The Brooklyn Nets are receiving reinforcements for their first in-season tournament game in franchise history. After missing Wednesday's win over the Miami Heat, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dennis Smith Jr. will return for Friday's road matchup with the Chicago Bulls.
Dinwiddie exited midway through Brooklyn's win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Smith Jr. was able to finish the game after taking a hard fall but was noticeably hobbled. With the Nets already down Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson, both were ruled out for the road matchup with Miami.
Brooklyn's bench stepped up in Dinwiddie's absence to secure a comeback win over the Heat, with two-way Armoni Brooks scoring 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from three and Trendon Watford posting 11 points, four rebounds and four assists in their Nets debuts. Lonnie Walker also posted 17 points and four assists on 8-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line.
After scoring just five points in Brooklyn's season-opening loss to Cleveland, Dinwiddie caught fire during a homecoming matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, posting 23 points and eight assists on 6-of-12 shooting from three. The 30-year-old played just 13 minutes against Charlotte before exiting with the ankle sprain.
SPENCER'S COOKING RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/KpMHoBm0V4
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 28, 2023
Smith Jr.'s best game came in the Nets' season-opener when he posted 10 points and four rebounds on 4-of-5 shooting. He played 14 minutes during the win over Charlotte, posting three points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal on 1-of-4 shooting.
Ten players saw time during Brooklyn's win over Miami. With Dinwiddie and Smith Jr. returning, head coach Jacque Vaughn will likely trim the rotation against Chicago.
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