The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday with 130-123 being the final score. It was a needed bounce-back victory from their 119-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets as they continue to compete for play-in positioning.
It was a slow start for the Nets in this game. They were outscored in each of the initial two quarters and trailed 64-58 at halftime against one of the NBA’s worst teams. Detroit even trailed by as many as 12 points at one point.
“Yeah, that’s something that we have to work on. We can’t hang our hat on a second half. We have to play a complete game, because it’s not always going to be that easy to make that turnaround against great teams,” Nets center Andre Drummond said. “Not that the Pistons aren’t a great team, they played a hell of a game. We just turned it up in that second half and we can’t play like that. We have to do that the whole game.”
Cade Cunningham did his best to carry the Pistons to a win scoring 29 of his 34 points in the second half. However, Detroit did not have enough left in the tank to take down one of the NBA’s more potent threats.
Kevin Durant led the way with 22 second-half points while the Nets as a team scored 72 points with staggering efficiency. Brooklyn went 21-34 (61.8 percent) from the floor, 9-14 (64.3 percent) on 3s, and 21-23 (91.3 percent) on free throws during this 24-minute stretch.
Here are the player grades following the win:
Kevin Durant: A
Kevin Durant, one of the NBA’s best players, showcased why he has such a reputation with his performance in this game. He finished with 41 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks with a highly efficient output of 1.41 points per possession. It was encouraging to see Durant shoot 4-6 on 3s after struggling to convert in his three previous outings. It was just another day at the office for Durant with a masterful performance against one of the NBA’s worst teams. After the Nets’ slow start, he scored 22 points in the second half to lead the team to a win.
Kyrie Irving: B-
The expectations are high for Kyrie Irving, given his superstar status. With James Harden no longer around and Ben Simmons sidelined, the Nets need Irving to be incredible alongside Kevin Durant. Finishing with 24 points while shooting 7-18 from the floor with six turnovers is not quite going to be enough to get it done against better teams. For someone who is a savant with the basketball, an output of 0.89 points per possession is not where Irving’s efficiency is expected to be.
Seth Curry: C
The expectation for Seth Curry is for him to bring a sharpshooting impact. If he’s not hitting at a high clip on 3s, it will be challenging for him to affect the game too much. He finished with 11 points while going 2-6 from deep, but he did still chip in three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The shooting gravity Curry brings to a half-court offense will also need to be considered when evaluating his performance, but again, making shots is an important part of what he brings.
Andre Drummond: B+
The box score is usually attractive for Andre Drummond since he’s on the receiving end of talented playmakers dishing him easy looks around the rim. He’s always been a high-volume rebounder, too. Finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds against his first NBA team, the Detroit Pistons, while being a positive contributor on the floor. Drummond set himself apart by making all four of his free throws when the Pistons were looking to deploy a “hack-a-Drummond” strategy in the clutch.
Goran Dragic: C-
It wasn’t that impactful of a performance from Goran Dragic, especially when considering the Nets were playing a bad team. He finished with nine points, six rebounds, and three assists. While he shot 5-7 from the floor, he turned it over four times and had an overall output of just 0.90 points per possession on the night. Dragic has never been much of an impact defender, and at this stage of his career, that’s more true than before. If he’s not producing high-efficiency offense, it holds greater weight on how his performance needs to be judged.
Bruce Brown: A
There have been many recent games where Bruce Brown has thrived doing the dirty work while still managing to stuff the stat sheet. He totaled 15 points, two rebounds, and four assists while going a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. If Brown is doing what he regularly does while hitting 3s, that will be a highly valuable night from a role player. Brown has recorded just six games in his NBA career with at least made 3s. Two of those six games occurred in March, and three have taken place since the All-Star break.
Nic Claxton: B
It was another solid performance from Nic Claxton in this one. He totaled 11 points and four rebounds with one steal. However, while he went 4-5 from the floor, he did finish with two turnovers, but regardless, he still produced 1.22 points per possession on the night. The Nets could use a more assertive presence on the defense interior from Claxton, and he will need to continue to show growth in that area as he develops. His mobility on defense brings value, though.
Patty Mills: D+
It was yet another hollow performance from Patty Mills, who finished with three points, one rebound, and one assist in just under 17 minutes. He didn’t necessarily play poorly, but it’s clear he’s falling out of favor in the guard hierarchy at this point. Mills has played poorly since the All-Star break with averages of 6.4 points while shooting just 32.5 percent from the floor, 31.5 percent on 3s, and 62.5 percent on free throws. The Nets have been outscored by -6.4 points per 100 possessions with Mills on the floor within this period.
James Johnson: D+
Similar to Patty Mills, there’s been a decreasing need for James Johnson’s skill-set in his role. He finished with two points, one assist, and two blocks in over 14 minutes against the Pistons. His impact outside of the box score is supposed to be significant with defensive versatility. However, he’s been a negative on the court since the All-Star break for the Nets. It’s appearing as though he’s not a fit for what Brooklyn needs, given his shooting limitations and general lack of vessels to contribute on offense.
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