The Brooklyn Nets ruffled feathers around the NBA world when they announced they would rest their top eight rotation players Saturday against the Indiana Pacers.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, Joe Harris, Royce O’Neale, Seth Curry, and T.J. Warren all sat with Brooklyn on the back end of a back-to-back. Many viewed the decision as the Nets punting the game amid a series of early injuries this season.
Head coach Jacque Vaughn and the remaining Nets had something to say about that.
Brooklyn stunned the Pacers 136-133 to pick up their 10th win in 13 games. The Nets reserve squad received contributions across the board, overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit to claim the win.
“We heard who was out, we don't care, we're here to play ball,” Cam Thomas said postgame.
The assortment of prospects and backup veterans thoroughly out-hustled Indiana to the tune of 29 offensive rebounds. That marks the most in a game by any team this season and the Nets' most since Jan. 1998. Brooklyn ranked dead last in the league in offensive rebounding heading into the game.
“We created a monster,” head coach Jacque Vaughn joked about his team's rebounding postgame.
A pair of 2021 first-round picks who had fallen out of Brooklyn's rotation provided the lift needed to pull off the shocking upset.
Thomas led the way with 33 points on 13 of 20 shooting. The second-year guard scored 21 fourth-quarter points on 8 of 11 shooting after missing the entire third while in foul trouble.
Cam in the clutch 🚚 pic.twitter.com/Dggi80zmfB
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 11, 2022
Thomas had struggled in various areas while in a complimentary role in recent weeks. However, the 21-year-old's microwave scoring ability at the end of the bench can be reserved for a game such as Saturday. Thomas led the 2021 summer league in scoring at 27.0 points per game and ranked second in 2022 at 27.4.
“We know we have a guy who at the end of the day can get a bucket,” Vaughn said of Thomas after the win over the Pacers.
Day'Ron Sharpe opened the year as Brooklyn's backup center but was benched just a week into the season. The 21-year-old flashed an intriguing skillset in his rookie year using his size, strength and high motor to wreak havoc on the offensive boards and alter shots at the rim.
That impact returned in full force Saturday. Sharpe posted 2o points and 12 rebounds (9 offensive), both career highs. The second-year big man's performance is a welcome sight for a Nets team searching for a competent backup to Nic Claxton, who missed Brooklyn's last two games with hamstring tightness.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 11, 2022
Brooklyn's veteran reserves stepped up alongside Thomas and Sharpe to keep the team afloat at several points throughout the game.
Patty Mills paced Thomas with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists on 10 of 20 shooting. The veteran had fallen out of Brooklyn's rotation in recent weeks but offered his best performance of the season Saturday, acting as a calming presence down the stretch.
Markieff Morris also provided a lift, posting 15 points on 4 of 7 shooting while grabbing 11 rebounds. The big man made two key passes to maintain possession for Brooklyn in the final minutes. The first coming on an inbounds and the second with the Nets nearing a 10-second violation while trying to break a press.
A pair of young offseason acquisitions were the finishing touch to put Brooklyn over the top.
Edmond Sumner came out on fire in his return to Indiana, scoring 18 first-quarter points on his way to 21 for the night. The guard spent his first four seasons with the Pacers before signing with the Nets for the minimum this summer.
Yuta Watanabe came up huge down the stretch after missing Brooklyn's last 10 games with hamstring tightness. The forward posted 10 points and 7 rebounds while making two key plays in the final minutes to secure the win.
With 2:40 remaining, Watanabe grabbed an offensive rebound off his own missed free-throw and kicked to Mills for a three to give the Nets a four-point lead. On Brooklyn's next possession, he grabbed another offensive board with one second left on the shot clock and laid it in to extend the lead to six.
Heads up play @wacchi1013! pic.twitter.com/tyQjHQWpvW
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 11, 2022
Watanabe had been one of the surprise stories of the season prior to his extended absence. The Japanese product is leading the league in three-point percentage (57.1) while proving to be one of Brooklyn's top perimeter defenders.
The improbable win continues an extended hot streak that has the Nets climbing the Eastern Conference standings. Brooklyn now sits 1.5 games back of third place in the East at 16-12 following a 1-5 start to the season.
Vaughn's squad will look to continue their ascension with their top eight players on two day's rest when they travel to Washington Monday.
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