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Darius Acuff Jr. eventually broke through, and once he did, the Brooklyn Nets could not slow him down when it mattered most.
Brooklyn spent much of Saturday’s California Classic opener frustrating Sacramento’s top draft pick before Acuff caught fire late and helped the Kings escape with a 79-76 victory at Golden 1 Center.
Even Nets Summer League head coach Dutch Gaitley admitted afterward that Acuff’s late surge changed the game.
“I wish we would have done a better job on Acuff, 25 points,” Gaitley said. “I think we made them inefficient with 9-for-29, but you know he really got going there at the end, but I think defensively, we did a decent job.”
For most of the afternoon, Brooklyn’s defense actually looked impressive against the No. 7 overall pick.
The Nets opened the game with strong defensive intensity, holding Sacramento to just 3-of-16 shooting in the first quarter while forcing Acuff into difficult looks. Brooklyn repeatedly crowded driving lanes, contested jumpers, and used its size effectively around the rim.
Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, and Chaney Johnson all had stretches defending Acuff physically, and the rookie guard began the game just 1-for-9 from the floor.
Brooklyn looked fully in control early.
Egor Dëmin led the offense during a dominant opening stretch, helping the Nets build an 18-point lead before Sacramento completely flipped the momentum in the second quarter with an 18-0 run.
That was when Acuff started settling in.
Instead of forcing contested jumpers, the former Arkansas star became more aggressive attacking downhill and drawing contact. Although Brooklyn still held him to just 1-of-9 shooting from three-point range overall, Acuff consistently found ways to pressure the defense late in the game.
His biggest play came in the closing seconds when he created the final possession that led to Nique Clifford drilling the game-winning three-pointer.
Even in defeat, Brooklyn had several encouraging performances.
Demin looked like the best player on the floor for long stretches, finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds while embracing more responsibility offensively. Tyler Bilodeau also flashed intriguing offensive versatility during his professional debut, while Chaney Johnson provided energy defensively and on the glass.
Saraf added 10 points and six rebounds, though Powell struggled offensively, missing all nine of his shot attempts.
The Nets were also without two important pieces. Mikel Brown Jr. sat out the opener, postponing the anticipated matchup against Acuff, while Danny Wolf missed the game with back soreness.
Turnovers ultimately became Brooklyn’s biggest issue. The Nets committed 20 giveaways compared to Sacramento’s nine, repeatedly allowing the Kings to erase deficits despite strong stretches defensively.
Still, Gaitley’s group showed enough flashes to make the opener feel more encouraging than the final score suggested.
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Brooklyn spent much of Saturday’s California Classic opener frustrating Sacramento’s top draft pick before Acuff caught fire late and helped the Kings escape with a 79-76 victory at Golden 1 Center.
Even Nets Summer League head coach Dutch Gaitley admitted afterward that Acuff’s late surge changed the game.
“I wish we would have done a better job on Acuff, 25 points,” Gaitley said. “I think we made them inefficient with 9-for-29, but you know he really got going there at the end, but I think defensively, we did a decent job.”
For most of the afternoon, Brooklyn’s defense actually looked impressive against the No. 7 overall pick.
The Nets opened the game with strong defensive intensity, holding Sacramento to just 3-of-16 shooting in the first quarter while forcing Acuff into difficult looks. Brooklyn repeatedly crowded driving lanes, contested jumpers, and used its size effectively around the rim.
Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, and Chaney Johnson all had stretches defending Acuff physically, and the rookie guard began the game just 1-for-9 from the floor.
Brooklyn looked fully in control early.
Egor Dëmin led the offense during a dominant opening stretch, helping the Nets build an 18-point lead before Sacramento completely flipped the momentum in the second quarter with an 18-0 run.
That was when Acuff started settling in.
Instead of forcing contested jumpers, the former Arkansas star became more aggressive attacking downhill and drawing contact. Although Brooklyn still held him to just 1-of-9 shooting from three-point range overall, Acuff consistently found ways to pressure the defense late in the game.
His biggest play came in the closing seconds when he created the final possession that led to Nique Clifford drilling the game-winning three-pointer.
Nets Put In Impressive Overall Performance Despite Loss To Kings
Even in defeat, Brooklyn had several encouraging performances.
Demin looked like the best player on the floor for long stretches, finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds while embracing more responsibility offensively. Tyler Bilodeau also flashed intriguing offensive versatility during his professional debut, while Chaney Johnson provided energy defensively and on the glass.
Saraf added 10 points and six rebounds, though Powell struggled offensively, missing all nine of his shot attempts.
The Nets were also without two important pieces. Mikel Brown Jr. sat out the opener, postponing the anticipated matchup against Acuff, while Danny Wolf missed the game with back soreness.
Turnovers ultimately became Brooklyn’s biggest issue. The Nets committed 20 giveaways compared to Sacramento’s nine, repeatedly allowing the Kings to erase deficits despite strong stretches defensively.
Still, Gaitley’s group showed enough flashes to make the opener feel more encouraging than the final score suggested.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/roundtable-rtb/id6450423049) and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
