Brooklyn Nets Take 2-0 Lead to Boston

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

PLAYOFFS: ROUND ONE

Nets lead Celtics; 2-0

I - BKN 104; BOS 93

II - BKN 130; BOS 108

GAME THREE
Brooklyn Nets

vs.

Boston Celtics

FROM

Causeway Street Gym

It's The Joe Harris Show 

That's six straight quarters that more closely resemble what most of us had in mind.  I suppose the first two quarters of Game One were just a warm-up.

I find it fascinating that 29 different players touched the ball Tuesday night, and not one of them was named DeAndre Jordan.  Otherwise, the Nets starting five outscored Boston's starting five, 97-76, a margin of 21 points.  The flip side of that is Brooklyn's bench only outscored the Celtics bench by one point.

No Celtic achieved 20 points; Marcus Smart came close with a team-high 19 points and six assists in a likewise team-high 32 minutes.  On the other hand, Flatbush had three players post at least 20 points: Kevin Durant led the team with 26 points and tied with Bruce Brown on a team-high eight rebounds.  James Harden came in at 20 points and a game-high seven assists. 

And look who led the game in shot attempts!  Mister Joe Harris was 9/14 from the field, including a Nets playoff record 7/10 from behind the arc for 25 points to go along with a team-high plus-25 in 29 minutes. Flatbush wins by 22 points, and Harris is essentially the difference.

Then there is Kyrie Irving, who, except for 15 points, puts in a near-identical performance as James Harden, with six rebounds and six assists and a plus-19 in 28 minutes.  Perhaps in this game, he and James Harden were simply following Joe Harris' lead.  Otherwise, the more divergent Harden's assist totals and Kyrie's point totals become, the more it facilitates Nets' success.  And even though he previously played in Boston since leaving the Celtics, the crowd will most likely treat this like it was his first time back because that's what fans do.

Blake Griffin scored 11 points in 20 minutes, and Landry Shamet led the bench effort with ten points in 25 minutes.

The Nets were plus-three in rebounding and plus-eight in assists.

On to Boston ...

Brooklyn Nets Finish Strong In Opening Victory Over Boston Celtics

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

PLAYOFFS

ROUND ONE

SATURDAY
BOSTON CELTICS  93

BROOKLYN NETS  104

FINAL

Here we go!

The spotlight is squarely on Nets general manager Sean Marks.  His construction of this so-called super team comes with weighted expectations.  A championship is in order.  Anything less runs the risk of being labeled a failure.  

But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and Sean Marks should be applauded for putting himself out there and having the chutzpah for executing such bold and controversial maneuverings.  This is about his vision, and to date, he's proven to have the eyes on an eagle.  Marks has repeatedly plucked talented complementary players from seemingly private stock.  This is about rebuilding the Nets despite former general manager Billy King gift-wrapping so many high-round drafts picks to the Celtics in exchange for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.  This has everything to do with D'Angelo Russell, and Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jarrett Allen, and even Kenny Atkinson.

Whatever we make of this, payback against the Celtics for all those years of draft picks, or even Kyrie Irving versus his former team, or the fact that the Big Three have still played less than ten games together, this all ultimately goes back to Sean Marks.  His brilliance will either be confirmed or denied.

🏀

The first half of game one is a discombobulated hodge-podge of disjointed isolation and otherwise erratic offensive interplay.

If you were suffering a conniption in the first quarter or found yourself in a second-quarter stupor, then you haven't been watching this season.  

Big Three or not, Brooklyn's slow and sluggish first quarter start had a very familiar look, which should have caught no one off-guard.  Ponderous, maybe, because, after all, this was game one of the playoffs.  But we've seen this before: poor start, strong finish.

They played poorly, but if Boston's early performance qualifies as a best effort, well, then Brooklyn was still keeping within striking distance despite stumbling and fumbling out of the gate.

The Nets were down 13-8 until Kevin Durant dunked, making it 13-10 Celtics.  But Boston did lead 15-10 at the halfway mark.  In the first, the Nets go ice cold in the closing minutes, missing their initials, second and third attempts.  The possessions and misses keep coming.  At one point, Flatbush was 1 for 13 from behind the arc.  Boston ends up closing out the quarter hitting a long-distance buzzer-beater, giving them a 21-16 lead.

Flatbush still lacks accuracy midway through the second quarter.  They end the first half trailing by a 53-47 difference.

But then comes the third quarter.  The Nets tighten things up and finally take their first lead, but only for a brief moment as the Celtics take it right back.  However, by this time, Brooklyn is poised to make a move and mount a 65-59 lead midway through the third.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Kevin Durant makes a steal and slams it home at the other end for his 32nd and 33rd points of the night.

Boston is fouled with the Nets leading by eleven and 1:40 left in the game and goes to the line.  But by this time, the Celtics know they're out of time and out of luck.  

Brooklyn wins 104-93, an eleven-point margin of victory.  Despite struggling in the first, the Nets stabilize in the second, recover in the third, and pull away in the fourth.  They've done that numerous times this season.

Did the Nets prove the pundits wrong and play representative defense?  They certainly made a few key stops.  Let us not understate that despite getting off to a quick start, the Celtics end the game with just 93 points.  That's partly due to the absence of Jason Tatum, who seemed to disappear in the second half.  Ask yourself why.  Joe Harris led the team with a +22, Kyrie Irving was next with a +16, and the bench netted a +6 despite Landry Shamet's -14 in 14 minutes.  But it's still worth mentioning this marks Boston's lowest point total against the Nets this season in the three regular-season games and now one in the playoffs.

