Jordi Fernandez couldn't have dreamed of a more beautiful evening! For his return to Sacramento, this time on an opposing bench, his players won 108-103 against the Kings, and he can once again thank Cam Thomasauthor of 34 points!
The Nets guard had no time to lose, and he made it 5-0! His teammates follow him and the Nets have an almost perfect first half. The 3-pointers go in, the rotations are decisive, and after 18 minutes, Jordi Fernandez's players lead by 19 points (54-35)! The basketball offered by the Nets is simple: “drive-and-kick” on offense and aggressiveness on defense.
As they hit the mark (13 3-point baskets in the first half), the Kings were on the ropes. Mike Brown gets annoyed, and his players have difficulty approaching the circle. It was ultimately De'Aaron Fox then Keon Ellis, from afar, who limited the damage at the break (65-57).
Clowney shines, then gets injured
Sacramento has regained color, like Domantas Sabonis finally dominating. Well found by DeMar DeRozan at 3-points, he forces Jordi Fernandez to take a time-out (74-67).
Even if De'Aaron Fox is much less sparkling than in the first half, the Kings are much better, and Keegan Murray takes the match on his own to equalize (82-82) and even put the Kings in front. It was the amazing Noah Clowney who was responsible for sending the two teams back to back at the start of the 4th quarter: 88-88.
As in the first quarter, the Nets bench made the difference with Shake Milton, and even Ben Simmons on the dunk (95-94). Cam Johnson and Jalen Wilson plant three 3-point baskets in a row, and Brooklyn passes a fatal 15-4 (105-98). Even Clowney's injury exit did not disrupt the Nets, and the Kings' offense collapsed, to the point of only scoring 15 points in the last quarter. Final victory for the Nets who push Sacramento into the negative (8v-9d).
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– A nice revenge. Last season, the Nets left Sacramento with a huge suitcase: -30! The squad is more modest, and Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith were missing, and yet Jordi Fernandez quickly knew how to create an identity with enthusiasm and altruism.
– Domantas Sabonis gets annoyed. Because he did not touch the ball on several consecutive possessions in the 4th quarter, Sabonis expressed his anger towards his teammates. This is never a good sign.
– Cam Thomas learns quickly. After his seven lost balls against the Sixers, Cam Thomas proves that he listens to advice. He distributes six passes, and only loses one ball. Author of 9 points in a very tough last quarter, he took on another dimension in leadership.
– A super efficient bench. Like Noah Clowney (18 points), Brooklyn's replacements largely dominated those of the Kings: 44 points to 9! At the end of the first quarter and at the start of the 4th, it was the bench which made the difference. The only downside is Clowney's sprained ankle.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
