G79 Nets Tries for Magic Number of 20 Wins
The Nets is scorching hot. Brooklyn has won six of its past 10 games and three straight. In their latest game, the Nets poured on 141 points to beat the 76ers at their home court 141-118. Jeremy Lin had another strong game finishing with 16 points, 7assists, 5rebounds, 2 steals. He had excellent 6-10 shooting, with perfect 2-2 on 3 point shooting.
In the last 2 games, Lin has shot exceptionally well with 55% FG and 67% 3FG after overcoming his recent shooting slump. He averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds.
Nets vs Magic Matchup
The Magic has played better lately (3-7 in last 10 games) although not as well as the Nets winning 6 out of last 10 games with current 3-game winning streak. They lost 111-121 last week against the Nets so they would be eager to redeem themselves with a home-court win.
The Nets cannot afford to relax enjoying their recent 141 point win and need to display the same defensive intensity if they expect to reach 20 wins on the road.
Brooklyn is indeed progressing. Being one of the worst teams with one of the worst offenses, the team is turning things around of late to build some momentum.
The Nets rank 27th in offensive rating for the season — scoring 102.3 points per 100 possessions — but are scoring 105.3 points per 100 possessions over the last 10 contests, good for 21st in the league in that span. That is a moderate improvement, but the team is playing much better overall. The results speak for themselves.
That reached its pinnacle in the last two efforts, the blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers and a 121-111 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday. The Nets and Magic are set for a rematch Thursday at the Amway Center in Orlando.
The Magic are not racking up the wins quite like the Nets are, but are experiencing some encouraging signs themselves, particularly on offense.
“We’re playing faster,” Magic point guard Elfrid Payton said. “We have wings that can run, looking to shoot and looking to run in transition. (Aaron Gordon) has moved to the 4. There is a lot more space on the court.”
Orlando is 29th in the league in offensive rating for the season, scoring 101.2 points per 100 possessions. Since the All-Star Break, the Magic are scoring 103.1 points per 100 possessions, good for 24th in the league. It is a small progress for a team that also seems angling for lottery position rather than the playoffs this late in the season.
Payton seems to be the biggest beneficiary of this change in offensive mentality. He recorded five triple-doubles since March 1, including a one in Saturday’s loss to the Nets in Brooklyn. He is averaging 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game since the All-Star break.
But while both the Magic and Nets’ offenses have improved, their overall fortunes have not. Both may be playing fine — Brooklyn better than Orlando right now — but the reality is the teams are both playing their final week of the season.
KEY OF THE GAME: Can the Nets maintain their defensive intensity to start the game and not give momentum to the home team? Lin and Brook should continue to provide leadership to their young teammates to continue their great ball movement and defensive effort that has given them many wins. Let’s hope they stay hungry to extend their winning streak to 4.
Let’s hope and pray JLin will stay healthy and continue to lead the Nets to win more games!
Let’s go, JLin and the Nets!
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