• Dec 25, 1920 - Boston 95 points.
• Mar. 11, 2021 - Boston 109 points.
• Apr. 23, 2021 - Boston 104 points.
• May 22, 2021 - Boston 93 points.

Jason Tatum led the Celts with 22 points in a game-high 41 minutes, but as noted, failed to factor in over thirty minutes to finish the game.  The Nets outrebounded the Celts by ten, and after a dismal cold start, they recover to shoot 41.7% from the field over the same number of possessions.  Boston outscored Brooklyn by nine on points off turnovers and six points on the fast break, but shooting  36.7% failed to keep up.  Brooklyn was plus-six from the line and plus four in the paint.  Marcus Smart was next in for the Celtics with 17 points in 40 minutes.  Boston got 25 points from their bench.

No Brooklyn Net played upwards of 40 minutes.  Their bench contributed eleven points.  However, the starting lineup featured three players posting over 20 points for the game.  Kevin Durant led the Nets with 39 minutes and led all scorers with 32 points and a game-high twelve rebounds.  He was just 1/8 from behind the arc but 11/12 from the line.  Kyrie Irving took over this game for a stretch in the third. He was 11/20 from the field and 5/5 from the line for 29 points.  James Harden added 21 points with nine rebounds and a game-high eight assists.  All of which pretty much meets most pregame expectations.

Joe Harris adds ten points in 37 minutes.  He slotted in well with the fourth most shot attempts but lacked accuracy shooting 4/11 from the field.  

There was much curiosity and speculation about who Steve Nash would and should have included in the starting lineup.  Some pundits thought Harris should come off the bench.  But he took his normal spot in the rotation, joined by Blake Griffin, who finished with no field goal attempts and just one basket from the line in 20 minutes.  To that end, Jeff Green played 27 minutes off the bench.

 

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.

Brooklyn Nets: Spotlight Suddenly Fixed on Kyrie Irving

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

WEDNESDAY

Nets    103

Raptors 114

FINAL

All Together, Or Not ...

One look at the starting four alongside Kyrie Irving makes it difficult to begrudge him over Wednesday's loss against Toronto.  Kyrie said it himself: Harden is the point guard, and he is the shooting guard.  Their respective talents actually make it a natural fit.  Harden is the ball handler and the facilitator; Kyrie is the shooter, penetrator, and scoreboard detonator.  

There have been a few occasions this season without KD or Kyrie on the floor wherein Harden demonstrated his ability to incorporate more of his teammates en route to victory.  Case in point, Harden squeezes the most out of DeAndre Jordan.  Not that he hasn't before, but Kyrie Irving not so much as he is usually too busy creating his own shots.  The respective season averages in assists between Harden and Irving partly bears this out.  DeAndre Jordan finished with seven points on four attempts but secured a game-high 14 rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.  Harden looks for Jordan four times in one quarter.

With easily the game's most attempts, Kyrie Irving was 10/21 from the field, including just 2/5 from behind the arc, and once again a perfect 6/6 from the line for a game-high 28 points.  He secured eleven rebounds, but with 21 attempts being a priority, his radar blipped for just eight assists.  In his defense, Kyrie is averaging 6.1 assists for the season, so there's that.

Landry Shamet was second with 17 attempts from the field, and his inaccuracy (3/17 from the field and 2/12 from behind the arc) was certainly a contributing factor in this loss.  But he was second on the team with only four assists in 36 minutes.  That's a mere twelve assists together from Irving and Shamet when James Harden alone is averaging eleven assists as a member of the Nets.  Flatbush had 19 assists all game, and no one other than Kyrie and Landry had more than two.

Otherwise, Joe Harris followed up a big game against the Pelicans by descending back down to fourth on the team in shot attempts.  He was 5/10 from the field, including a more accurate 4/5 from behind the arc for 14 points in 34 minutes.  Bruce Brown was second on the team with 21 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench.

Lack of ball distribution wasn't the Nets' only problem.  Toronto was plus-14 in fastbreak points and plus-15 from behind the arc.

Brooklyn jumped out to a 36-23 lead after one but was outscored 69-45 through the second and third quarters, then in the fourth quarter dueled to a 22-22 stalemate and an eleven-point loss against the Raptors.

LAST EIGHT GAMES:

• W ~ L ~ W ~ L ~ W ~ L ~ W ~ L

Thirteen games remain before the postseason begins.  Win or lose, they're now at a point where their present condition becomes increasingly more problematic with each passing day.

Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving Pushes Flatbush Past Pelicans

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

James Harden Out Until Further Notice;

Less Than a Month Remains in Regular Season

TUESDAY

Nets     134

Pelicans 129

FINAL

Joe Harris Picks Up The Slack Against Pelicans

Hello, Joe Harris, and thank you very kindly for showing up!

Playing minus Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Nicolas Claxton, Joe Harris is second in shot attempts behind Kyrie Irving.  He shoots 10/16 from the field, including 3/6 from behind the arc and 1/2 from the line for 24 points in 34 minutes.  

That's what I'm talking about, and with James Harden due to miss even more time, the Nets need more of this from Joe Harris.  He and Kyrie keep their hands on the ball in the closing moments to close out a five-point victory over the gamely New Orleans Pelicans.  Harris and Irving join for 18 points in the closing minutes.  Harris scores five of his 24 points, and Irving scores 13 of his team-high 32 points in the game's final five minutes.

Kyrie Irving and Landry Shamet joined together for 16 assists; both tied with a game-high eight apiece.  Shamet was third on the team with 18 points but posted a team-high plus-16 in 33 minutes.  Jeff Green added 15 points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes.  But without James Harden feeding him the ball, DeAndre Jordan finished with eight points and six rebounds.  His 21 minutes was the fewest among the starters.

