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NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (17-47) felt great about themselves coming off their huge comeback win at the Detroit Pistons on Saturday despite facing impossible odds on the road. Brooklyn still has the rest of the season to play out and with the Memphis Grizzlies (23-40) visiting while missing most of their rotation players, the Nets managed to bring the intensity that helps them win.
The Netsbeat the Grizzlies on Monday 126-115 in a game where they led by as many as 21 points thanks to the Grizzlies missing plenty of bodies along with Brooklyn shooting the ball well overall. Center Day'Ron Sharpe had one of his best games of the season as he dropped 19 points, five rebounds, and two steals while guard Ochai Agbaji had his best game as a Net with 18 points and three rebounds off the bench.
There was a point in the third quarter where Memphis was able to cut their deficit to 68-67 with 9:16 left to play in the third quarter as players like forward Rayan Rupert (20 points) and guard Javon Small (19) were doing their part to aid in the Grizzlies' comeback. With 10:33 left to play in the fourth quarter, Brooklyn was able to build up its lead to 98-88 and from that, Memphis was unable to make another sizable run.
The Grizzlies had 10 inactive players for Monday's matchup at the Nets, including players like Ja Morant that could've given the team a better chance of being competitive. Ultimately, Brooklyn relied on the contributions of Sharpe, Agbaji, and the entire bench as the Nets' reserve unit outscored Memphis' bench 67-40. The Grizzlies' matchup also presented a chance for rookie guard Nolan Traore to respond after a poor showing in Saturday's win at Detroit.
Against Memphis, Traore dropped 17 points and four assists in just 23 minutes as he showed his ability to bounce back from poor performances without needing much time to reset. The Nets have now amassed a two-game winning streak, but they will have a tough matchup on the second night of a back-to-back as they will be facing the visiting Pistons on Tuesday.
Here are the Nets player grades following Monday's win over the Grizzlies:
Traore came into this game following a disappointing outing on Saturday at the Detroit Pistons and he looked like a different player against a hobbled Grizzlies roster. Traore did a great job of shooting the basketball and when he didn't have a shot he liked, he found his teammates for open shots.
With rookie guard Egor Demin out for the rest of the season due to his left plantar fasciitis, fellow rookie forward Powell drew the start and looked like he learned something from his recent stint in the G League. Powell didn't do anything outside of hitting open shots and giving effort on the defensive end of the floor.
With Michael Porter Jr. being given the night off, something had to start at the small forward spot and head coach Jordi Fernandez chose Wolf to fill the role. Wolf has had more efficient days shooting the ball, but he did a good job of being aggressive with the ball in his hands along with being all over the glass.
Clowney has been one of the most consistent players in the rotation over the past few games, but he struggled against the Grizzlies despite getting some good looks over the course of the contest. Clowney was solid on the defensive end and he still gave his normal effort, but his shots just didn't fall.
Claxton had a good matchup going against the Grizzlies given that the starting big men were GG Jackson and Olivier-Maxence Prosper due to all of the injuries. Claxton did a good job of scoring in the paint and remaining composed amongst the smaller Grizzlies that were trying to make matters difficult for him.
Due to some of the injuries that the Nets were dealing with coming into this game, Wilson got a chance to see some playing time against a depleted Grizzlies roster. Wilson did a great job of shooting the basketball and he showed off some of his passing chops in what turned into an up-and-down kind of pace for both teams.
Williams has been playing some of his best basketball of the season over the past few games and he continued his solid play against his former team in the Grizzlies. Williams didn't exactly explode off the bench in terms of his scoring, but he was still efficient while contributing on both ends of the floor.
Similar to Claxton, Sharpe had a similar matchup against a Memphis team that was missing plenty of rotation players, including their big men. Sharpe did a great job of scoring all over the floor, including a huge dunk in transition, while maintaining his usual effort in the rebounding phase of the game and on the defensive end.
Agbaji had his best game since coming to the Nets in a trade from the Toronto Raptors prior to the trade deadline and it was because of how well he played on both ends of the floor. Agbaji did a good job of scoring at all three levels and he also used his length and athleticism to make plays on the defensive end.
