It’s Game 42 when the Brooklyn Nets visit the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night for the first game of a road back-to-back that has them in Charlotte on Saturday night. The Nets take an 11-game losing streak into the second half of their schedule after Tuesday night’s 119-109 loss to Toronto at Barclays Center.
The Nets had a halftime lead on the Atlantic Division leaders and were tied midway through the third before the Raptors pulled away, leaving Brooklyn with an 8-33 mark.
“We’re still having fun,” said coach Kenny Atkinson. “There’s still an enthusiasm when we come to practice. We’ll do some different things to keep them upbeat. We went into the season and said we’re going to have fun. Part of this is having fun and keeping an even keel, keeping balance about what it’s all about in our culture. I think that helps.
“I think what really helps is just having a really good group of guys that keep coming in, keep working, keep pounding it, keep pounding the rock, looking for a breakthrough. They’ve been pretty resilient in that sense.”
ACY STICKS AROUND
The Nets have signed forward/center Quincy Acy to a second 10-day contract. First signed by the Nets on January 10, Acy averaged 6.3 points and 2.0 rebounds while playing 7.5 minutes per game in four games.
“Energy. Toughness. He’s got an athleticism about him,” said Atkinson. “He’s got an aggressiveness about him. Surprised at his shooting. I think he’s an improved shooter from what I remember. He’s more skilled than I thought.”
LeVERT AND HOLLIS-JEFFERSON
Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson each scored 14 points against the Raptors on Tuesday.
It was the fourth double-figure outing in seven games for LeVert, whose minutes have been growing since he made his NBA debut on Dec. 7. He’s averaging 6.3 points per game overall, but over those last seven games he’s averaging 10.1 per game.
The pair of young 6-foot-7 forwards – LeVert is a rookie and Hollis-Jefferson is in his second season – have seen steady minutes in tandem with Hollis-Jefferson getting more time at the power forward, or 4, spot.
Against the Raptors, Hollis-Jefferson had eight rebounds after grabbing seven against Houston on Sunday. Over the last five games RHJ is averaging 5.4 rebounds per game, up from his overall season average of 4.6 per game.
“Him playing at the 4, it’s helped us I think. It’s helped him,” said Atkinson. “I think we envision him playing both positions. But we have been more skewed towards the 4 position and he’s adapted really well. A lot of second units now play small ball. You look at Toronto, they’ve got DeMarre (Carroll) at the 4. A lot of teams are just throwing those small guys at the 4, they’ve basically got four guards out there. It kind of fits the trend and fits Rondae’s game.”
AGAINST THE PELICANS
New Orleans defeated the Nets 104-95 at Barclays Center on Jan. 12, taking control with an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter after Brooklyn entered the final period up by six.
That win is part of a 7-5 stretch for the Pelicans over their last 12 games after they started the season with a 10-21 record.
The turnaround falls in roughly with the progress of eighth-year swingman Tyreke Evans, who returned on Dec. 15 after missing nearly a year following knee surgery. Evans scored 29 points against the Nets, part of a surge over his last five games in which he’s averaged 17.0 points per game in 22.9 minutes per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.
Evans has been eschewing mid-range shots for 3-pointers and rim attacks, and it’s showing up in his shooting percentages. Over the last five games he’s making 50 percent from the field, 57 percent on 2-point attempts and 42 percent from 3-point range.
Jrue Holiday, currently shooting 37 percent from 3-point range while averaging 13.9 points and 7.0 assists per game, had 21 points in the win over the Nets. Missing the game in Brooklyn was center Anthony Davis, who Thursday was announced as a starter for the Feb. 19 NBA All-Star Game to be hosted by the Pelicans.
Davis is third in the NBA in scoring with 28.2 points per game, second in blocks (2.4), seventh in rebounding (12.1) and shoots 50 percent from the field.
“He’s one of those players that, play great defense, he can still make the shot,” said Atkinson before the Jan. 12 game. “Those are the tough guys in this league. That’s the elite players. Because of his length and his skill set and how he shoots the ball, it’s a tough cover for us. I think we’ve got to throw a lot of stuff at him, throw different guys at him, different types of guys. Just throw different looks at him. Whoever’s guarding him we need to show a great crowd and help out.”