Bruce Brown played in big role with eleven points and a game-high eleven rebound, along with a plus-12 in 26 minutes off the bench.  Blake Griffin led the bench scorers with 16 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes.  

In all, the Nets had seven players score in double-digits.  They turned a two-point deficit at the half into a five-point victory with 41 points in the fourth quarter and 77 points in the second half. 

According to the Nets, James Harden suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury, and as Coach Nash put it, he is back to square one.  As we know, Kevin Durant is also still not 100% recovered from his own leg injury.  The Nets have 14 regular-season games left to figure out how to get Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving on the floor together in time for the playoffs.  The three have played just seven games together.

Brooklyn Nets: Taking Their Deficiencies to South Beach

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SUNDAY

Nets 107

Heat 109

FINAL

Miami's Bam Adebayo Redecorates Brooklyn's Interior

There are several reasons, in my opinion, why Brooklyn wilted against the Heat Sunday afternoon at Miami.  However, I have one particular reason in mind.

First, a summation of all the other variables I believe factored into this meltdown in the Florida sun:

• Kevin Durant obviously leads the list due to incurring a thigh contusion after just four minutes of play.

• Kyrie Irving at least facilitated a game-high nine assists but didn't necessarily generate the kind of team involvement needed to compensate for the absence of Durant and Harden.  Nor is it the first time.  He finished just 6/19 from the field, including 2/7 from behind the arc en route to 20 points in 38 minutes.

• Although Joe Harris hustles around without the ball, he too struggled from long-range shooting 2/7 and 5/12 overall for another pedestrian twelve-point game.  Thus, he did not follow up his previous effort against Charlotte with consistent results and failed to join again with Landry Shamet in taking charge of a fluid situation.

• Coming off a 20 point night in just 21 minutes against Charlotte, Landry Shamet again stepped up his game in the absence of Durant to score a season and career-high 30 points in 38 minutes off the bench.  With 4:34 left in the fourth, his three-pointer gives Flatbush a four-point lead.  But that would be his last attempt of the game.  Coach Nash fails to draw up plays for the team's hottest shooter through the game's final minutes and closing moments.  Now consider the Nets missed on their last five shot attempts down the stretch.

Alas, my main issue was Coach Nash's refusal to switch up defenders guarding Bam Adebayo.  Lest we forget, DeAndre Jordan did not play; coach's decision.  The Heat finished the game on an 8-0 run.  Adebayo trashed the Nets inside, scoring nine of his 21 points during the game's final ten minutes.  Jeff Green and others were helpless against him.  As such, Adebayo, on Miami's final possession, squared up with the time clock expiring and drained the game-winning shot. 

Brooklyn Nets: Unlikely Dynamic Duo To The Rescue

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FRIDAY

Hornets    115

Nets         130

FINAL

Joe Harris and Landry Shamet Join Forces Against Hornets

And herein lies one of my issues: Joe Harris plays a leading role against a good Hornets team with both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the floor.  As is presently the case with James Harden being out, the Nets need Friday's type of performance when any of the aforementioned big three are not on the court.  That being said, Joe Harris tied for the team lead in attempts and finished with a team-high 26 points in 29 minutes.  He was 8/12 from the field, including a decisive 6/9 from behind the arc.  

After proactively sitting out Wednesday to maintain a barking hamstring, Kevin Durant returned to score 25 points in an extended 30 minutes.  He also played the role of facilitator with a game-high eleven assists.  Kyrie Irving had seven assists but struggled to score twelve points in a team-high 33 minutes.

With the sudden retirement of LaMarcus Aldridge, the onus in the middle is reset upon DeAndre Jordan and young Nicolas Claxton.  Game-wise, a minus-14 by Jordan and a plus-14 by Claxton cancel each other out; individually speaking is another topic.  Jordan finished with eight points and five rebounds.  His 17 minutes were the fewest of Steve Nash's five starters.  Meanwhile, Nicolas Claxton was scoreless, attempting just one shot from the field, but secured nine rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench.

Landry Shamet played a big role in Friday's win, shooting 7/14 from the field, including 6/11 from behind the arc for 20 points and a team-high plus-25 in 21 minutes also off the bench.  Led by Shamet and Joe Harris, who joined for 12/20 from long range, the Nets posted plus-27 points from behind the arc.  

Flatbush was also plus-nine in assists, but their plus-eleven in fastbreak points were canceled out by Charlotte's plus-seven in points off turnovers.

Brooklyn could not gain ground on first-place Philadelphia who narrowly defeated the Clippers to retain their one-game conference advantage over the Nets with 16 games left in the regular season.

Brooklyn Nets: The Showdown That Wasn't

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

WEDNESDAY

Nets   117

Sixers 123

FINAL

Nets Lose the Battle With Sights Set on the Post Season War

In one of the more odd games of the season, the fans seemed more into this game than the Nets themselves.  Playing minus the services of Kevin Durant, James Harden, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge, Brooklyn was still plus-six in the paint, plus-two on fast breaks, plus-seven from the stripe, and even a plus-eleven in rebounds.  

They trailed by eight at halftime, and at one point, were down by as many as 22-points and still put themselves in a position to win.  Down by ten entering the fourth quarter, Brooklyn pulled to within three points of the Sixers with 1:16 left on the clock but ultimately lose by six. 

• NOTE: LaMarcus Aldridge has announced his retirement.  After playing against the Lakers last Saturday, he has been determined to experience an irregular heartbeat.  I bid him health, peace, and calm during this time.  Chris Chiozza is also likely out for the season with a fractured hand.

Joining Kyrie Irving in the starting five were Jeff Green, Joe Harris, DeAndre Jordan, and Landry Shamet.

