The Nets‘ 106-104 defeat of the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday was just the latest example of the resiliency they continue to showcase under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez.
Nic Claxton returned to the starting lineup but was still restricted because of a hamstring injury he suffered in training camp, so his availability was limited. Ben Simmons did not suit up since it was the second game of a back-to-back set and the team was being cautious with his usage, too.
Forward Noah Clowney and reserve center Day’Ron Sharpe were sidelined as well, so the Nets entered Monday’s matchup severely undersized against the NBA’s top paint scoring team. And it went exactly how you would expect early.
Memphis’ Zach Edey was eating around the rim in the game’s opening minutes. The monstrous 7-4 rookie center had six points in his first seven minutes on the court. Because of the Nets’ lack of frontcourt depth, Fernandez was forced to deploy unconventional small-ball lineups. One group featured Dennis Schröder, Keon Johnson, Shake Milton, Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson — two small forwards and three smaller guards.
Twenty of the Grizzlies’ first 30 points came in the paint, and they were shooting 68.4% from the field through one quarter of action. Meanwhile, the Nets were shooting just 36.4% and struggling to get quality looks close to the rim. Their lack of size was evident, and Memphis took advantage of them whenever it could.
Guys like Schröder and Johnson did not miraculously grow five inches during the break between the first and second quarters, but the Nets certainly turned up the pressure on defense — and finally caught fire on offense thanks to a balanced attack led by Cam Johnson and Wilson.
After giving up 20 points in the paint in the first quarter, the Nets matched Memphis’ 14 paint points in the second quarter. They shot 52.6% in the period and outscored the visitors 27-19 to take a 50-49 advantage. Suddenly size was no longer a factor. Suddenly we had a ball game.
360 FAKE DUNK & HAND SWITCH.
THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT.
JA MORANT IS PURE THEATER. https://t.co/o156iosFGk pic.twitter.com/77cMPM7NEp
— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2024
Both teams shot better than 55% from the field in the third quarter and scored at least 30 points. Although Edey went off for 13 of his 25 points in the period, and Ja Morant was doing wildly athletic Ja Morant things, the Nets escaped into the fourth quarter with a four-point edge. Dorian Finney-Smith, who was shooting just 28.9% from deep entering the night, went 3-for-3 from distance in the third quarter to help Brooklyn create some separation.
The outcome of Monday’s game came down to the final seconds of regulation, as it has so often at Barclays Center this season. Finney-Smith’s fifth 3-pointer of the night gave the Nets a 104-101 advantage with 1:13 left. Brooklyn forced a Morant miss at the other end, then Schröder drove straight into Edey’s chest to push the lead to five with 32.1 seconds left.
Things got unnecessarily dicey for the Nets toward the end, but Santi Aldama’s trey at the buzzer came up short, which secured their fourth win of the season, and a season sweep of Memphis.
Schröder and Cam Johnson led Brooklyn with 20 points each and Finney-Smith finished with five 3-pointers, setting a new season high. Wilson contributed 13 points, six rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes off the bench. Morant matched Edey’s 25 points in the loss. The Grizzlies outrebounded Brooklyn 44-37 and outscored them 66-48 in the paint.
The Nets bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday and got back to .500 this season with a 4-4 record. After a three-day break, they will return to action on Friday against the Boston Celtics, which will be the first matchup of a three-game road trip.
