Brooklyn Nets: Tuesday Tune-Up Before Conference Showdown at Philadelphia

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

TUESDAY

Nets    127

T'Wolves 97

FINAL

Flatbush Simply Does What Needed To Get Done

Let's first keep Tuesday's game at Minnesota in context, shall we?

The game marks the tenth time this season the Nets held their opponent under one hundred points which, considering the Timberwolves are the worst team in the league, is no great achievement.  Minnesota had just two players score in double-digits led by Anthony Edwards' team-high 27 points and the familiar D'Angelo Russell's 15 points in 20 minutes off the bench. 

Despite the competition, Coach Nash's starting lineup was no less intriguing.  Nicolas Claxton, Jeff Green, and Chris Chiozza were teamed up with Kevin Durant and Joe Harris.  Nash also distributed at least 20 minutes to eight different players on the front end of back-to-back nights.

Jeff Green quietly scored seven points in 19 minutes, while Chris Chiozza scored four points in a near-silent 14 minutes.  Nicolas Claxton got the start in the middle, scoring six points with seven rebounds in 21 minutes.  However, the real center of attention was DeAndre Jordan making his first reappearance since LaMarcus Aldridge's acquisition.  Jordan scored 13 points with seven rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.  LaMarcus Aldridge did not play.

In only his third game back, Kevin Durant was 11/15 from the field, including 4/6 from behind the arc and 5/6 from the stripe for a game-high 31 points in just 27 managed minutes.  Durant has now participated in just 22 (40%) of Brooklyn's 54 games to date.  Playing minus James Harden and Kyrie Irving, the three have played together this season a mere seven times.

Enter Joe Harris, who tied for third-most attempts on the team with twelve.  He converted eight times, including 5/8 from long range and 2/2 from the line for 23 points, the second-most on the team behind Durant.  It's the first time he's eclipsed 20 points this month and the tenth time this season.  He is currently averaging 14.1 ppg through 54 games which rates slightly behind last year's 14.5 ppg mark.

Landry Shamet gave Brooklyn four scorers in double-digits.  He was 7/12 from the field and 5/9 from three-range for 19 points in 26 minutes.  Shamet and Chiozza also tied for the team lead with five assists each.

Blake Griffin struggled, shooting 0/6 from the field with only four points from the stripe in 24 minutes.

Otherwise, Flatbush finished plus-13 in rebounds, plus-15 in assists, and doubled up the T'Wolves by a 48-24 margin in the paint.  

Flatbush reestablishes a first-place tie with the idle Philadelphia Sixers atop the Eastern Conference standings with the victory.  It just so happens the two teams square off Wednesday night at the City of Brotherly Love.  The season series is knotted at one game apiece, with each team winning at home.