The Brooklyn Nets have defeated the Atlanta Hawks 132-128 in OT.
First Half
The first quarter was back and forth, with the Nets and Hawks exchanging baskets and the lead. Kyrie Irving came out hot in the first, playing the whole quarter and scoring 11 points.
The second quarter was also a back and forth affair, with the game being tied 9 times and the lead changing 10 times. James Harden took over in the second quarter, where he scored 16 points. He was looking more like himself, being more aggressive and less passive. The Hawks went on a 10-0 midway through the second quarter. Cam Reddish hurt the Nets early, this being his first game back after missing Atlanta’s last game with an Achilles injury. Also in the second quarter, Kevin Durant dropped John Collins.
Durant had a bad first half, shooting 4 for 13. He picked it up in the remainder of the game, shooting 9 for 12 in the second half and OT. The Nets held Trae Young in check from the field in the first half, holding Young to 2 of 12 shooting. Young had 9 first half points. It was his supporting cast, especially Collins, Reddish, and DeAndre Hunter that did the bulk of the scoring, combining for 41 first half points. At the half, the game was tied at 55.
This season, 19% of Hawks points come from free throws. Young made getting to the line look very easy. The Hawks shot 15 free throws in the first half, where the Nets shot only 6. The Nets outrebounded the Hawks, the second best rebounding team in the NBA, 52-48.
Second Half
The Nets took over early in the 4th quarter with Durant and Irving on the bench, taking a 99-94 lead with 7:55 remaining. A clutch score by Jeff Green gave the Nets a 116-114 lead with 56.3 seconds remaining. Reddish then scored, tying the game. Next, the Nets had a chance to win the game with the final possession of regulation, but Harden missed a last-second shot to win the game.
Joe Harris was face guarding Trae Young for the final 4 minutes of the game and Young did not score. The Nets stops on defense won them the game in OT. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot got a big rebound with 5.2 seconds remaining in OT. Harden had 2 clutch free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining to ice the game.
The Nets defense tonight was not bad. The Hawks are just that good offensively that they were able to score 128 points in an overtime game.
Joe Harris unfortunately lost his streak tonight of a three pointer made in 79 consecutive games.
The Hawks were on the second night of a back to back, after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 108-99 last night.
Upcoming Game for the Nets
Brooklyn will be off tomorrow as they prepare for their second game on the three-game road trip. On Friday, they’ll head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder. The game will start at 8:00 PM EST and of course, will be broadcasted on the YES Network.
Performances of Note
Brooklyn Nets:
Kevin Durant – 32 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 13-26 FG, 3-7 3PT, 3-4 FT, 42 minutes
James Harden – 31 points, 8 rebounds, 15 assists, 2 steals, 9-20 FG, 5-9 3PT, 8-8 FT, 46 minutes
Kyrie Irving – 26 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 11-17 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-4 FT, 42 minutes
DeAndre Jordan – 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 5-5 FG, 22 minutes
Bruce Brown – 12 points, 5-7 FG, 19 minutes
Jeff Green – 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-9 FG, 31 minutes
Atlanta Hawks:
Trae Young – 28 points, 3 rebounds, 14 assists, 7-22 FG, 3-8 3PT, 11-12 FT, 43 minutes
Cam Reddish – 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 9-17 FG, 2-7 3PT, 4-4 FT, 35 minutes
John Collins – 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 9-14 FG, 2-3 3PT, 39 minutes
DeAndre Hunter – 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 7-12 FG, 1-4 3PT, 6-7 FT, 45 minutes
