One attention-grabbing wrinkle to the NBA schedule to chop down on journey is often going through the identical crew in two consecutive video games on the similar locale.
The Nets already did that when this 12 months on the street with successive video games in opposition to the Knicks on the Backyard, and they’ll get a direct alternative to face the Magic once more Sunday afternoon at Barclays Middle after absorbing a convincing dwelling loss two nights earlier.
“They brought the fight to us, and that kind of results in loose balls finding their hands, and 3s going down. We understand that, and we understand that it’s a blessing that we get to see them again on Sunday,” Nets ahead Cam Johnson stated after Orlando’s 123-100 victory. “We have to hit ’em and we have to set screens and be assured in that.
“We need to go through it and watch this game and come back with the mindset that we gotta fight.”
The depleted Nets (Sep 11) had been with out main scorers Cam Thomas (hamstring) and Dennis Schroder (private causes), amongst different rotation gamers. However first-year coach Jordi Fernandez’s crew additionally dedicated 20 turnovers (resulting in 34 Orlando factors) and tried solely 29 photographs from 3-point vary in its return to Brooklyn following an encouraging 3-1 street journey.
“For sure, especially when a team beats you like that, you want to see them again,” Jalen Wilson stated. “You could not see them for a few weeks or a month. Fortunately we get to see them in a day or two.
“So it’s good to see them again, know what we did wrong, correct it and just play our game. … We gotta correct what we did wrong and fix it.”
Thomas, who’s averaging 24.7 factors per recreation, is predicted to overlook 3-4 weeks after getting injured Monday at Golden State. Johnson famous that the absence of Schroder was “huge” due to his versatility.
“Just the energy he brings to the game, what he’s able to do, how he’s able to play. He’s an important part of what we do,” Johnson stated. “As we speak there’s not that large of a distinction throughout the scoreboard, throughout the scoresheet. You see the sphere objectives, field-goals tried, rebounds, 3-pointers, 3-pointers tried, they only had the sting in all of these classes.
“And then to top it off with 20 turnovers to what, 34 points? That’s a 20-point [swing] right there. So there’s things we can clean up. But I think the base of what we do is intact, it’s where it needs to be. We just need to clean the rest up and continue to compete, and that’s that.”
Led by Franz Wagner’s 29 factors, the Magic improved to 14-7 total — regardless of the absence of All-Star large man Paolo Banchero since late October with a torn indirect.
Nonetheless, Friday’s recreation marked the sixth completely different beginning lineup in as many video games for the Nets, together with the primary NBA begin for guard Tyrese Martin. and a season-high 22 factors in 34 minutes off the bench for veteran reserve Shake Milton.
“It’s a ‘next man up’ mentality,” Johnson stated. “Everybody is aware of who we’re, and what we need to be. The coaches trust in all the blokes on our roster, as do all of the gamers. A variety of groups are going by way of numerous stuff proper now, and it’s a part of being on this enterprise.
“I think everybody that played [Friday night] stepped up and competed. We just need, as a group, to pick it up a notch and be a little bit more connected.”