Irving led the Nets with 37 points and tied (with Ben Simmons) for game-high with nine assists in 33 minutes.  However, he was offset by Joel Embiid's 39 points in 33 minutes.  Otherwise, the Nets shot a mere 4/21 from behind the arc, whereas Philadelphia was 13/28, and therein lies the Sixers' margin of victory.

Landry Shamet was second in with 17 points in 36 minutes, and DeAndre Jordan went double-double with twelve points and 14 rebounds.  However, Joe Harris again was nowhere to be found.  Attempting only the team's fifth-most shots, he finished with a mere six points in 26 minutes.  On the other hand, Bruce Brown scored 14 points with five rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench.

Philadelphia wins the season series against Flatbush, two games to one.

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.

Brooklyn Nets: LaMarcus Aldridge Plants His Flag in Flatbush

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

THURSDAY

Hornets 89

Nets   111

FINAL

Newest Net LaMarcus Aldridge Brings Old School Artistry to the Paint

Change (verb) - 1. make (someone or something) different; alter or modify.  2. replace (something) with something else, especially something of the same kind that is newer or better; substitute one thing for (another).

Making his Nets debut, LaMarcus Aldridge, who turns 36-years old this coming summer, scored eleven points with nine rebounds and six assists.  His play in the paint was a work of art, featuring post-ups, a blocked shot, a plus-22, and two personal fouls in the prevention of easy layups, for which I am very appreciative.  Meanwhile, Nicolas Claxton played only 14 minutes, and DeAndre Jordan played none.

We've been witnessing James Harden involve and demand from DeAndre Jordan a higher level of play.  To his credit, Jordan tries keeping up and perhaps leads the team in the highest percentage shot in basketball, slam dunks.  How minutes at the center position get dispersed moving forward remains to be seen.  That being said, I cannot wait till James Harden plays together with LaMarcus Aldridge, who brings both a complementary and different dynamic to the Nets.

I don't mean to pile on Joe Harris, but I must.  Consistency for him remains an alien concept.  Thursday's performance against Charlotte effectively renders inconsequential Wednesday's 28 point effort against Houston.  Among Thursday's starting five against the Hornets, Joe played the second-most minutes but was the lone starter to not score in double-digits.  He finished 3/9 from behind the arc for nine points and distributed six assists.

Otherwise, playing without Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving took on the distributor's role with a game-high eight assists and a game-high eleven rebounds to go along with 15 points.  Spearheading Brooklyn's group effort, Jeff Green led the floor with 21 points in 31 minutes.  

Landry Shamet and Tyler Johnson were strong off the bench with 17 points and 15 points, respectively.

Brooklyn's collective defensive effort was palpable.  The Nets outscored the Hornets 32-11 in the first quarter and took a ten-point 68-48 lead into the half.  Charlotte was limited to 89 total points, as the Nets cruised to a 22 point margin of victory.

Flatbush improves to 20-6 at home and retains their first-place Eastern Conference standing by one-half game over Philadelphia.

Brooklyn Nets: Look What Kyrie Irving Did To The Celtics, Again

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

THURSDAY

Celtics 109

Nets    121

FINAL

Kyrie Irving Ties Season-High With Forty Points Against Celtics

No Kevin Durant, no Blake Griffin; no problem.  It was business as usual for Steve Nash and the other more familiar faces at Barclays Center.

After sputtering in the first quarter, Flatbush takes a four-point lead into the half and, with a strong fourth quarter, secures a twelve-point victory over the visiting Boston Celtics.

Playing against and surely motivated to perform against his former team, Kyrie Irving took his turn being the big man on campus with a game-high forty points; it's the second time this season he's notched forty, the last time occurring on Feb. 18, at Sacramento.  Irving was 15/23 (65.2%) from the field, including 5/8 from three and a perfect 5/5 from the line, to go along with eight rebounds in 34 minutes.  James Harden added 22 points but shot just 1/8 from behind the arc.  He otherwise led the floor with both ten rebounds and eight assists.

Starting at center, DeAndre Jordan grabbed eight rebounds.  You know I've been riding Joe Harris whenever KD, Kyrie, or The Beard do not play.  But I'll let him off the hook this time.  Although somewhat off-target, he at least attempted ten shots and finished with twelve points.  Meanwhile, Bruce Brown flat out struggled, shooting 2/9 from the field in only 19 minutes.

But that's where the bench comes in.  Jeff Green, Landry Shamet, Tyler Johnson, and Nicolas Claxton joined together for a plus-14, with 39 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, in 92 total minutes.  Landry Shamet led the effort with 18 points in 32 minutes, and Jeff Green scored eleven points in 25 minutes.

Brooklyn is now 2-0 versus the Celtics.  Back in December, Kyrie Irving scored 37 points in Brooklyn's first visit to Boston.  Thursday marks the Celtics' first visit this season to Flatbush. 

The Nets improved to 14-6 at home.  They next host the Detroit Pistons.  On Feb. 9, the Nets suffered perhaps their most ponderous and confounding loss of the season at Detroit.  That's the night when Steve Nash effectively told the team to look themselves in the mirror and decide what kind of team they wanted to be.  With Thursday's victory, the Nets since that night improve to 11-1, which included an eight-game win streak.

Brooklyn remains a mere half-game out of first; Philadelphia, winners of three in a row, retain the Eastern Conference top spot with a victory over the Bulls.

