Dorian Finney-Smith made his return to the courtroom Sunday, and to the Nets beginning lineup.
He had missed the prior 4 video games with a sprained left ankle.
The veteran energy ahead completed with 9 factors, 4 rebounds and was plus-2 in half-hour, typically matched up with former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“It was tough. Just trying to get my rhythm. I’m moving a little step slower, but I got my teammates behind me who are telling me to keep going. And they miss me out there, so it was definitely fun being out there,” Finney-Smith stated. “I got a tech, too. C’mon, man. I don’t even know how I got that tech.”
The Nets got here into Sunday’s tilt in opposition to the red-hot Bucks a plus-56 with Finney-Smith on the ground, by far one of the best on the group.
The subsequent closest had been a plus-10.
“We’re great when he’s on the floor, we’re great when he is dressing and he’s part of the team,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez stated. “He at all times retains all people engaged when he’s on the bench, he talks, he helps his teammates on the courtroom.
“His production is great, he’s been shooting the three well, and I want him to keep shooting. He makes winning plays on both ends, and all those little things are important. He’s a veteran, and everybody is just more comfortable when he’s on the court, you know? And all that combined just makes us a better team.”
The Nets used a singular beginning lineup — Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, Keon Johnson and Dennis Schroder — for the tenth straight recreation.
That prolonged the longest streak in group historical past and the longest within the NBA this season, per Elias.
Schroder (34 factors, 11 assists, no turnovers) turned the one participant within the NBA this season with a recreation of at the very least 30 factors and 10 assists with zero turnovers, and simply the fifth in Nets historical past.
Claxton had a season-high 21 factors, 10 boards, 4 assists, three steals and two blocks.
It’s his first recreation this season with a number of blocks and steals.
“I’m just getting my flow back,” Claxton stated. “That’s just me playing more games. My body, everything is just starting to come together. I need to be aggressive for us, especially right now with Cam [Thomas] being out and us missing some scoring.”
Noah Clowney additionally dressed after lacking the prior six video games with a sprained ankle.
He’d initially been listed as questionable.
“That tells you that he really wants to get back. And obviously he is completely healthy. And he’s able to be back with a team, but also tells you that he cares and he wants to be with a group,” stated Fernandez. “He was playing well when the sprain happened, and now he wants to right away be with us with his teammate. So happy that he’s dressing.”
The second-year energy ahead was a wholesome DNP.
“I never said that I would play both [Clowney and Finney-Smith],” Fernandez stated. “Obviously, I’m not gonna run them through the ground because that would not be responsible on my end. But yeah, they’re ready to play pretty much regular minutes if we or myself as a coaching staff decide to play them.”
