The Nets were able to finally break their five-game losing streak with a win over the Miami Heat and beat the Houston Rockets to keep themselves out of the play-in game. They are currently in sixth place in the Eastern conference with a 41-35 record. These next games are crucial for the Nets if their goal is to avoid the play-in and secure a first round playoff spot.
The Nets broke their streak against the Miami Heat on Mar. 25th in a 129-100 win in order to place themselves back at sixth place. With the season slowly coming to a close, the Nets knew it was a wake up call for them. However, it did not look that way in the first half. The first quarter of the game looked like it was going to be another addition to the losing streak as the Heat took control offensively and were up 36-28 at the end of the first.
The Heat were able to keep pace and were up four at the half, despite the Nets outscoring them in the second. By the end of halftime, it looked like it was going to be over for the Nets, but they stayed strong and lit up the second half. The Nets came back strong and never lifted their foot off the gas pedal from the third quarter onward.
The Nets shot from everywhere, driving into the lane for layups and knocking down 3-pointers to increase their lead as they led by 32 points at one time. They outscored the Heat 64-31 in the second half and were able to steamroll the Heat, treating the game like a playoff game to take the win.
Mikal Bridges was the leading scorer for the Nets with 27 points, three rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Cam Johnson had 23 points while shooting 5 of 8 from the 3-point line, and Spencer Dinwiddie filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Nicolas Claxton had 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Dorian Finney-Smith put up 12 points and six rebounds. Off the bench, Edmond Summer had 12 points.
For the Heat, Herro ended with 23 points, tied with Max Strus for the team-high. Butler had 18 points and five assists, while Adebayo scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
The Nets tried to take their momentum into their matchup against the Orlando Magic on Mar. 26, but lost 116-109 despite a great offensive outing by Bridges. The Nets looked decent in the first half, taking a one point lead heading into the second quarter. The Magic were able to come out strong in the second quarter as they went on an 18-5 scoring run, led by Wendell Carter Jr.
From then on, the Magic kept the up the momentum as they scored the points they needed throughout the second half. Bridges tried to carry his team offensively, scoring 19 of the Nets' first 25 points and continued to play well. However, Bridges’ spectacular performance was not enough to get the Nets over the hump in the loss to the Magic.
Bridges had 44 points and six rebounds, falling one point shy of tying his career-high. Cam Johnson had 10 points, while Cam Thomas put up 18 points off the bench in his first game playing since Mar. 19 against the Denver Nuggets.
Franz Wagner had 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals to lead the Magic. Carter Jr. had 18 points and 6 rebounds, while Paolo Banchero had 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris each had 10 points, while Cole Anthony scored a team-high 21 points off the bench. Jalen Suggs had 16 points, and Moritz Wagner had 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field.
The duo of Johnson and Bridges were able to take care of the Houston Rockets on Mar. 29 in a 123-114 win to maintain the sixth seed. The Rockets did their best to knock the Nets off their playoff spot as they fought throughout the game to pick up the win. The first half was a fairly close game, with neither team able to garner a lead larger than five points. The game kept its momentum during the second half, as the Nets and Rockets kept on trading leads with each other. With about three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Rockets had a 110-105 lead.
However, Royce O’Neale, Johnson and Dinwiddie hit big 3-pointers during those final three minutes to take back the lead. The Rockets tried to climb back, but were unable to generate a run and took the loss.
Final numbers from the W 📊 pic.twitter.com/bOd2kCjq4k
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 30, 2023
Johnson had 31 points, while shooting 5-8 from the 3-point line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. Bridges had a good all-around game with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists. Dinwiddie 20 points and 11 assists, while Claxton had another double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Off the bench, O’Neale had nine points on 3-5 shooting from the 3-point line.
For the Rockets, Kevin Porter Jr. was the leading scorer with 31 points. Alperen Sengun had 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Kenyon Martin Jr. had 15 points and seven rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Green scored 14 points and dished out five assists. Josh Christopher led the bench in points with 14.
The Nets are definitely a dark horse team coming into the playoffs this year. With the losses of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, along with Ben Simmons missing time due to a nerve issue in his back, it was safe to assume that the Nets would be fighting for a playoff spot in the play-in.
While it is still possible that the Nets could end up in the play-in, Bridges is doing everything he can to keep the Nets in the sixth seed for as long as he can. With his two 40-plus point performances since joining the Nets, Bridges has become the star that he couldn’t become back in Phoenix.
In Brooklyn, Bridges and Johnson were able to shine as the stars of the Nets while still being able to garner wins for the squad. While the last week has been rough on the Nets with their five-game losing streak, it looks like head coach Jacque Vaughn is doing everything in his power to avoid the play-in.
While championship aspirations are out of the question for the Nets, they may have a bright future in the coming seasons if they develop a good core and draft well in the next few years.
