While we thought they were out of the race for the “play-in”, the Nets found a smile again by winning last night in Cleveland. Since the Hawks lost at home to the Pelicans, all is not lost! Especially since, for once, the team did not give up after wasting a good lead.
“They are a physical team and we gave them a hard time, which is a good thing because we took some hits,” likes Kevin Ollie. “ We gave shots, created a gap and usually, when they come back into the match, that's usually when we get discouraged or lose our means. But tonight it encouraged us. OK, that's their punch, but what's our response? »
While the Cavaliers took control at the start of the 3rd quarter, the Nets actually found the resources to counter them with an 18-6 run to regain a 12-point lead. Unleashed, Mikal Bridges and his teammates will even have a lead of up to 26 points!
“I challenged them after just one match: Who do we want to be? Forget Atlanta and all that… We only take care of ourselves and the results will come” says the new Nets coach. “You can't focus on something you can't control. What you can control is getting better, and that's what we did tonight. »
Less talk, more action
The return of Cam Thomas does a lot of good, and the scorer sets an example with 29 points, but also 7 rebounds and 5 assists and a +/- of +27. Same return to the forefront for Mikal Bridges with his 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 interceptions. In the pivotal third quarter, they accumulated 22 points.
“It’s almost the end, and we must now act. We can't keep talking about effort and energy and all these things.” explains Thomas. “We just have to get out there and act. If we want to participate in the play-in, we must act. We can't keep talking about energy and effort. We must lead by example in every match with the necessary energy and effort, being aware of what is at stake.”
