Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Punches Ticket to Playoffs

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

TUESDAY

Nets    118

Raptors 103

FINAL

Step One: Flatbush Clinches Spot in Post-Season Tourney

Sure, the Raptors have their issues, but they're the only Eastern Conference team outside the top six with a positive point differential.  But when you have eight more possessions and only shoot 39.6% from the field against the Nets, odds are you're gonna lose.  All other things being relatively equal, Flatbush was only somewhat more accurate than the Florida Raptors, which still amazingly manifests in a 13 point win.

James Harden is still out, and DeAndre Jordan was a Coach's Decision.  Otherwise, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Blake Griffin were present and accounted for.  However, this night, the supporting cast put the team on their backs and effectively carried them.  Coach Nash stuck with a tight eight-man rotation.  No player received fewer than 20 minutes.

Tyler Johnson scored ten points with three assists and three rebounds in a bench-high 27 minutes.  Playing in only his third game with Brooklyn, Mike James distributed a game-high eight assists with ten points in 21 minutes, and Blake Griffin scored a bench-high 17 points with six rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes.

While Florida's Kyle Lowry led the floor with 24 points in 37 minutes, Jeff Green led the Nets starters with 22 points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes.  Good to see Joe Harris taking the team's second-most attempts.  Harris stepped it up with 16 points and was second to Mike James with six assists, and Landry Shamet added 14 points with a plus-12 for the game.

Kevin Durant made limited attempts, shooting just 5/7 from the field, including 3/4 from three and 4/4 from the line for 17 points in 33 minutes.  Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving was a dismal 3/13 from the field, including just 1/5 from behind the arc as part of a nine-point night with four assists in 39 minutes.