The Nets never trailed in Friday’s 112-107 win over the Boston Celtics, posting one of their strongest wins of the season in improving to 10-9. It was Brooklyn’s sixth win in its last eight games, all without both Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert.
With Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen playing leading roles, the Nets have steadily solidified their rotation and rhythms over the last two weeks.
“A lot of confidence, man,” said Garrett Temple. “Obviously without our leader, without Ky, without Caris, we’re a little shorthanded. But we still have enough talent to win every game we play. Guys are gaining that confidence day-in and day-out every game. Like you said, 6-2 shows that we have a lot of depth on this team even without out top two or three scorers. So it’s gonna bode well for us in the future late in the season and playoff time hopefully.”
Two days earlier, the Nets had lost to the Celtics in Boston, after building a halftime lead and being within three points midway through the fourth quarter. Boston came into Brooklyn on Friday with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are now 13-5, the same record as the Miami Heat, who will visit Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon.
“That’s the next step, to build on beating an elite team,” said Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. “Can you do it again? How consistently can we do it? I do think we have a nice chemistry going. Chemistry’s good. Spencer’s obviously playing at an elite level, that helps. I think Garrett’s been really good, Jarrett. There’s a lot of guys playing well. Great game for the fans for us to see another great test against a really good team.”
The Heat have retooled and reinvented themselves once again since last season. Third-year forward Bam Adebayo has elevated his game and 24-year-old rookie Kendrick Nunn — undrafted in 2018 — is in the starting lineup after spending all of his first pro season in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors. Rookie Tyler Herro, the 13th overall pick last June, is among Miami’s top five scorers, along with Adebayo and Nunn.
Miami’s highest profile newcomer, Jimmy Butler, is leading the Heat with 18.7 points and 6.6 assists per game, plus 5.4 rebounds.
“I just think they’re a great program,” said Atkinson. “I always say this, they’re one of the top programs in the league. It doesn’t matter what players they have there, they just do an excellent job. (Coach Erik Spoelstra) does an excellent job. Excellent organization. And they’ve done it for a long time consistently so it doesn’t surprise me where they are. Their development of their under-the radar-guys has been close to spectacular quite honestly. I mean Nunn and Herro and we could go on. They just do a great job of getting those guys in elite shape. And then throw Jimmy into the mix. It’s a nice combination. So they’re 13-5 for a reason. Heck of a test for us. I think this is in the Boston realm. I think this is a top four Eastern Conference playoff team. I can’t wait to see how we play against them.”
KYRIE IRVING UPDATE
Kenny Atkinson said on Friday that Kyrie Irving had begun on-court work, but would still be out for Sunday’s game against Miami.
“We didn’t practice,” said Atkinson on Saturday at HSS Training Center. "We walked through today and he was on-court. I think we’re evaluating the on-court work right now. I think you go shoot, you’re out there and then you get a look at it the next day. He’ll be out obviously like I said tomorrow, but I’m not gonna give you any date. I know you guys, I can’t do that. I think we’re evaluating his on-court work right now and that’s kind of it.”
In the absence of Irving and Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie has averaged 23.8 points and 6.6 assists over the last 12 games, including 32 points and 11 assists Friday against the Celtics. Atkinson is looking forward to reintegrating his full backcourt.
“I think that’s kind of his next step. When Kyrie does come back and Caris comes back is to continue that aggressiveness,” said Atkinson of Dinwiddie. “And it’s not your turn, my turn, right? It’s playing together with those guys. Because Spencer can play off the ball really well, he can play on the ball. So those guys figuring out what that looks like, that puzzle with three ball-handlers on the floor, I think we were getting there before Kyrie and Caris got hurt. The chemistry was starting to come. Spencer and Caris have always played well together; you look at the stats, the combo stats. It’s just them getting used to playing with Kyrie.”
ABOUT THE HEAT
The Heat are 13-5, having split their last four games after winning five straight. Miami is first in the NBA in field goal percentage (48.3), second in 3-point percentage (39.3) and first in effective field goal percentage (56.0). But the Heat are 16th in 3-pointers attempted (32.1). They have the league’s fifth-best net rating (6.2).
The Heat are second in steals per game (9.3) and sixth in points off turnovers (18.9). The Miami bench is third in bench scoring with 45.4 points per game and fifth in net rating (3.4).