The Nets took care of enterprise on Sunday, with full disregard for NBA Draft lottery odds, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 122-114 at Barclays Middle on the second night time of a back-to-back set.
Brooklyn snapped a three-game shedding streak and improved to 23-45 with 14 regular-season video games left. It retains the fifth-best draft lottery odds, 0.5 video games forward of the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Every opportunity for us is valuable, as players, as a coaching staff,” Cam Johnson mentioned. “Every rep counts, and we’ll try to make them count.”
D’Angelo Russell (proper ankle damage administration) and Noah Clowney (proper ankle sprain) had been dominated out in opposition to Atlanta.
The Nets entered the night time having recorded at the very least 30 assists in every of their final three video games, and that very good ball motion continued in opposition to the Hawks, as they handed out 11 assists on their first 13 subject targets.
All 9 rotation gamers who touched the courtroom within the opening body scored, led by Jalen Wilson, who scored eight factors in his first eight minutes. Every thing was clicking for Brooklyn at that finish of the courtroom early, and it led the Hawks 33-27 after one quarter because of a 56.5% taking pictures effort.
Brooklyn led by 12 factors with 9:07 left within the first half. Then Atlanta wakened.
The Nets shot simply 35.7% within the second quarter and dedicated seven turnovers, which gifted Atlanta 10 factors. The worst of it was surrendering a punishing 26-9 run that put the Hawks up 62-56 at halftime.
Brooklyn trailed by as many as 10 factors early within the third quarter however closed on a 29-20 run over the ultimate 9:25 to chop its deficit to at least one level coming into the fourth quarter. Keon Johnson and Tyrese Martin had been basically the Nets’ complete offense within the interval, as they scored 12 and 11 factors, respectively, on a mixed 9-for-14 taking pictures.
“We knew we had to get our communication a whole lot better,” Keon Johnson mentioned. “We had to make the game a little more blurry for [them]… and we just stuck with it as the game went on.”
Cam Johnson closed down the stretch 10 factors on 3-for-4 taking pictures, Atlanta was restricted to 41.7% taking pictures within the ultimate body, and Brooklyn pulled away by double-digits late to get again within the win column for the primary time since March 10.
Cam Johnson completed with 28 factors, 4 rebounds and a career-high-tying seven assists. Keon Johnson added 22 factors, eight rebounds and 5 assists. Trae Younger led Atlanta with 28 factors, six rebounds and 12 assists.
“He was a little too frustrated, and he got himself back into the game, made those 3s, forgot about all the complaining,” head coach Jordi Fernandez mentioned of Cam Johnson’s efficiency. “That was the best thing to me.”
The Nets wound up meting out 33 assists for the sport, their fourth straight sport with at the very least 30, which matched a franchise file. Trendon Watford (13) and Maxwell Lewis (10) mixed for 23 factors off the bench, serving to the staff to a 36-33 edge in bench factors.
Brooklyn will return to motion on Tuesday in opposition to the Boston Celtics at TD Backyard.
Initially Revealed: March 16, 2025 at 9:01 PM EDT