Dallas Mavericks Exploit Undermanned Brooklyn Nets

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Win Streak Snapped at Eight Games

Miss Opportunity to Overcome Sixers

SATURDAY

Mavericks   115

Nets              98

FINAL

Flatbush Support Staff Fails to Extend Win Streak

Sean Marks said this team isn't fully formed yet.  That means something is potentially brewing before the trade deadline.  Well, he had better do something about the interior.  Because once again, Brooklyn's deficiencies in the paint were on full display.  Coach Nash decided to limit DeAndre Jordan to just 13 minutes off the bench.  The toll on the Nets was high; Dallas outscored the Nets 50-36 in the paint, and with 19 turnovers committed by Flatbush, the Mavs also outpaced Brooklyn on the face-break by a 15-4 margin.  Brooklyn and Dallas had the same number of attempts from the field and converted the same number of three-pointers.  The Nets were even a plus-three from the free-throw line.  

At one point, the Mavs led by 14 points, but the Nets closed the gap and went into the half trailing by four.  James Harden led all players with 15 first-haf attempts from the field and six attempts from the line converting for 25 points.  In 15 minutes, Joe Harris is just 2/4 from the floor for six points.  He started the game with no shots taken in his first nine minutes on the floor, then struck for consecutive three-pointers.  After Harden, each of the other four Nets starters (Brown, Harris, Green, Cabarrot) contributed six first-half points apiece.  Landry Shamet was second on the Nets with nine points in 15 minutes off the bench.  DeAndre Jordan only saw nine minutes, with no shot attempts, two rebounds, and two assists.

A reason Flatbush generated just 98 points is mainly that Joe Harris failed to take a single shot in the first quarter and only managed 3/8 from behind the arc for nine points in 27 minutes.  Frankly, this is unacceptable and what I've been saying all along.  When Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, or James Harden, or any combination of the three is missing from the floor, it's incumbent upon Joe Harris to do more.  This was that kind of night.  To his credit, Joe has been holding his ground much better this season.  However, this night, he was tied for fourth on the team with eight shots when this was the very type of game when the Nets much needed more.

Another reason Flatbush failed to break one hundred points was Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot shooting a mere 2/12 from the field in 24 minutes.  Nic Claxton was also strangely stuck to the bench, going 1/3 in just 13 minutes.  The Nets got 30 points on 11/29 (28%) from a seven-man bench.  Landry Shamet played a bench-high 27 minutes but only accounted for nine points.  In fact, no one scored double-digits off the bench.

James Harden was 9/21 from the floor and 7/8 from the line for a game-high 29 points and six assists.  However, one sequence essentially describes the night.  With 3:50 left in the game, James Harden dishes to Joe Harris, who does not connect.  Dallas scores on the following possession.  Harden then brings the ball upcourt and drives the lane but is stopped cold by three defenders who cause a turnover. 

Despite the Philadelphia Sixers losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Nets gain no ground.  They remain one-half game out of the Eastern Conference lead. 

Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Wins NBA Leading Eighth In A Row

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

THURSDAY

Kings    92

Nets    129

FINAL

For only the fourth time this season, but not coincidentally for the third time since their game against the Detroit Pistons, Flatbush limited their opponent under one hundred points en route to a commanding 37 point margin of victory against the Orlando Magic.

With Kevin Durant missing his sixth straight game while still hampered by a strained hamstring, Kyrie Irving leads the Nets with 27 points and a game-high nine assists in 30 minutes.  However, he continues to struggle from long-range shooting 11/18 from the floor but only 1/6 from three.  James Harden was 5/10 from behind the arc en route to a 20 point night with nine rebounds and seven assists.  

Despite 14 points each from Joe Harris and Bruce Brown, I'm going to give DeAndre the third man recognition award this game for his eight points and a game-high eleven rebounds.  Flatbush finished +16 in rebounding and exhibited better distribution with a 30-19 advantage in assists.  Moreover, Brooklyn was on the run, outscoring Sacramento 25-6 in fastbreak points, and were a +5 in the paint.

The hot and cold season of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot continues.  He was just 1/7 from the field, which really means he was just 1/6 from long range.  Landry Shamet led the bench effort with 19 points in 29 minutes.  Nicolas Claxton gave the Nets six players scoring in double-digits with ten points in just 15 minutes.

Jeff Green remains out of action. 

Brooklyn extends their NBA leading winning streak to eight, with the Dallas Mavericks coming to town on Saturday.  Philadelphia defeated the Mavs on Thursday to keep Brooklyn one-half game out of the Eastern Conference lead.

Brooklyn Nets: California Dreamin'

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Ain't No Win Streak Like a West Coast Win Streak

SUNDAY

Nets     112

Clippers 108

FINAL

WELCOME HOME!

In the absence of Kevin Durant, Coach Nash utilized the same line-up for the third time in the last four games.  Jeff Green started in place of DeAndre Jordan and Bruce Brown again started in a three-man backcourt.

However, Green was forced to leave with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter with an injury.  He finished with five points on just 2/6 from the floor in 34 minutes.  But productive reinforcement came courtesy of DeAndre Jordan who posted a double-double with 13 points, eleven rebounds, and four blocked shots in 32 minutes off the bench.  It's DeAndre's third double-double and only the fourth time this season he has exceeded 30 minutes.

Coach Nash played a three-man bench in the boxscore, but only a two-man bench in any meaningful application.  Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was without a shot attempt while being limited to just six minutes.  Meanwhile, Landry Shamet was a troublesome 1/7 from the field, all attempts from three-range, in 18 minutes.

