Nets crush Trail Blazers after Cam Johnson’s big…
PORTLAND — If the NBA ever begins tanking investigations, a night time like Tuesday ought to give Brooklyn blanket immunity.
In a recreation in opposition to their closest lottery rival, the Nets not solely received back injured regulars Cam Johnson and D’Angelo Russell however led wire-to-wire in a complete 132-114 rout of the Trail Blazers.
Their tank-happy followers will virtually definitely deride the victory as Pyrrhic. But for the Nets themselves, they’ll call it a candy one.
Cameron Johnson drives to the basket during the Nets’ 132-114
street win over the Trail Blazers on Jan. 14, 2025. NBAE by way of Getty Images
Brooklyn (14-26) snapped a five-game shedding skid, and did it behind a pretty full staff effort.
Their passing carved up the Portland protection for 36 assists (a season-high) — practically double the Blazers’ 20 — and simply 13 turnovers.
The 132 factors and 54.4 % taking pictures had been additionally season highs for regulation, as had been their 29 fast break factors.
Johnson poured in 24 factors in his first recreation since Jan. 2 in Milwaukee — coincidentally their final victory earlier than Tuesday.
Ben Simmons flirted with a double-double (game-high 11 assists and 9 rebounds).
And ultimately, they by no means trailed, led by as a lot as 16 and cruised to victory.
Keon Johnson appears to make a transfer during the Nets’ win over the
Trail Blazers. NBAE by way of Getty Images
It needs to be famous the win moved the Nets a half-game forward of Portland within the standings — or more precisely, dropped them from sixth to seven within the lottery standings.
But the lottery is capricious.
It’s half of the rationale Brooklyn GM Sean Marks has collected not simply the NBA’s greatest horde of draft picks (31) but additionally the league’s largest cache of cap space ($65 million).
The more avenues to construct — the more bites on the proverbial apple — the higher.
Ziaire Williams dribbles the ball on a fast break during the primary half of the Nets’ win over the Trail Blazers. Soobum Im-Imagn Images
But a staff has to weigh the potential of a choose, the value of each prospect.
And it should measure the benefit of the expertise its younger gamers get in a tank in opposition to the harm that every one these inevitable losses can inflict.
Draft picks are no guarantee.
Brooklyn’s Ziaire Williams — who had 13 factors on 3-for-4 taking pictures from deep — had been a former lottery choose given up on by Memphis as a wage dump.
The Nets picked up one other ex-lottery choose, Killian Hayes, this summer season who’s laboring within the G-League.
That’s why the more bites on the apple, the higher.
The Nets have an NBA-high whole of 15 future first-round picks, 4 this June.
The odds are tilted of their favor.
Cam Johnson, who scored a team-high 24 factors, shoots the ball over Anfernee Simons durng the primary half of the Nets’ win over the Trail Blazers. Soobum Im-Imagn Images
But they’re nonetheless simply that — odds.
NBA followers have seen higher odds come up craps.
Remember the 2009 Timberwolves and their Portland-bred GM David Khan?
Minnesota had 4 first-rounders, together with picks No. 5 and 6, and handed on Steph Curry not as soon as however twice.
They picked Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, Kahn reportedly telling workers they had been just like Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe. Curry went seventh, DeMar DeRozan ninth and Jrue Holiday seventeenth.
It’s Marks’ activity to keep away from turning into Khan.
Scoot Henderson, who scored 39 factors, shoots the ball over Noah Clowney during the Nets’ win over the Trail Blazers. Soobum Im-Imagn Images
The future picks will help, as will the cap space.
But with the Nets tanking as they enter a youth motion, it’s important to keep building a optimistic tradition, one which retains all of the inevitable defeats from hurting the younger gamers’ development.
It’s important to have nights like Tuesday.
“You’ve got to control what you can control and just continue to push, continue to get better,” Johnson stated. “Everybody wants to win and everybody wants to compete. That’s what we’re going to keep doing. Just striving for that next one, trying to get that next one and growing in the process.”
The Nets used a 19-3 run that spanned the primary and second quarters to blow it open.
Brooklyn opened the second quarter with six unanswered factors to take a 46-30 lead, and by no means received challenged from there.
The Nets offense was white-hot behind Simmons and Russell, who got here off the bench with 13 factors and 9 assists.
And when Scoot Henderson (game-high 39 factors) and Shaedon Sharpe helped the Blazers pull within 66-63 on the latter’s layup early within the third, Brooklyn padded it back to a dozen.
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