Brooklyn’s penultimate game before the All-Star break sure felt like the kind of thing you’d sneak in at work before going on vacation. With the Chicago Bulls in town, a group that’s been mediocre so long it might as well be a sponsor for the Play-In tournament, and the lottery-bound Nets playing host, the contest carried little intrigue on the surface, aside from a dynamite jersey matchup.
However, those who cared to look inward were well rewarded for their vigilance. A handful of players reached career-high marks. Jordi Fernández, still hungry for ‘em, got another win as well…
Chicago had every excuse to look incohesive out there to start tonight, featuring six new players who weren’t there this time a week ago. Three of them even started. However, the Bulls came out of the pen in rhythm, putting up a quick five points before the Nets mustered any for themselves.
That was as much control as they’d have all game.
The Nets didn’t take long to catch up. Indeed, speed was a priority for them in the opening frame, as the Nets compiled 10 transition points in the first. They also managed to post .455/.429 splits — which is more impressive than it sounds when you remember that Michael Porter Jr. (knee tendonitis) and Egor Dëmin (rest) both sat this one out.
Noah Clowney led the way with 12 first quarter points, hitting the open shots Brooklyn’s aggressiveness on the break yielded. After starting 0-8 from deep in his first two games back since returning from injury, he’s shot 7-12 from three in the subsequent six periods.
However, Drake Powell, who’s had an even quieter past few weeks, had the loudest points of the period…
It ended up being quite the first half for Powell, who then scored seven of Brooklyn’s first 12 points in the second period. The Bulls took a lot of heat online for their lack of center depth after the trade deadline. Powell seemed to be well aware, putting pressure on the rim time after time down the floor.
Nic Claxton followed suit, doing what big guys have been doing to small guys on basketball courts since game’s earliest days. He added 12 points in the period while shooting a near perfect 7-8 from the field, as the Nets outscored Chicago inside 20-10 in the frame.
Getting help from Clax there as well, the Net defense also upped its defensive pressure in period two both around the perimeter and rim. Chicago shot just 3-8 at the rim in the frame in the second and went 2-12 from deep in the first half after starting 3-4. Consequently, Brooklyn went into the break with a lead for the second game in a row, sitting in front by a 60-54 tally.
Less than two minutes into the next half, that ballooned to 71-59. The Nets made their first five shots to open the third. Claxton gave their magnet ball the toughest of tests when he hoisted up a triple at the top of the key, but it passed nonetheless…
Demoralizing as it is to see a guy shooting a career 15.3% from three drain one over your head, the Bulls managed to stay in striking distance, never trailing in the third by more than 15.
Chicago slammed the breaks on Brooklyn’s fast break, surrendering only two points in transition during the third after giving up 16 in the first half. The Bulls also outscored the Nets 11-0 in second chance points during the period. After a 16-2 Chicago run, we were tied 89-89 entering the fourth.
There, both teams went tick for tack during the first five minutes. Ziaire Williams began putting his imprint on the game with a handful of crafty cuts and finishes. Nolan Traoré expanded his, notching his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 assists roughly four minutes into the fourth.
Brooklyn clawed their way to a five point lead with roughly seven minutes to go and kept it there until a timeout with around three minutes remaining. After experimenting for a few sequences with an ultra big lineup where the offense ran through Danny Wolf and also featured Day’Ron Sharpe, Terance Mann, Noah Clowney, and Ziaire Williams, Fernández then went back to his starting five to try and close the game out.
With that opportunity, Claxton and Traoré put a bow on the game and arguably each of their best performances of the year. As Brooklyn’s offense started to stall, the big man quickly added four points as the clock trickled down to sustain the lead. Traoré then put Anfernee Simons, and the game, on ice…
Traoré finished with a career-high 13 assists along with 13 points. Claxton put up 28 points, a career-high as well, along with 10 boards and six assists. The Nets put win number 15 on the board.
Final: Brooklyn Nets 123, Chicago Bulls 115
Injury Update
Fernández wouldn’t confirm pregame whether Michael Porter Jr. would play on Wednesday or not. He did note that while MPJ’s knee tendonitis does involve the same knee he sprained his MCL in earlier this year, he said the two injuries are unrelated.
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Brooklyn’s next “game” comes against the Indiana Pacers, back at the Barclays Center on Wednesday night. If you’re wondering why “game” is in quotes, take a look at Indiana’s record right now. While the Pacers haven’t been as shameless with their tank as Washington was over the weekend, they’re another opponent with an incentive to lose, and they likely recognized that.
Each pregame team’s injury report — one day away from the All-Star break — should be interesting to say the least. This one tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST.