PHILADELPHIA — Cam Johnson‘s sizzling start to the 2024-25 season continued on Friday at Wells Fargo Center, as the forward finished with a game-high 37 points in the Nets’ 113-98 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brooklyn got here up quick on the highway, however Johnson carried it on offense from begin to end, which isn’t stated usually. The 28-year-old is having a profession 12 months by way of his first 16 video games of this season and might be getting into his offensive prime.
“I’ve been saying this a lot but, when you play with people like Ben [Simmons] and [Dennis] Schroder that are able to find you, it helps a lot just knowing that those looks are coming,” Johnson stated. “I tell you guys this all the time, you guys ask me when I miss, when I make them, it’s how it goes. There’ll be days I make them, there’ll be days I miss them. I’ll just keep shooting them.
“I was just able to get a couple to go down [tonight], but I’d feel a lot better if we won, you know?”
Johnson set a brand new profession excessive with 9 3-pointers made and completed one level shy of matching his profession excessive in scoring. Sixteen of his factors got here within the first half. He has now scored at the very least 30 factors in his final two appearances. He did that 3 times within the first 297 video games of his profession.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence,” head coach Jordi Fernandez stated. “He’s creating a lot of attention. And he’s also a guy that if he sees too many people on him, then he’ll kick it, and then he’ll drive it. It’s not like just he’s going to shoot it. So again, his game, it’s been very clean… We want to keep seeing that from [CJ].”
If Johnson received a bit of extra scoring assistance on Friday, maybe the Nets wouldn’t have fallen to 6-10 and 1-2 within the NBA Cup East Group A standings. File sensible, the 76ers have been one of many worst groups within the Jap Convention getting into Friday’s matchup and performed with out two of their brightest stars.
Cam Thomas had a stable offensive evening on paper, ending with 18 factors on 6-of-15 capturing, however he was restricted to only 4 factors within the first quarter and went scoreless within the fourth quarter. Along with the decrease again harm that compelled him to overlook Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to Charlotte, Thomas advised reporters after the sport that he was additionally feeling below the climate.
Nic Claxton, who returned from a three-game absence, chipped in 12 factors on an environment friendly 6-of-9 capturing off the bench. However the Nets have been missing firepower exterior of these three, and Johnson was the one participant who might rating the ball persistently by way of 4 quarters. Joel Embiid and Paul George didn’t go well with up for the 76ers on Friday.
Brooklyn had three gamers end in double figures, led by Johnson. Philadelphia had six, paced by rookie Jared McCain (30 factors) and All-Star Tyrese Maxey (26 factors).
The Nets led 90-89 with 7:25 remaining however have been outscored 24-8 the remainder of the way in which. They have been outscored 34-21 within the fourth quarter in complete. Their protection had no solutions for McCain (14 factors) and Maxey (9 factors) down the stretch.
“We have some good teams coming up with good backcourts,” Nic Claxton stated. “If we don’t lock in, we’re going to get beat by more than what we did tonight.”
Brooklyn dedicated 19 turnovers, which created 28 factors for Philadelphia. The backcourt pairing of Thomas and Dennis Schröder mixed for 14 if these giveaways.
“We just have to be better, clean it up, take care of the ball,” Thomas stated.
Initially Revealed: November 22, 2024 at 9:39 PM EST
