TJ Warren scores 19 when the Nets are defeated by Spurs 106-98
The Brooklyn Nets visited AT&T Center on Tuesday to take on the San Antonio Spurs and lost 106-98. The series was split 1-1 by the teams after this game.
TJ Warren scored 19 points for the Nets and grabbed five rebounds off of the bench, while Seth Curry scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton each had 15 points.
Keldon Johnson, a Spurs player, had 36 points and 11 rebounds. Jeremy Sochan scored 16 points and had four rebounds. Tre Jones scored 13 points, while Jakob Poeltl scored 12.
The Nets were unable to generate much offense in a game where Kyrie was out late due to right calf soreness. Brooklyn failed to score consistently despite the Spurs’ worst defensive rating.
Brooklyn was able to score from unanticipated sources such as Thomas, but Johnson did not get a scoring opportunity. Turnovers (21) were an issue as well as it looks like the team doesn’t have much to fall back on without Durant and Irving.
Here are the Nets player grades
Ben Simmons: B
Simmons was aggressive in the first half of this game. However, his tenacity to score dropped off in the second half. Although he was more aggressive than usual for a while, he was still struggling to score and looked demoralized by each missed shot. He was excellent at rebounding the ball, and he made some good passes. Simmons was also an excellent defender. Unfortunately, his scoring was not up to par.
Seth Curry:
Curry had a tough time shooting the ball. Curry tried his best to get moving, but his three-point shot did not fall, and he struggled to generate offense. He was able to do a decent job on defense, but he turned over the ball too often for the amount of time it was in the his hands. Curry was being beat on defense all night, leading to several breakdowns in Brooklyn’s defense that allowed the Spurs to score easily.
Joe Harris: D
Harris was a poor player all round. Surprisingly, he did not shoot much at all despite being on the floor for a good amount of time and getting some good looks along with some opportunities where he could’ve shot the ball. Harris was able to play decent defense, but he had trouble keeping his man in front. Harris’s instincts and active hands helped him to grab a few steals.
Royce O’Neale, D+
O’Neale had a game to forget about against the Spurs. As virtually all of his shots missed, O’Neale couldn’t get anything going offensively. Although he did a great job on the boards and defense, he was constantly beaten off the dribble.
Nic Claxton:
After a bad first half in which Claxton was in foul trouble almost the whole time, Claxton started the second half with a blaze. Claxton did an excellent job finishing at the line and was all over this one. Claxton also made some excellent passes, which resulted in some easy points for his teammates. Claxton was an excellent defender of the rim on another night, even though it may sound a bit repetitive.
Markieff Morris B+
Morris’ value in this game did not come from his scoring as he struggled in that department. His contribution to the Nets’ game was appreciated on the boards. Morris provided some extra value passing the ball and even though his defense wasn’t particularly good, his veteran presence and toughness (see scuffle with Jeremy Sochan) helped turn the game around in the second quarter.
TJ Warren:
Warren was great scoring the ball off the bench. In a contest where every bucket felt more important than your average NBA game, Warren’s hot hand was more than welcome. Warren did a great job on the boards, and he was also able to play defense. Warren was able to control the pick-and roll and the offense looked its best.
Yuta Watanabe: C-
Watanabe wasn’t able to get much going in this game as he wasn’t able to find his sweet spot on the floor with the offense having to operate differently than normal. For him to get his shots when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving aren’t playing, Watanabe has to make something happen off the dribble and he’s not ready to do that at this point in his career. He did get hit in his leg and had a noticeable limp at first so that could’ve played a part.
Edmond Sumner, B
Sumner was great from the bench. Sumner was an excellent scorer, as he was able make an impact at the end of the floor from every corner. He did a decent job rebounding and he was okay on defense as he played a big part in the Nets’ comeback in the second quarter.
Cam Thomas: B+
In this game, Thomas was a spark off the bench. Thomas has been very ineffective every time Jacque Vincent has chosen to play him. This is one of many strange developments that have happened throughout the year. But, there are games like tonight where Thomas’ confidence was high and it led to him fulfilling his scoring role.