RONDAE RETURNS:
After a 50-game absence, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned to the Nets lineup on Tuesday night, scoring five points with three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 15:24. He finished the night +8.
“It felt good to be out there, be talking, playing defense and helping offensively,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “It felt good to be a teammate on the floor instead of in a blazer on the sidelines.”
Hollis-Jefferson was his energetic self on Tuesday, but his most memorable moment was a monster one-handed dunk in the fourth quarter. The 21-year-old said he planned to play aggressively and leave everything on the floor, showing no ill effects from his ankle surgery or lengthy layoff.
“I loved the spirit in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with the chance to play again,” Interim Coach Tony Brown said. “His energy level is something that we missed since he’s been out and I’m happy to see him. I wish I could have played him more.”
KILPATRICK HAS CAREER NIGHT:
Sean Kilpatrick established a new career high on Tuesday with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting, and also set a career high with four three-pointers. The Nets guard isn’t afraid to shoot, especially from deep, knocking down 22-of-41 (53.6%) from beyond the arc. Kilpatrick is averaging 18.0 points on 63.3 percent shooting in his last five games.
“I’m just playing with confidence,” Kilpatrick said on Tuesday. “Play with confidence and play with energy and just try to outwork everyone. That’s something I’m trying to do the most; just outwork everyone. My ability and scoring ability and skill will take over.”
Kilpatrick and Hollis-Jefferson looked to be an effective duo off the bench for the Nets, with Kilpatrick as the offensive option and Hollis-Jefferson bringing a defensive element. Interim Coach Tony Brown praised their energy as a duo.
"I like the spirit of Sean Kilpatrick. I love the spirit of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson,” Brown said. “They play their butts off when they're out there.”
CAVALIERS:
Coming off of a 124-91 win on Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers enter as winners of 10 of their last 13 games. They are currently first in the Eastern Conference and are looking to get back to the NBA Finals, but their top spot will be challenged down the stretch by the Toronto Raptors, who are 2.5 games back, with one game in hand.
The Cavs are currently trying to find the balance between finishing as high as possible in the standings and resting their stars for the postseason. Head Coach Tyronn Lue said it was a possibility that guys will sit out on Thursday night.
LeBron James leads the Cavaliers with 24.9 ppg (sixth in the NBA), 6.6 apg and 1.4 spg. Kevin Love leads the Cavs with 9.9 rpg (11th in the NBA) and averages 15.6 ppg.
LEBRON JAMES:
With Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers are loaded with offensive talent, but LeBron James is still the top dog in Cleveland and is one of the best players in the Association.
James is averaging 24.9 ppg, sixth in the NBA, and while that’s his lowest average since his rookie season (20.9 ppg) in 2003-04, he’s once again led his team to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The 31-year-old is averaging 25.8 points, 7.5 assists and 6.8 boards over his last four games. He is averaging 21.5 points in two games against the Nets this season.