For the second straight game, the Brooklyn Nets clawed out a come-from-behind victory. And for the second straight game, a rookie provided the spark.
The Nets came back from a 19-point deficit to secure a 113-103 win over the Detroit Pistons Saturday at Barclays Center. They trailed by 17 points when Noah Clowney checked in midway through the third quarter. And as he did Wednesday versus the Indiana Pacers, the rookie first-round pick turned the tides in Brooklyn's favor.
Clowney scored on four of the Nets' next five possessions. He posted 12 points, three rebounds and three blocks over the final seven minutes of the period to pull Brooklyn within single digits.
That's 10 straight points from @NoahClowney š„ pic.twitter.com/dFoSAUzpz7
ā Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 7, 2024
Nš«AH CLOWNEY (x2) pic.twitter.com/nDOhLUcT9C
ā Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 7, 2024
Trailing 103-94 with five minutes remaining in the game, Brooklyn closed on a 19-0 run to steal the win. Clowney turned in another key sequence during that stretch, grabbing a rebound and draining a transition three before blocking a shot on the other end. Fellow rookie Jalen Wilson iced the victory with a catch-and-shoot three in the final minute.
Watch Noah Clowney on these four possessions. I think it's safe to say the Nets have something with him. pic.twitter.com/HlFl5kv7pl
ā Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 7, 2024
Jalen Wilson: clutch pic.twitter.com/ql3CIUqdQV
ā Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 7, 2024
Kevin Ollie commends Nets rookies
Noah Clowney finished with 17 points, six rebounds and four blocks on 6-of-7 shooting in 24 minutes. Jalen Wilson also provided a second-half spark off the bench, posting 10 points and four rebounds on 3-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes.
āWe weren't finding anything the first three quartersā¦ Then we finally found a pace that we wanted on defense and offense, and then it really started with Noah and J-Will, our young guys,ā interim head coach Kevin Ollie said. āPlaying and blocking shots, getting steals, getting them EGBsā¦ I seen everything [from those two]. I seen the Brooklyn way. I seen grit. Iāve seen some style. I've seen some bravadoā¦ and thatās Brooklyn.
āYou know, Brooklynās got style, but weāre gritty. So that combination of both of them is great and the confidence that theyāve shown.ā
Kevin Ollie credited the Nets' rookies with shifting the momentum in the fourth quarter:
"It really started with Noah and J Will, my young guysā¦ Playing, blocking shots, getting steals, getting them EGBsā¦ It's just hunting season." pic.twitter.com/R1Cdh9gyWH
ā Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 7, 2024
Kevin Ollie when asked what he saw from Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson tonight:
"I saw the Brooklyn way. I saw grit, I saw some style, I saw some bravadoā¦ and that's Brooklyn. You know, Brooklyn got style, but we gritty. So that combination of both of them is great." pic.twitter.com/fpyoeolNzM
ā Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 7, 2024
With the Nets effectively eliminated from postseason contention for the last two weeks, Clowney has impressed while seeing extended action. The 21st overall pick has averaged 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks on 13-of-16 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from three over his last two appearances.
Despite being the fourth-youngest player in the NBA at 19 years and 264 days old, the 6-foot-10 power forward/center has no reservations about his ability to compete with NBA veterans.
āWeāre all on the court, weāre all at this level for a reason,ā Clowney said. āSo I feel like I donāt really look at nobody as better than me. I mean, obviously players that have done more, proven more, who are better than me, actually, but Iām not gonna go in there with the mindset of that. So I feel like weāre all equals out there when Iām out there.ā
Noah Clowney when asked if he ever thought about being just 19-years-old during his last two performances:
āNo. Weāre all on the court, weāre all at this level for a reason. So I feel like I donāt really look at nobody as better than me. I mean, obviously players that have doneā¦ pic.twitter.com/pM6f6nRK16
ā Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 7, 2024
Cam Thomas led all scorers with 32 points and five assists on 10-of-25 shooting during the victory. Dennis Schroder added 24 points and six assists on 8-of-10 shooting, while Mikal Bridges chipped in 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
The win brings the Nets to 31-47 on the year. Brooklyn will host the Sacramento Kings on a back-to-back Sunday before closing the season with road matchups against the Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.