The Brooklyn Nets orchestrated one of the best comebacks of the 2018-19 NBA season last night when they overcame a 28-point deficit to defeat the Sacramento Kings.
Point guard D'Angelo Russell scored 27 of his 44 points in the final frame, and the Nets improved to 37-36 on the season.
Brooklyn also made a fan of ESPN First Take personality and NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith, who believes it is time to “pay attention” to the team and their young core:
Smith called the Nets “one of the great, great NBA stories” in the NBA this season. Indeed, Brooklyn has been a revelation.
Russell made his first All-Star game as he is averaging close to 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists while shooting around 37 percent from the field. Spencer Dinwiddie is a leading candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Journeyman forward Joe Harris is leading the NBA in three-point percentage (46.4) and averaging a career-high 13.4 points per game. And 20-year-old center Jarrett Allen is a budding star, averaging 11.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in just under 27 minutes per night.
Even Caris LeVert was averaging better than 16-5-5 in the first two months of the season before suffering an ankle injury (he has struggled since).
With last night's win, the Nets moved 1.5 games in front of the Miami Heat–the current eighth seed in the East–and three games ahead of the ninth-seeded Orlando Magic.
Brooklyn looks like a good bet to make the playoffs this season, and with the ability to sign a max free agent this summer, it really is time to start paying attention to New York's youngsters.
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