Jordi Fernandez in all probability had Sunday’s highway sport in opposition to the Sacramento Kings circled on his calendar because the NBA schedules had been revealed again in August. This one meant one thing to him. This one was particular.
Brooklyn’s first-year head coach served because the Kings’ affiliate head coach below Mike Brown from 2022-24, however that stretch solely scratches the floor of their relationship. Fernandez used to coach Brown’s son, Elijah, when he was a improvement intern at IMPACT Basketball in Las Vegas. Brown, then head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was so impressed that he added Fernandez to his workers as a participant improvement coach.
Brown gave Fernandez his begin within the league, and the remainder is historical past. Fernandez confronted off in opposition to his shut buddy and mentor for the primary time as a head coach on Sunday.
“Yeah, he’s a mentor, but he’s more than that,” Fernandez mentioned. “He’s like family to me. I would not be in this position without him.”
After a disappointing loss on Friday in Philadelphia, Fernandez needed to be happy with his group’s combat in Sunday’s 108-103 win. And what his guys did to Sacramento from behind the arc within the first half was ridiculous.
The Nets set a brand new season excessive with 13 3-pointers within the first half. Seven totally different gamers related from distance at the very least as soon as over the primary two quarters of play. They didn’t make their first two-point subject aim of the second quarter till there was 3:37 left.
Noah Clowney‘s fourth 3-pointer of the night put the Nets up 19 with 7:19 left in the second quarter. However, the Kings outscored them 22-11 from that point on to cut their deficit to eight points at halftime.
The Nets were outscored 31-23 in the third quarter, but another Clowney 3-pointer tied the game at 88 entering the final frame. Clowney suffered a sprained left ankle late in the fourth quarter and did not return. A De’Aaron Fox free throw lower the Kings’ deficit to 4 with 1:25 left, however Brooklyn held them scoreless the remainder of the best way.
The Nets improved to 7-10 with the win and snapped a three-game highway dropping streak. They shot 48% from the sector and went 19-for-39 from 3-point vary. Cam Thomas completed with a game-high 34 factors with six assists. Cam Johnson added 16 factors and Clowney contributed 18 factors off the bench and made 5 3-pointers.
Fox led Sacramento with 31 factors and 5 assists. Brooklyn is now 4-1 in opposition to Western Convention opponents this season and had a 44-9 benefit in bench factors on Sunday.
Dennis Schröder (proper ankle soreness) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) didn’t play in opposition to Sacramento. Due to their absences, Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons began collectively for the primary time this season and had been joined within the beginning lineup by Thomas, Johnson and Ziaire Williams.
Finney-Smith and Simmons is not going to play in opposition to the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
