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D'Angelo Russell was benched for the final 8:42 of regulation in a close affair against the Boston Celtics, one that resulted in a 112-104 loss and plenty of puzzled Brooklyn Nets fans who wondered why Russell was parked on the bench during crunch time.
Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson explained he was a little ticked by Russell not chasing a rebound and used the benching as a “teachable moment,” according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
The Nets only mustered 16 points of offense without Russell on the floor for most of the fourth quarter, outscored by seven and losing by a total of eight points, which could prove Atkinson made perhaps a questionable decision.
Brooklyn isn't exactly coasting away to a high seed in the East, but rather trying to crack the playoffs, holding onto the last three spots in the conference.
Russell didn't have much of a problem with his benching, saying he trusts his coach and his decisions.
“He’s got us this far so I’m trusting his moves,” said Russell, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I missed a rebound, 50-50 play that set him off a little bit. I’ve got to be better, something I’ve got to think about going into the next one. We need those plays.”
Russell had 25 points and four 3-pointers in three-quarters-and-change, which could have sparked a dormant offense in hopes to close out this game. While Atkinson is trying to instill a culture and use these teachable moments, the fan base will be aware of how many of these teachable moments he'll pick during the season, as Brooklyn approaches the last 30 games of this 2018-19 campaign.
