The Brooklyn Nets took on the New York Knicks in a wild affair to kick off their Emirates NBA Cup journey, ultimately losing by a score of 124-122. Despite the loss, there were a lot of positives to take away as what looked to be a blow out turned into a thrilling game.
Brooklyn entered the fourth quarter down by 18 points, before undertaking an electrifying rally that saw them with the lead in the final seconds. Unfortunately, a last-second Jalen Brunson three tipped the scales in the Knicks’ favor for good. With that said, let’s dive into the good news and bad news from this rollercoaster matchup.
Cam Thomas puts together a dazzling performance
Thomas was coming off back-to-back efficient performances that saw him shoot high percentages while taking just 10 shots against New Orleans and 11 against Boston. In this game, however, he combined that level of efficient play with his explosive scoring ability for a 43-point performance.
Thomas was lethal from all three levels, going 7 of 10 from beyond the arc and 16 of 22 overall. He got to the rim when needed, hit tough mid-range shots, and was on fire from three. He showed off his incredible shot-making skills several times, perhaps most notably kick-starting the fourth-quarter rally by draining a step-back three with two defenders in his face.
Apart from just the efficient scoring output on high volume, Thomas did it within the flow of the offense. He moved without the ball with hard cuts, initiated passes when the defense dictated, and put together a night where he was able to take over while still keeping his teammates involved, which is a huge step for his long-term development.
The Knicks have a defensive lineup, headlined by lanky defensive-minded wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, who should be able to shut a player like Thomas down, however, Thomas proved again that he’s one of those special scorers who can overcome any defensive matchup. Doing it within the context of the offense is even more encouraging as he looks to prove to be the cornerstone piece for the Nets to build around.
Nic Claxton’s absence proved too much to overcome despite Knicks’ front-court injuries
The Nets were without center Nic Claxton last night and his absence showed, even with the Knicks missing star center Karl-Anthony Towns and his primary backup, Precious Achiuwa, instead relying on fourth-year big Jericho Sims and 2024 second-round pick Ariel Hukporti.
The Nets, also without backup center Day’Ron Sharpe who has yet to play this year with a hamstring injury played a small-ball lineup with the lack of true centers. That backfired, as Sims and Hukporti, 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-11 respectively, bullied them inside tallying a combined 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Hukporti also recorded 4 blocks on his own.
Perhaps most importantly, the Nets sorely missed Claxton’s rim protection as Jalen Brunson (37 points on the night) and crew regularly drove to the basket and converted. In total, the Knicks put up 46 points in the paint compared to just 28 for Brooklyn.
Ziaire Williams showed off his Swiss Army knife versatility
One player who really popped despite not generating a ton of points on his own was 23-year-old forward Ziaire Williams. Williams finished the night with 9 points on 4-10 shooting and going 1-4 from downtown. While the outside shooting was a bit cold, it was the little things beyond the boxscore that made Williams’ night pop.
Defensively, Williams was tenacious, often picking up Brunson or the Knicks’ other primary ball-handlers in the backcourt and pressuring them to disrupt the initiation of offensive sets. From there He was a willing switcher, showcasing his defensive versatility and the havoc his length can cause in the passing lanes.
Offensively, he moved well without the ball, making hard cuts to clear out defenders or set up an opportunity himself. He also did his part to set effective screens to facilitate the offensive sets head coach Jordi Fernandez wanted to run, and when he got the ball moving toward the basket, he converted at a decent rate.
Lastly, he showed prowess on the boards, grabbing 8 rebounds of his own while also setting up other teammates to clean up misses with his ferocious box-outs. Again, a lot of these things don’t show up in the box score, but they are crucial for winning basketball and a role someone needs to play. For his efforts, Williams generated a plus-minus rating of plus-4, the only positive plus-minus from Brooklyn’s bench unit.
Overall, while his scoring has been streaky, Williams has consistently filled this high-effort, high-activity role proving that he can be a valuable contributor to a winning basketball team.
Brooklyn’s veteran wings proved their worth
Brooklyn’s veteran forward duo of Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith have long been the subject of trade rumors, and on Friday night both showed off the value they could provide to a contending team.
Finney-Smith was a tone-setter. playing a lot of small-ball five in Nic Claxton’s absence, and setting tough screens while banging with bigger bodies down low. He was part of a double-technical situation with OG Anunoby that ignited a brief scuffle as Brooklyn was making their come-back push, sending a message that the Nets are not a team that will roll-over.
Moreover, he got hot from beyond the arc draining 4 of 6 three-point attempts, while also going 3 of 4 from the line to finish off his night with a 15-point, 4-rebound, and 3-assist line that also saw him chip in a blocked shot.
As for Cameron Johnson, the veteran wing has developed a reputation as a catch-and-shoot marksman from three-point range, however against the Knicks he was cold from downtown going just 1 for 5 from three. Instead, he showed the offensive growth the team wanted to see from him coming into the season.
Realizing his shot wasn’t falling, Johnson got aggressive attacking the basket with drives, something that was a rare sight in the past. He was rewarded for these efforts with 10 free throws connecting on all of them. While his 3-10 shooting performance was not efficient, it was that aggressiveness that led him to score 17 points on the night.
The versatility to score in other ways shows the potential that he can be a legitimate secondary scorer for a contender, and he finished his night contributing 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in a well-rounded performance. If he can put together these types of performances consistently, especially when his three-point shot is also falling, contending teams will take notice toward the trade deadline.
The Knicks won the point guard battle
New York’s duo of Jalen Brunson and Cameron Payne combined for 47 points while Brunson dropped 7 assists keeping New York’s offensive attack on schedule. Brunson in particular was able to get into the teeth of the defense often setting up teammates, looking for his own shot, and drawing fouls. The Knicks’ exceptional guard play also helped facilitate their movement-based offensive attack which which benefitted greatly from the Nets’ lack of rim protection in Claxton’s absence.
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Conversely, Dennis Schroder and Ben Simmons struggled despite a combined 13 assists. Schroder was ice-cold from the floor, going just 4 for 17 overall and 2 of 10 from three, while Simmons was scared to shoot when the opportunity presented itself scoring just 4 points on 2 of 5 shooting.
Moreover, at times, particularly in the middle of the game when the Knick’s lead swelled, Brooklyn’s offense looked out of sync leading to a lot of rushed shots late in the shot clock. For Schroder, the game seemed to be a blip on what has been a strong start to the season, however, Simmons is proving to be a liability the more he plays.
The Nets lack offensive creators beyond these two, and as a result, will struggle if they have an off night.
Next up for Brooklyn
Sunday will be a rematch against the Knicks again at the Garden. It will be interesting to see how the team rebounds, whether or not they’ll get their starting center back, and how the team responds to playing the same opponent with such a quick turnaround.
Cam Thomas will be a player to watch as he’s now topped 40 points in each of his last two appearances at MSG. Additionally, it will be important to see what adjustments rookie head coach Jordi Fernandez dials up as he looks to build a winning culture in Brooklyn.