Subscribe
Follow Us
The Brooklyn Nets sorely missed Jared Dudley in their Game 2 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Fortunately, the playoffs' most unlikely impact player is apparently healthy enough to play going forward. According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Dudley said on Wednesday that he will play in Game 3.
Dudley says he’s good for Game 3. #Nets #sixers
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) April 17, 2019
The 12-year veteran missed Monday's game with soreness in is right calf. Though there was initially optimism he would be able to play in Game 2 despite feeling some discomfort, Dudley and the Nets ultimately decided to play the long game with his injury, allowing him more time to fully recover before returning to the floor.
Article Continues Below
Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who didn't get off the bench in Brooklyn's series-opening victory, played 19 minutes off the bench in Game 2, finishing with 15 points and three rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting. He offers no stretch whatsoever offensively, though, and doesn't have the girth or high-level understanding to compensate for a lack of size defensively while playing small-ball center. Expect Hollis-Jefferson to go back to the bench now that Dudley will be back in the lineup.
At 33, several years removed from his prime, most assumed Dudley would play little more than the role of veteran mentor for a young Nets team this season. Instead, he emerged as a cog off the bench when healthy, affording coach Kenny Atkinson some much-needed lineup flexibility and overall reliability his younger counterparts on the team couldn't duplicate. Dudley had four points and three assists in 28 minutes off the bench in Brooklyn's Game 1 victory, failing to score from the field but nevertheless proving instrumental to the Nets' success given his two-way versatility.
Game 3 is on Thursday at Barclays Center.
