For the first meeting between Kevin Durant and the Nets since the winger requested his transfer from Brooklyn, and by chance, for the premiere of the new “Big Three” of the Suns, these are the two players used as bargaining chips , namely Mikal Bridges (21 points) and Cam Johnson (15 points), who triumphed.
Very well received, with a short video paying tribute to them, the “Twins” who had participated in the 2021 adventure until the NBA Finals, were then able to put things aside and get back into their game.
Which was not necessarily obvious at the start of the match, especially for Mikal Bridges, who finally managed to get going, and his team with it, with a 19-0 lead between the first and second quarter, thanks to to 8 consecutive points for the Brooklyn leader.
“We followed the game plan well and continued to rely on it. Everyone was very united and we managed to secure this victory”appreciated Cam Johnson in the New York Post. “We had to continue to make it difficult for them and press them. We tried to change the speed and the positions we allowed them. But the idea was just to make it difficult for them. »
“It could have been a very difficult match for them, emotionally speaking”
This is the Nets' seventh victory in their last nine games. A prestigious victory on the Suns floor but above all a success which proves the great capacity for reaction of the young Nets.
“It’s a good victory. We really needed it after our last defeat [à Sacramento] »adds Mikal Bridges. “It was nice to play on this field here again, in front of fans who know us. We only come here once a year so it was really exciting to come back and see everyone. »
Taking time to chat with some young fans after the game, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson also appreciated their team's finish. With Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Thomas who knew how to finish the job perfectly, the first at 3-points, the second cold as a blade on the throws.
“I found them exceptional”concludes Jacque Vaughn. “It could have been a difficult match for them, emotionally speaking. They probably saw friends, family, and people who love them. But you have to do your job. They were both super focused and they didn't rush anything. They made the right choices. When you play with the right intentions, usually good things happen. »
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Cam Thomas | 13 | 31.5 | 44.4 | 34.2 | 83.9 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 23.4 |
| Mikal Bridges | 22 | 34.9 | 49.2 | 38.7 | 86.9 | 1.1 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 23.1 |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | 21 | 31.5 | 39.4 | 33.3 | 80.0 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 6.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 14.7 |
| Cameron Johnson | 15 | 29.1 | 45.8 | 39.1 | 83.3 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 14.7 |
| Lonnie Walker | 17 | 21.3 | 48.9 | 46.3 | 76.3 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 14.6 |
| Nicholas Claxton | 13 | 27.1 | 65.0 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 3.5 | 5.9 | 9.4 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 11.7 |
| Dorian Finney Smith | 21 | 30.8 | 48.3 | 45.9 | 66.7 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 5.2 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 11.1 |
| Royce O'Neale | 21 | 28.6 | 38.0 | 40.0 | 58.3 | 0.8 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 8.1 |
| Trendon Watford | 15 | 14.3 | 53.2 | 35.7 | 93.8 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 6.9 |
| Day’ron Sharpe | 22 | 16.0 | 56.5 | 0.0 | 61.7 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 6.9 |
| Dennis Smith | 13 | 17.6 | 42.5 | 31.8 | 85.7 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 6.7 |
| Ben Simmons | 6 | 31.8 | 52.8 | 0.0 | 25.0 | 2.7 | 8.2 | 10.8 | 6.7 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 6.5 |
| Harry Giles | 4 | 5.3 | 71.4 | 25.0 | 50.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 5.8 |
| Armoni Brooks | 6 | 8.2 | 38.9 | 38.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 3.2 |
| Dariq Whitehead | 1 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Jalen Wilson | 3 | 3.5 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Noah Clowney | 1 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
