Brooklyn Nets: D'Angelo Russell and the Comeback Kings

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

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Brooklyn Nets: D'Angelo Russell Seizes the Reigns, Rallies Team to Greatest Comeback in Franchise History.

Faced with playing the NBA's toughest schedule to close out the regular season, we knew heading in the gauntlet that lay ahead.  Thus, Flatbush opens this brutally uncommon seven game road trip with a loss at Oklahoma City, where they excel through three quarters before being undone by the hands of Russell Westbrook.  Next stop was Salt Lake City where they get routed by the Utah Jazz.  After which the Nets make the first of two stops at Los Angeles, where they fall to the Clippers in heart breaking fashion on a Lou Williams last second buzzer beater from long range.

Teetering at par (36-36) with only ten games left in the season, the Nets enter Tuesday's match at Sacramento in obvious need of a win.  However they open play with great lethargy, falling behind by upwards of 16-points before closing the gap to eight by halftime - if only because Coach Atkinson flips out midway through the second quarter.  The turnaround is short lived as the Kings open the third quarter with a 20-0 run.

And then, the remarkable happens.  Down by 25-points to open the fourth quarter, and Coach Atkinson fit to be tied, the Nets go on to achieve their greatest comeback in franchise history. D'Angelo Russell leads the way with 27 of his career high 44 points coming in the fourth quarter, as Brooklyn outscores the Kings 45-18 in the final session.  The Nets all-star guard also leads all players with 12 assists.  During their final possession with only seconds left to play, rather than have Rondae Hollis-Jefferson surrender the ball, Russell audibles commanding RHJ to drive the lane.  Rondae does just that en route to the game winning layup.

Road Ahead:

• 3/22 @ L.A. Lakers
• 3/25 @ Portland
• 3/28 @ Philadelphia

Return to Flatbush:

• 3/30 - BOSTON
• 4/1 - MILWAUKEE
• 4/3 - TORONTO

Back to Back:

• 4/6 - @ Milwaukee
• 4/7 - @ Indiana

Home Finale:

• 4/10 - MIAMI

A week ago, the Nets were defeating the Pistons for control of the sixth seed.  But they've since slipped to seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, a precarious 1.5 games ahead of eighth place Miami (and three games ahead of ninth place Orlando).  If they are to realize their playoff aspirations, the Nets will need to somehow manage at least a few more victories against the East's top ranked contenders before this race is through.  Easier said than done, I know. 

But Tuesday's comeback against Sacramento bears testament to this team's increasing confidence and resiliency.  And if we correctly keep the Nets within the context of a rebuilding team, then what a marvelous season it's been already.  Here we are late March talking meaningful basketball, with relevant games in April still yet to play.

The Nets remain easily the best story of the local cold weather sports scene.  The Giants, Rangers, and Knicks could all learn something from Sean Marks' business model.  Meanwhile, Kenny Atkinson seems to be extracting from D'Angelo Russell what Magic Johnson claims he could not.

See you in L.A.