Nets look to sustain momentum in Washington

And they have a “C” team to thank for the momentum. brooklyn nets, led by the Reserve Young and Old, has won significant victories. Sure, at the end of the season, this team’s basketball reference page might not be prominent.there is no violation of PacersIn one of the pleasant surprises of the season, Brooklyn’s 136-133 win in Indiana on Saturday night meant that the two teams would be split in the standings, so it’s better not. A win in December alone won’t decide the course of the regular season.

But Brooklyn’s victory in Indiana could certainly be a building block. There was nothing mystical about the win, backed by Jacque Vaughn & Co. didn’t come up with great plans to make up for the lack of talent — the late zone paid off big — the staff played a solid game too. Brooklyn came out and took it. Simple.

Markieff Morris openly called it Indiana’s “trap game” after winning. It was all about having fun and having fun and it was such a fun game to be a part of. “

How else can the worst rebounding team in the NBA account for 29 offensive boards reaching a new high across the league this season? Day’Ron Sharpe, who had offboard, added a talent and a certain kind of athleticism that Brooklyn’s rotation usually lacks. But these 29 boards of his are more reflective of the energy Brooklyn played with. This energy makes playing and watching basketball pure fun.

Brooklyn is having fun now. Are the schedule makers cursing them for dropping back to back at the end of their most successful stretch of the season, a 6-1 homestand? No, not a curse at all. Watching the young players hit the ball is just an opportunity for veterans Morris and Mills to remind them that they are more than just that. vocal leader.

Oh yeah, Brooklyn is having fun right now. They may be feeling a little more confident as they continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets’ next chance to keep this momentum going and take his 11th win with 14 tries is Monday night when they travel to Washington to face the Wizards. The Nets got his second win over the Wiz last month. Washington is on a five-game losing streak.

where to follow the game

Rinse and repeat. YES Network and his YES App have TV broadcasts and WFAN-FM has a radio call for this show. All times are local and start time is 7:00 PM ET.

injury

All the regulars seem to be back, except for Lois O’Neill for personal reasons. Nick Claxton is also in doubt as he recovers from a strained right hamstring, David Duke Jr. and Kessler-Edwards played for the Wizards in Long Island vs. Capital City Go-Go, making Nets debut in Indianapolis Alondes so does his Williams.

In Washington, we start with what we know for sure. Bradley Beal (hamstring), Rui Hachimura (ankle) and Doron Wright (hamstring) will be out. Additionally, both Monte Morris (ankle) and Anthony Gill (heel) have problems in Monday’s contest. Will Burton is off the Wizards’ injury report, which means he should be available.

game

Even if Monte Morris and Anthony Gill end up playing, expect to see a healthy dose of Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. But regardless of Beal’s status this season, the two performed well.

Porzingis is off the 30/15/5 line in Washington’s final game against the Clippers. He scored a total of 59 points for the weekend. Offensively, he thrives on systems that allow for a wide variety of touches. Porzingis has more mismatches and still shoots threes, but it’s his ability to drive the ball that has really blossomed this season.

The NBA hype cycle of death and rebirth happens at warp speed.it’s been years since Knicks Fans were furious about drafting the Latvian man before they fell in love with him. Even the Luca + KP era of basketball in Dallas is old, old news. Porzingis, who just turned 27, is on his team, the Wizards, who have been forgotten in the NBA history books. But even after constant injuries, his movement skills at 7’3″ combined with his shooting touch make him a special watch. Add good defense around the basket, especially with his coverage in drops, and Porzingis should be an All-Star this year. For real. Most of us just don’t pay attention.

Kyle Kuzma is likely to fall in the All-Star ballot this season, but he’s another bright spot in Washington. So it’s fitting that rumors of a trade request are starting to circulate. Kuzma has averaged 21 points a game this season and has shot just 33% from deep, though he’s been on target lately (he’s had 13 points in the last 24 years). If Brooklyn doesn’t give him the proper respect, he’ll be in a shootout with the 6’9-inch winger, who scored two and fouled him without a conscience that improved his draw. Not ideal.

With Nick Claxton on board, it would be fun to see him face Porzingis. If not, expect to see more than a few minutes of extra time with Kevin Durant playing his five and Day’Ron Sharpe ending his 20/13 game at Indy. .

More precisely, we expect to see a line-up of five shooters, a line-up that Jack Vaughan was more than happy to play than his predecessor Steve Nash. But you’ll have a hard time containing it, considering it’s much more comfortable as an anchor than venturing away from the basket. Here he is giving up a winning basket to his lineup, the Clippers with five outs.

But even Kristaps guarding Ben Simmons doesn’t pose much of a threat to Brooklyn’s offense. Come to think of it, it doesn’t sound like a picnic on the National Mall for Porzingis.

Either way, Washington represents a decent matchup for Brooklyn. They’re not overtly physical, playing best offensive his rebounding threat, Daniel Gafford, for his 13 minutes a game. As a team, they rank 22nd in free throw attempts per game. Brooklyn opens up the arena. Claxton and Simmons keep him 30 feet away from the basket.

As Zach Lowe wrote about Claxton last week:

Claxton can corral the switch guards or barricade the rims in a conservative scheme. Opponents only shoot 53% of the time at the basket with Claxton close by. He’s not strong enough to plug Brooklyn’s rebounding leaks, but he’s catching his board defensively at his career-best speed.

Following his 33-point blowout, we may be able to see more than spot minutes from Kam Thomas. The difference in his mojo when he promotes attack and when he plays off the ball is so obvious that it makes me wonder if Thomas is the way to take the load off others in the short term. There have been ups and downs for him this season, but scoring 21 points in an NBA-winning fourth quarter is no small feat. Is Brooklyn willing to let Cam play in isolation and pick-and-roll another four minutes per game to give Durant some rest? It’s a solution that benefits everyone involved. Starting with Monday’s game in Washington, you can quickly read how this coaching staff views Cam Thomas.

from the vault

This Joe Johnson game winner doesn’t shine as brightly as many of his others, perhaps because he wasn’t technically a buzzer beater, but he’s better than most. A classically dejected call from Gerald Wallace taunted a fan in the corner when the ball fell into the hoop.