The Brooklyn Nets managed to win their second consecutive game by defeating the Utah Jazz with 114-106 being the final score.
Kevin Durant took care of business with a game-high 37 points while also recording nine rebounds and eight assists. He’s now up to averages of 30.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.3 assists on shooting splits that well exceed the illustrious 50-40-90 mark in the month of March.
“I just think we’re rallying around each other,” Durant said. “We’re making big plays, we’re just doing it together more than anything. It’s just a collective effort.”
The Nets held a 108-87 lead in the fourth quarter at one point, but the Jazz managed to rally back using a 19-4 lead to make it a competitive game with 57 seconds remaining in the game. Brooklyn held on to win the game in the end, however.
Brooklyn remained without Kyrie Irving (ineligible) and Ben Simmons (herniated disc) for this game, but still managed to get the job done against one of the better teams in the Western Conference despite that fact.
Here are the player grades after a win over the Jazz:
Kevin Durant: A+
Having finished with 37 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, Kevin Durant continued what has been a spectacular month of March for him. The Jazz had no answers to slow him down and that proved to be a key difference in the end. His 15 points in the third quarter went a long way in Brooklyn’s 38-points third quarter. Durant scored with staggering efficiency overall in the game as he produced 1.32 points per possession.
Bruce Brown: B+
It was a strong outing from Bruce Brown in this game as he finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in 37 minutes. He continued to do the dirty work that was needed throughout the course of the game. It’s been a truly impressive recent stretch of games for Brown as he’s often stepped up alongside Kevin Durant in the starting lineup.
Goran Dragic: C+
It was a rough shooting night from Goran Dragic in this one as he finished 3-11 from the floor and 1-5 from beyond the arc. With Kyrie Irving sidelined and Seth Curry going down after 12 minutes, his playmaking proved to be helpful. He totaled seven assists on the night and trailed only Kevin Durant when compared to the rest of the team.
Patty Mills: B
It has been a rough recent stretch of games for Patty Mills, but he made strides in getting back on track. He finished with 13 points and led the bench unit in scoring. He still ended up shooting just 3-9 from beyond the arc, but regardless, he was the only player aside from Kevin Durant to convert on at least multiple 3s for the Nets.
Nicolas Claxton: A-
With Andre Drummond sidelined, the Nets needed a strong outing from Nicolas Claxton as a member of the starting lineup. He finished with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 28 minutes. He managed to outperform Rudy Gobert in this game and given the Jazz were short-handed, that went a long way in getting a win.
Blake Griffin: B+
In 20 minutes off the bench, Blake Griffin stepped up and did a little bit of everything for the Nets. He racked up nine rebounds, four rebounds, and three assists while filling a key complementary role. It was a strong outing from Griffin in what was a strong showcase for him to make a case for more playing time going forward.
James Johnson: C+
It wasn’t that it was necessarily a negative performance from Johnson, it’s just that he didn’t make much of a meaningful impact on the outcome of the game. He finished with two points, five rebounds, and two assists in 18 minutes of action. He does some things that do not show up in the box score, but also, so does his lack of floor spacing impact.
Cam Thomas: C+
There wasn’t much opportunity for Cam Thomas to make a substantial impact on this game, but he did chip in a few made buckets when the opportunities came his way. He totaled four points, two rebounds, and one assist in 13 minutes of action. With Seth Curry’s night ending early, the Nets leaned on the veteran Patty Mills over going with the rookie for extended playing time.
Kessler Edwards: B
In 11 minutes of action, Kessler Edwards finished with five points and two rebounds, but the little things that do not show up in the box score were important from him at times. His defensive impact was substantial and he has essentially done what the team expects from James Johnson but at a higher level. There’s a real case growing for him to earn more minutes going forward.
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