Brooklyn Nets: Houston Rockets Sputter at Barclays Center

From the desk of: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

James Harden and Russell Westbrook 

Experience Frightful Night at Barclays Center

FRIDAY

Rockets   116

Nets         123

FINAL

No need looking at the win/loss record.  We knew heading in Kenny Atkinson would be tinkering with various line-ups and combinations.  On Friday, he conjured a jambalaya of minutes for everyone.  Taurean Prince and Garrett Temple prove problematic for the visiting Houston Rockets.  Getting the start Prince leads the Nets with 27 points and a game high 12 rebounds in 34 minutes.  Temple posts a +4 off the bench with 16 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.  Caris LeVert contributes 25 points in 32 minutes.

• Caris Levert is averaging 19.8 points and 33 minutes through the first five games.

However, Brooklyn's defensive effort refreshingly is Friday night's lead story.  The Nets dominate the battle of the boards, out-rebounding Houston by a 55-40 margin, with 45 boards coming on the defensive end.  They also force Russell Westbrook and James Harden into settling for quantity over quality.  The Houston duo joins for 22/56 (39%) from the field, and a mere 3/22 (13%) from beyond the arc.

The Nets are now 2-3 through five games, with victories against the Knicks and Rockets, one outright loss against the Pacers, and a pair of one-point overtime losses against the T-Wolves and Grizzlies.  Brooklyn leads the Eastern Conference with 120.6 points per game, but rank last with 120.8 points allowed.  Makes one appreciate Friday's effort that much more.


THE IRVING FACTOR

• Through five games the Nets have attempted 458 shots from the field, or 91.6 shots per game.  Kyrie Irving has attempted 117 shots, or 23.4 shots per game, which accounts for 25.5% of Brooklyn's field goal attempts.

MEN IN THE MIDDLE

• Garrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan join for 13 points and 17 rebounds; Allen leads the floor with a +29 in 31 minutes.  Allen to date leads at center with 58 minutes played versus 37 minutes for Jordan.

SATURDAY

Brooklyn Nets @ Detroit Pistons

FROM

MOTOR CITY