Nets general manager Sean Marks called newly-hired head coach Jacque Vaughn “a catalyst” for Brooklyn pregame Wednesday.
“Personally, I like the way the team’s been playing. They’ve been competing at a high level. They’ve obviously rallied around each other, they’ve rallied around the coaching staff, they’ve rallied around JV,” Marks said of the hire. “He’s been the catalyst for that, so I’ve got to give him credit. I look at the camaraderie that the players have shown, they’re having fun, they’re enjoying each other, and they’re competing at a high level.”
That trend continued in Vaughn's first game without the interim tag as Brooklyn routed the New York Knicks 112-85 to claim their third win in four games. The blowout victory marks the Nets' eight-straight win over New York dating back to January 2020.
A special moment for Coach JV 👏 pic.twitter.com/N1vuloWi3K
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 10, 2022
Some observations and takeaways from Brooklyn's stellar performance:
Kevin Durant continues his brilliance
Brooklyn led wire to wire in Wednesday's win. Kevin Durant dominated once again with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on 10 of 19 shooting. The win marks Durant's 12th straight game scoring 25-plus to open the season, making him the first player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to accomplish the feat.
Despite a chaotic start to the season, Durant's high level of engagement and leadership have been noticeable through Brooklyn's recent success. The former MVP said he has made it a point to not let the outside noise alter his mindset.
“I'm trying to do my job. I adopted that mentality about 10-11 years ago working with Brian Keefe, one of our assistants here now actually,” Kevin Durant said postgame. “Just all about, every day no matter what, come to work and focus on being the best I can be, getting the most out of myself each day. So I try to stay with that approach regardless of what’s going on around. And I think we all have that mentality, just focus on our job and be in control of what we can.”
With Kyrie Irving suspended, Durant has taken on the role of Brooklyn's lone go-to scorer. And the 12-time-All-Star's attitude and leadership while carrying the load have permeated through the entire team.
“Honestly, it starts with seven,” Seth Curry said postgame. “Seven bringing the good mindset to the team, never complaining about the stuff that’s going on, working hard, being unselfish, and guys are just following that lead.”
Edmond Sumner and Seth Curry breakout
A pair of breakout performances from Edmond Sumner and Curry propelled the Nets to a 25-point lead at the half.
Curry's performance was among the most significant positives Wednesday. The guard exploded for 23 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the field and 6 of 10 from three. Curry came into the win amid serious struggles, shooting 1 of 12 from the field in three games while recovering from offseason ankle surgery but came up large to flank Kevin Durant with another 20-point scorer.
The steal on one end ➡️ the triple on the other pic.twitter.com/Ed3OXRhOBz
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 10, 2022
Brooklyn has desperately missed the floor-spacing and secondary shot creation Curry normally offers. The 32-year-old said postgame that he is still re-acclimating after strict limitations during the offseason.
“Just getting back to playing basketball. I haven’t really played basketball in five months, so it was going to take some time,” Curry said. “Still frustrating, but sticking to it every day, working on my game, trying to stay positive. And I knew it would click eventually. But just trying to keep a good mindset of work every day and come to the game bringing energy no matter what. I’m going to make shots, like I said, eventually.”
Edmond Sumner's hot start allowed Brooklyn to open up an early lead from which they would never look back. The guard posted 9 points on 3 of 3 shooting from three in the opening frame. Sumner finished with 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting. The first-year Net's three-point struggles have been a significant inhibitor of Brooklyn's offense.
The 26-year-old came into Wednesday just 3 of 15 from deep for the season. New York opened with a clear strategy of letting the guard shoot, and unlike Monday's loss at Dallas, Sumner made them pay.
KD gets the steal and delivers a pinpoint pass to Edmond Sumner for 3️⃣
The @BrooklynNets are rolling early on ESPN pic.twitter.com/I31e1Kq4UR
— NBA (@NBA) November 10, 2022
“For me, it's honestly just trusting it,” Sumner said of his hot shooting. “When you’re out there and you’re missing shots or you’re not doing accustomed to doing, that’s very frustrating. But with me it’s just kind of sticking to the positive, knowing I put in all the hard work to get back to this opportunity and with the constant reps and staying in the gym I knew I was gonna overcome.”
Defense continues to improve
Similar to their last three games, the Nets turned in an inspired defensive effort in the win. Vaughn's squad held New York to 28 of 87 (32.2 percent) shooting from the field and 12 of 43 (27.9 percent) from three. The Nets have held each of their last four opponents under 100 points, marking the team's longest streak since the 2014-15 season.
Brooklyn showed great defensive activity Wednesday, communicating with one another on switches and often recovering across the court to find their desired match-ups. Increased trust in one another on the defensive end was a common theme in the team's postgame comments.
“I think it’s just playing harder,” Sumner said of his team's defensive resurgence. “I just feel like we’re really covering for each other. If I get beat off the bounce, I know somebody is right there to pick me up, I’ll bounce off and roll to the other guy. So I feel like we’re really just coming together. Honestly, that’s just us getting used to playing with each other. We’re a lot more games in and we’re willing to sacrifice, so we’re really trusting guys more.”
Vaughn echoed a similar message of commutation and collective trust postgame.
“We showed two clips at halftime; the two clips were us shifted very much so and covering for each other,” the head coach said. “The talk behind it is not going to be perfect, but that's what we talked about. Basketball isn't perfect, but you cover for your teammate and he covers with someone else and we can live with it. So I think that's why we're progressing.”
The following possession is a great example of this with Brooklyn switching, recovering, and helping before coming up with a steal and transition layup.
Nic Claxton has also continued to prove why he is among the top perimeter-defending big men in the league. Jalen Brunson looked helpless with Claxton switched onto him on the perimeter throughout the win.
Kevin Durant and the Nets held the Knicks' backcourt of Brunson and R.J. Barrett to a combined 9 of 28 shooting while forcing the duo into six turnovers.
Brooklyn's effort level and engagement have taken a noticeable upswing with Vaughn replacing Nash as head coach. The absence of the Kyrie Irving media circus amid the guard's suspension appears to have also made an impact on the team's improved atmosphere.
The win brings the Nets to 5-7 on the season. Brooklyn will look to build upon the recent stretch as they leave for a four-game West Coast trip with stops in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Portland.
Follow Us
Subscribe