With Jordi Fernández sidelined by the flu and Steve Hetzel stepping in, the Nets put collectively one in every of their most balanced efforts of the season, beating the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks into submission 127-82 on Sunday at Barclays Heart. The win pushed Brooklyn to 7-18 and marked its fourth victory within the final six video games.
And driving a win that tied the most important margin in franchise historical past was the No. 8 decide, delivering the type of response his head coach had publicly challenged him to point out two nights earlier in Dallas, ending with a team-high 17 factors on 6-for-8 taking pictures to go along with three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.
Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks with 20 factors.
“And that’s what the NBA’s all about,” Hetzel mentioned. “You play 82 of them. You have to be quick to forget about the last one, move on and play better, which [Egor] did.”
Brooklyn actually remembered the final assembly. Milwaukee dealt with the Nets 116-99 on Nov. 29, an evening after they didn’t have Michael Porter Jr. and the Bucks had been nearer to full energy. This time, with Giannis Antetokounmpo out, Brooklyn had an opportunity to flip the script.
Egor Demin made positive they did. Days after Fernández requested him to boost his degree at each ends, the rookie got here out along with his most assertive begin of the season. He opened 4-for-4 with 9 factors in seven minutes, foul hassle and all, and his early burst helped Brooklyn construct a 37-25 lead after one.
Brooklyn’s 37 factors marked their highest-scoring first quarter of the season, and the 15 made discipline objectives had been additionally a season excessive, approaching 62.5% taking pictures. Demin mentioned he meant to set that tone from the beginning.
“I think that’s what coaches’ kind of want from me,” Demin mentioned. “That’s something I’m trying to look for… that’s something I have to try to follow with every single game.”
The Nets pushed their result in 19 within the second quarter, doing so on an evening when Michael Porter Jr. wasn’t carrying the scoring load. Milwaukee trimmed the hole to 11 with 3:39 left earlier than halftime, however after a well timed Hetzel timeout, Brooklyn reset and answered with a 13-7 run to regain full management.
Stability advised the story. Six totally different gamers reached not less than eight factors within the first half, led by Nic Claxton’s 10, their most in any opening half since final February in Memphis. The 65 factors had been a brand new season excessive earlier than the break, and the 17-point cushion marked their second-largest halftime lead of the 12 months.
The Nets then outscored Milwaukee 34-23 within the third, getting 14 factors from Noah Clowney within the interval and one other eight from Demin. Brooklyn went 7-for-14 from deep and held the Bucks to 40.9% taking pictures, and the 28-point gap Milwaukee confronted coming into the fourth would possibly’ve been even bigger if Trent hadn’t poured in 13 factors. Solely 5 different Bucks scored within the quarter, and none had greater than three.
“We were able to create a good lead for ourselves, and we just played ahead the whole game,” Tyrese Martin mentioned.
Brooklyn’s cushion via three quarters was its largest up to now two seasons. Each coaches emptied their benches on the 9:24 mark, and the Nets’ lead ultimately ballooned to 37 with 6:17 left. Brooklyn closed with rookies Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf, together with Jalen Wilson.
9 Nets reached double figures, together with all 5 starters for less than the second time this season. It was additionally the fewest factors Brooklyn has allowed since 2018, and the bench added 60 extra to spherical out the efficiency.
Brooklyn will return to Barclays Heart on Thursday to face the Miami Warmth.
“I don’t think anyone who stepped on the court played poorly,” Hetzel mentioned. “A complete team effort.”