• ICYMI: Joe Harris Passes Another Test

The starting five averaged 37 minutes with Kyrie Irving and James Harden playing 40 and 41 minutes respectively.  James Harden scored a game-high 38 points, his highest single-game output with the Nets and his second-highest mark this season, while also notching his 17th double-double through 18 games since his arrival in Flatbush.  Kyrie Irving was 12/26 from the floor but only 2/11 from behind the arc.  In fact, the Nets as a team were just 11/38 (28.9%) from three-range.  Kyrie finished with 28 points and a team-high eight assists.  He and Harden joined for 15 assists.  Joe Harris was likewise somewhat off from the field, shooting 3/8 from three and 4/11 overall en route to 13 points.  

Since receiving a reprimand from Coach Nash after a lethargic and futile effort against the Detroit Pistons and being told to look themselves in the mirror, the Nets are now winners of six in a row.  They complete their five-game western trip with a perfect 5-0 record.  In games against the Warriors, Kings, Suns, Lakers, and Clippers, the Nets averaged 123.8 points per game while allowing an average of 114.4 points per game for an impressive +9.4 differential.

The Nets triumphantly return to Flatbush for a three-game homestand against the Kings, Magic, and Mavs.

Brooklyn Nets: James Harden Basks in the Phoenix Sun

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

TUESDAY

Nets   128

Suns   124

FINAL

James Harden Enjoys His Moonlanding Day; The Beard is Officially a Net

No Kevin Durant; no Kyrie Irving; no problem, this time.

But, yeah, James Harden leads the Nets to their largest halftime deficit comeback victory in club history.

From the opening tip, former (bitter) teammates James Harden and Chris Paul lock in a tit-for-tat.  Paul shoots 12/20 from the field, including 4/8 from behind the arc, to lead the Suns with 29 points and seven assists in 35 minutes.  However, Harden wins the battle and the war.  The Beard goes 14/22 from the field, 5/11 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 5/5 from the line for a game-high 38 points to go along with a game-high eleven assists.

The last time Flatbush was forced to play minus Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving was against the Sixers.  Harden scored 26 points and handed out ten assists in that game, but the Nets still lost by 16 points at Philadelphia.  This game was heading down a similar path.  Brooklyn gets outscored by eleven points in the first quarter, then by ten points in the second quarter for a 21-point deficit at the half.  The Suns' lead reached as high as 24 points when Chris Paul nailed a three with 1:33 left in the second quarter.  

Then starts the comeback ...

Fueled by a defensive effort perhaps inspired by a lockerroom ass-chewing on top of the one they received after the Detroit Piston flop, Brooklyn limited the Suns to 25 points in the third while closing the gap to twelve points.  The Nets still trailed 113-108 with five minutes left in the fourth.  After which James Harden took charge of the game.  But whereas Chris Paul placed everything upon himself, James Harden incorporated his mates.  The Beard assisted on a Jeff Green three, and Paul answered.  Harden then assisted on a Joe Harris three, and Chris Paul again answered.  Harden then took his turn sinking a floater, but Paul answered yet again.  On the next possession, Harden fed Jeff Green, who hit another three from the corner at 2:21 to bring the Nets within five.  At the 1:39 mark, Harden's two-pointer makes the score 124-121, Suns.  Jeff Green's layup closes the gap to one point.  Harden then nails a huge three-pointer giving the Nets a two-point lead.  With 11.3 seconds left, Harden's two free throws seal the game.  Chris Paul's last-ditch three-pointer misses the mark as is appropriately rebounded by James Harden.  Flatbush closes out the game on a 12-0 run, turning a one-time 24-point deficit into a four-point victory.

Harden's 38-points are a season-high in regulation time; he scored 44-points in Houston's opening night overtime game against Portland.  It's the seventh time this season he's achieved 30-plus points and his fourth time since joining the Nets.

These are the types of games when Joe Harris needs to step it up.  A catalyst on the defensive end; he did just that.  His three-pointer at 3:55 of the fourth quarter reduced the Suns' lead to four.  Harris finished 8/13 from the field, including 4/9 from behind the arc en route to a 22-point game.  It's the seventh time in thirty games Harris has achieved twenty or more points.  Getting the start, Tyler Johnson shoots an effective 5/8 from behind the arc on his way to a 17-point night with five rebounds in 32 minutes.

An integral part of this victory, Jeff Green was 7/14 from the field and 2/3 from the line for 18-points with a team-high eight rebounds off the bench, and Landry Shamet contributed 13-points in 28 minutes. 

The Nets are now winners of four in a row and are 3-0 on this west coast swing.

• Next Up: the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Brooklyn Nets: Flat Tire In Motor City

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

TUESDAY

Nets          111

Pistons     122

FINAL

Terrible is as terrible does ...

Playing without Kevin Durant is no excuse.  Not when you have James Harden and Kyrie Irving on the floor, and not when you're playing the Pistons (6-18) who not only scored forty first-half points in the paint but at one point led by twenty points and effectively closed out the game leading by 14-points with less than four minutes left in the game.  After yielding 38-points in the first quarter, the damage was done.  The rest is just garbage time ... literally.  They lost the first quarter by twelve points.  Joe Harris opened the scoring with a three-pointer, after which Brooklyn trailed for the final 46:03 minutes of the game en route to an eleven point loss.

These are the games when the Nets need Joe Harris to step it up.  Durant hasn't played since the NBA's COVID fiasco against the Raptors.  After getting erased by the Sixers at Philadelphia, Harris on Tuesday was just 2/6 from the floor, all attempts from behind the arc.  Five other Nets put up more shot attempts than Joe.  That shouldn't be.  Behind James Harden and Kyrie Irving (who was playing with a compromised finger), Joe Harris should have been a definitive third in shot attempts.  He was also no help on the boards with just one rebound in 34 minutes - the team's third-most minutes.  It's not like Harden and Irving weren't looking to pass.  Both joined for 19 assists, but Joe Harris, for the second game in a row playing without Durant, failed to be a viable option.

