-double list (60)
- Kevin Durant became the first Net is franchise history to score 20+ points in each of the team’s first nine games