Saraf is most likely set to be the backup point guard for the rest of the season due to Demin being ruled out for the rest of the season and he still has some learning on the job to do. Saraf had his fair share of struggles scoring the ball against Memphis' perimeter pressure, but he did a great job of passing the ball and limiting his turnovers at the same time.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades after 126-115 win over shorthanded Grizzlies
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The Netsbeat the Grizzlies on Monday 126-115 in a game where they led by as many as 21 points thanks to the Grizzlies missing plenty of bodies along with Brooklyn shooting the ball well overall. Center Day'Ron Sharpe had one of his best games of the season as he dropped 19 points, five rebounds, and two steals while guard Ochai Agbaji had his best game as a Net with 18 points and three rebounds off the bench.
There was a point in the third quarter where Memphis was able to cut their deficit to 68-67 with 9:16 left to play in the third quarter as players like forward Rayan Rupert (20 points) and guard Javon Small (19) were doing their part to aid in the Grizzlies' comeback. With 10:33 left to play in the fourth quarter, Brooklyn was able to build up its lead to 98-88 and from that, Memphis was unable to make another sizable run.
The Grizzlies had 10 inactive players for Monday's matchup at the Nets, including players like Ja Morant that could've given the team a better chance of being competitive. Ultimately, Brooklyn relied on the contributions of Sharpe, Agbaji, and the entire bench as the Nets' reserve unit outscored Memphis' bench 67-40. The Grizzlies' matchup also presented a chance for rookie guard Nolan Traore to respond after a poor showing in Saturday's win at Detroit.
Against Memphis, Traore dropped 17 points and four assists in just 23 minutes as he showed his ability to bounce back from poor performances without needing much time to reset. The Nets have now amassed a two-game winning streak, but they will have a tough matchup on the second night of a back-to-back as they will be facing the visiting Pistons on Tuesday.
Here are the Nets player grades following Monday's win over the Grizzlies:
Nolan Traore: A
Traore came into this game following a disappointing outing on Saturday at the Detroit Pistons and he looked like a different player against a hobbled Grizzlies roster. Traore did a great job of shooting the basketball and when he didn't have a shot he liked, he found his teammates for open shots.
Drake Powell: B
With rookie guard Egor Demin out for the rest of the season due to his left plantar fasciitis, fellow rookie forward Powell drew the start and looked like he learned something from his recent stint in the G League. Powell didn't do anything outside of hitting open shots and giving effort on the defensive end of the floor.
Danny Wolf: B+
With Michael Porter Jr. being given the night off, something had to start at the small forward spot and head coach Jordi Fernandez chose Wolf to fill the role. Wolf has had more efficient days shooting the ball, but he did a good job of being aggressive with the ball in his hands along with being all over the glass.
Noah Clowney: C
Clowney has been one of the most consistent players in the rotation over the past few games, but he struggled against the Grizzlies despite getting some good looks over the course of the contest. Clowney was solid on the defensive end and he still gave his normal effort, but his shots just didn't fall.
Nic Claxton: B
Claxton had a good matchup going against the Grizzlies given that the starting big men were GG Jackson and Olivier-Maxence Prosper due to all of the injuries. Claxton did a good job of scoring in the paint and remaining composed amongst the smaller Grizzlies that were trying to make matters difficult for him.
Jalen Wilson: B
Due to some of the injuries that the Nets were dealing with coming into this game, Wilson got a chance to see some playing time against a depleted Grizzlies roster. Wilson did a great job of shooting the basketball and he showed off some of his passing chops in what turned into an up-and-down kind of pace for both teams.
Ziaire Williams: B
Williams has been playing some of his best basketball of the season over the past few games and he continued his solid play against his former team in the Grizzlies. Williams didn't exactly explode off the bench in terms of his scoring, but he was still efficient while contributing on both ends of the floor.
Day'Ron Sharpe: B+
Similar to Claxton, Sharpe had a similar matchup against a Memphis team that was missing plenty of rotation players, including their big men. Sharpe did a great job of scoring all over the floor, including a huge dunk in transition, while maintaining his usual effort in the rebounding phase of the game and on the defensive end.
Ochai Agbaji: A
Agbaji had his best game since coming to the Nets in a trade from the Toronto Raptors prior to the trade deadline and it was because of how well he played on both ends of the floor. Agbaji did a good job of scoring at all three levels and he also used his length and athleticism to make plays on the defensive end.
Ben Saraf: B-
Saraf is most likely set to be the backup point guard for the rest of the season due to Demin being ruled out for the rest of the season and he still has some learning on the job to do. Saraf had his fair share of struggles scoring the ball against Memphis' perimeter pressure, but he did a great job of passing the ball and limiting his turnovers at the same time.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades after 126-115 win over shorthanded Grizzlies
Continue reading...