DeAndre Jordan scored nine points and secured a team-high nine rebounds in 23 minutes but committed five turnovers and was victimized by players coming from all directions attacking the paint.  Which is to say, no one covered their man with any degree of success.  I shot the below Tweet in frustration over one particular defensive series in the first quarter.  If you watched the game, you know which one I'm talking about; the same one James Harden took him to task over.  But I stand by it.  The Nets have zero depth at the center as it is.  That's why it's incumbent upon Jordan to give opponents something else to think about.  Joel Embiid had his way on Saturday with 33 points.  On Tuesday, former Net Mason Plumlee put up a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds with seven assists in 38 minutes.

sorry, man, if DeAndre Jordan isn't committing five fouls a night he's not earning his keep! c#Nets. .

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) February 10, 2021

Before Coach Nash emptying the bench, the collective contributed just 25 points, led by Landry Shamet's ten points in 18 minutes.  Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot continues to sputter.  Back on the bench after starting and playing 33 minutes at Philadelphia, TLC was just 1/3 from the floor in 20 minutes. 

Quick turnaround ... they travel home and host the Pacers Wednesday night.

Brooklyn Nets: Triumvirate Debut is a Mixed Bag of Goods

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Team Says Need More Time In The Lab

WEDNESDAY

Nets  135

Cavs  147

Double-Overtime

(I STILL MISS JARRETT ALLEN . . . and Kyrie Irving is back)

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden played together for the first time as members of the Brooklyn Nets.  However, during the second overtime of Wednesday night's game at Cleveland, Collin Sexton outplayed them all.

I'm not getting caught up in a double-overtime loss.  Once it gets there, stuff happens.  However, through the game's course, it became clear the Flatbush Three obviously need more practice time together.  The starting lineup as a whole displayed a measurable lack of cohesion.  But also give the Cavs their due.  They are among the top two stingiest teams in the league and recently added Jarrett Allen to their ranks.  

Regarding who gets the ball and when the Nets offered another small glimpse into the near future.  After a poor third quarter, the Nets recovered from a double-digit deficit.  The ball was put in Kyrie Irving's hands with the score tied 113-113 and time running out in regulation.  In the first overtime, Harden handled the ball somewhat more and facilitated a key slam by Jeff Green.  With the score tied and time expiring in the first overtime, the final shot was put into Kevin Durant's hands.

On this night Harden clearly deferred to Irving.  Look no further than the first half.  Harden scored no points from the field.  Meanwhile, Kyrie attempted a team-high 28 shots from the field, while Harden attempted only fourteen shots.  Otherwise, Kyrie scored 37 points with only three assists in 48 minutes.  Whereas Harden scored 21 points with a game-high twelve assists and ten rebounds during a game-high 51 minutes.  Kevin Durant finished with a team-high 38 points with a game-high twelve rebounds and eight assists in 50 minutes.

Getting the start, old man Jeff Green had an active night with sixteen points and seven boards in 44 minutes.  The Nets "center of attention" DeAndre Jordan is working well with Harden, who provides him an on-court reeducation in working pick and rolls.  Jordan scored (6/7) thirteen points with four boards in 24 minutes.

Landry Shamet was a curious DNP, and Bruce Brown only saw seven minutes.  Just wondering what Coach Nash is thinking.  Meanwhile, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was 0/6 including 0/3 from the arc in twelve minutes.  

Joe Harris picked a bad night for feeling numb to the touch.  He was just 2/7 from the arc and missed three other shots from mid-range in 42 minutes off the bench.

The loss puts the Nets one game under .500 on the road.  The play the Cavaliers once again this Friday at Cleveland.

Brooklyn Nets: Someone Failed To Seize The Moment

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Sloppy Start Ends With Sloppy Finish

FRIDAY

Nets          110

Grizzlies   115

I'm sure you recall when Memphis got the best of Flatbush back on Dec. 28, at Barclays Center.  To their credit, the Nets after getting pummeled in the paint that night mounted a comeback that sent the contest into overtime.  However, the Grizzlies eventually came away with a five-point margin of victory.

After Thursday's victory over the Sixers at Flatbush, the Nets arrived in Memphis for the second night of back-to-back games on Friday.  The Grizzlies appeared to pick up where they left off, jumping out to a 40-28 first-quarter lead, and a commanding 62-47 lead by the half.  However, the suddenly gamely Nets cut their deficit to six by end of the third.  Caris LeVert led the charge with 19 points and five three-pointers in the quarter.

Making his second straight start, Caris LeVert led all players with 36 minutes and 43 points.  Caris shot 15/23 (75%) from the field including 7/9 from afar and a perfect 6/6 from the line.

By 5:44 of the fourth quarter, Landry Shamet's three-pointer gave the Nets their first lead of the night.  A second consecutive three from Shamet at 4:36 gave the Nets yet another two-point lead.  Although, by then matters had already started going awry.  What we have is an instance where I feel Coach Nash failed to seize the moment.  DeAndre Jordan was kept on the floor down the stretch.  Insofar as the telecast, Ian Eagle and Sarah Kustok appeared equally puzzled as any fan viewing at home while Jarrett Allan remained idle on the bench.  In the meantime, the Nets went scoreless for over three minutes, and the issue of Nash's aversion to calling time outs reared its head again.  All the while, the Grizzlies pulled away with a 9-0 run.

all that effort for not, last five minutes completely mismanaged ... if Nash insists on keeping Jordan on the floor, he must throw his body around a little more, expend fouls instead of watching cats streak by

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) January 9, 2021

five games in eight days and a back-to-back; not gonna knock Nash too much for his distribution of minutes, but the last few of this game is on him. #Nets

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) January 9, 2021

ICYMI: Joe Harris Reintroduces Himself To Sixers

Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant Continues to Have Something to Say

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Hawks   141

Nets      145

FINAL

Flatbush Snaps Two-Game Skid With Fourth Quarter Surge

Kevin Durant & Jarrett Allan Register Double-Double

I have a saying: Once is an event; twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.

