• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

March 7th 2017

Nets 122  Grizzlies 109

 

What was special about last night’s game? The Brooklyn Nets showed some of the grit that they have been relying on during the season and it got them a quality win in Memphis against the Grizzlies.

 

Their usual 3rd quarter woes disappeared last night as a combination of Isaiah Whitehead and Sean Kilpatrick kept the Nets afloat in the crucial period. Whitehead was aggressive going to the basket as he had a couple of very savvy drives in the lane. Kilpatrick had been in a mini slump recently however he ignited the team offensively in the period and finished with 23-points.

 

On a night where Brook Lopez struggled offensively his teammates collectively grinded out a very good win. Brook finished with 8-points, shot 3-6 from the floor and could not get comfortable as he was also tasked with slowing down the Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol.

 

Jeremy Lin has seemed to found his rhythm; he had a solid veteran performance last night. The Nets have been looking for exactly this type of play from their starting point guard however injuries have dampened those dreams during the season. He looked poised offensively last night especially in the closing moments of the game where he hit a big 3-point shot to keep the Grizzlies at bay and gave the Nets a 116-106 lead with 1:43 left in the game.

 

We saw the joy on the bench as the team celebrated after Lin’s big shot. There hasn’t been much to cheer about this season but with the jubilance on the bench you can see that this team is still together and playing for one another. That’s the Brooklyn Grit.

 

Caris LeVert, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Randy Foye all scored in double figures for the Nets, as this was a total team effort to complete this win. The rookie LeVert has been improving daily and it is showing. He has been playing with a lot more confidence as the season has progressed.

 

For Memphis their lack of perimeter shooting and defensive lapses at the end of the game ended their bid for a comeback. They just could not make shots at the end of the game. The Grizzlies are 27th in points per game in the league so this is nothing new, they struggle offensively and have to rely heavily on the production of Mike Conley and Gasol. More surprising was their lack of defensive execution down the stretch. They 4th in the league in opponents points per game.

 

They also have a “grind it out” attitude and style of play however in the competitive western conference their shortcomings from the perimeter will put them at a disadvantage come playoff time. They are now on a 3 game losing streak and sit in 6th place in the western conference playoff seeding.

 

Mike Conley had a big night with 32-points and Gasol added 18-points and 8 rebounds. Zach Randolph coming off the bench had 10-points but most of his damage came toward the end of the 3rd and into the 4th when he started to heat up.

 

For the Nets this win gives them 11 for the season. A season seemingly over mathematically the Nets still have a lot to play for as they just look to improve for next season. Their next game is Wednesday March 8th against the Atlanta Hawks.

Thank You for reading

Sherman Gomez is a Staff Writer fro PureSportsNY

Follow him on Twitter: sherman@shermangmz1

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Email: sherman@puresportsny

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Photo Credit: Joe Murphy NBAE/ Getty Images 

By Sherman Gomez

"Basketball is my favorite sport, I like the way they dribble up and down the court." "I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller." "Last week messed around and got a triple double." I write about basketball sometimes and then I try to go play....

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