After the season opener against Golden State, I wrote the following:

"As a new leader of the Nets, the television camera in the first quarter caught Kevin Durant (admonishing?) encouraging Joe Harris to take a shot from the left corner, who instead elected to pass off.  That may not seem like much and will likely go unspoken.  However, I think playing alongside KD will be hugely beneficial towards Joe's continued career advancement..."

On Wednesday evening against the Atlanta Hawks, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, after sitting out Monday's game, return to action.  This time Coach Nash staggers their minutes, unlike during their previous three starts together.  

That set up a curious moment early in the fourth quarter when Kyrie Irving engages in a dispute with the refs, which for a split second gives the impression matters might escalate.  But they didn't; Irving quickly subdues himself, but not before Kevin Durant is again seen admonishing Kyrie from the sidelines, perhaps about maintaining his composure.  

On the one hand, what was said is between friends, and I guess we'll never know because this will, like with Joe Harris, remain unspoken about.  On the other hand, this marks instance number two within the team's first five games in which Durant was caught by home viewers playing team (captain) police. Regardless of what was said, stern best describes the expression on Durant's face. 

🏀

Brooklyn trailed the Hawks through the first three quarters until finally overcoming the Hawks with a 43-37 effort in the fourth.  The Nets are out-rebounded but are an effective 19/41 (46.3%) from the arc.  Kevin Durant is the big man on campus with a game-high 33 points, eleven boards, and a team-high eight assists in a season-high (four starts) 35 minutes.  Irving recovers from a sloppy start and finishes with a strong fourth quarter in leading the Nets down the stretch to a four-point margin of victory.  He finishes with 25 points and six assists.  Meanwhile, Joe Harris registers his best game to date, shooting 8/11 from the field and 6/8 from the arc en route to an early season-high 23 points.

But it's the bench that truly propels the Nets to victory.  Taurean Prince shakes off a bad start to his season with a perfect 5/5 from the floor and 2/2 from the arc for twelve points.  Caris Levert tied for a team-high eight assists with ten points, and Landry Shamet does what Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot does not.  Shamet, like Prince, goes a perfect 5/5 from the field, 2/2 from the arc, and 2/2 from the line for 14 points with team-high plus-eleven in 17 minutes.  Getting the start, Luwawu-Cabbarot scores three points with three assists in 26 minutes.

The politics of playing minutes at center continue.  Jarrett Allan off the bench is a plus-eight with fifteen points and a game-high 13 rebounds in 24 minutes.  DeAndre Jordan contributes five points, one rebound, and one block in 15 minutes as the starter.

• NEXT: Atlanta Hawks back at Barclays on Friday

Brooklyn Nets: Adversity Makes Early Visit to Flatbush

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Grizzlies  116

Nets        111

FINAL/OT

Hello, adversity, it's been a while ...

Flatbush is faced with its first dilemma of the 2020-2021 season.  Sunday's two-point loss at Charlotte somewhat exposed their general lack of physicality on the interior.  Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both registered 36 minutes each, and there are calls to begin staggering their minutes.  I say you plan accordingly while keeping the competition in mind, although I agree their deployment needs some reconsideration.   

The loss is secondary to the disheartening news regarding Spencer Dinwiddie, who in Sunday's game suffered a partially torn ACL of the right knee and will undergo surgery.

With Dinwiddie out, Irving and KD likewise did not play against the Grizzlies on Monday night at Barclays.  It was the second game of back-to-back nights and their third game in four days.

Memphis, who last season clinched a play-in berth, jumped out to a 32-23 lead against the short-handed and unsettled Nets in the first quarter.  But the Brooks regrouped and turned the tables with a 32-22 second-quarter effort for a one-point advantage at the half.  Caris Levert negated Dillon Brooks' three-pointer with the last possession floater for the lead.  

With 1:44 left in the fourth quarter, LeVert's shot from three gives Brooklyn a 106-104 lead.  But LeVert, in the closing seconds, would miss his final two attempts.

Into over time, they go ...

Memphis doubled-up on Flatbush in the extra session for the win, 10 to 5.

In the final minutes of the fourth, Coach Nash kept DeAndre Jordan on the floor; he blocked a shot and committed a turnover.  He had four blocks and four turnovers for the game, scoring four points and securing nine rebounds in 30 minutes.  Jarrett Allan, after playing a season-high 25 minutes against Charlotte, was back down to 22 minutes.  He still managed a game-high fifteen rebounds and eight points.

Caris LeVert tied for a game-high 28 points in 38 minutes.  He was 12/29 from the floor but just 2/9 from the arc.  Getting the start, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was second on the team with 21 points in 40 minutes.  Joe Harris played a game-high 42 minutes, with fourteen points and 2/4 from the arc.

Chris Chiozza (welcome back) led the bench effort with four assists and fourteen points but posted a minus-9 in 27 minutes.  Landry Shamet, who will also be seeing more minutes, had three steals and five points in 24 minutes.  

There's no hiding a bad start by Taurean Prince.  He scored nine with five rebounds in 19 minutes.  After starting the first three games 1/11 from the field, he was 2/8 against Memphis, making him 3/19 (15.7%) through four games.

• Next: home-and-home vs. Atlanta Hawks.