Kenny Atkinson hesitates to put too much stock in any one night on the calendar, but before the Brooklyn Nets took on the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center Monday night, he conceded to looking for "some confirmation."
The Nets came in having won their last three after adjusting their starting lineup and rotations, while the Pistons had won 12 of their last 14, slipping ahead of Brooklyn into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings by a half-game.
"I'd like to see how we play tonight," said Atkinson beforehand.
There was plenty to like afterward as the Nets blitzed the Pistons in the second quarter for a 61-35 lead on the way to a 103-75 win.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 19 points and Allen Crabbe posted his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. shooting 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
Rodions Kurucs had 13 points and three steals and Joe Harris had 12 points. Caris LeVert had 12 points. D'Angelo Russell and Jarrett Allen each had 11 points, with Russell adding seven assists. Overall, the Nets shot 49.4 percent.
Brooklyn held the Pistons to just 27.8 percent shooting, including 23.5 percent from 3-point range. They outrebounded Detroit 53-49.
Over the last four games the Nets have limited opponents to 27.8 percent shooting from 3-point range (44-158).
The Nets flew to a 26-point halftime lead after closing the second quarter on a 16-3 run.
The Brooklyn defense, with a heavy dose of zone amplified by the pressure of Kurucs on the ball and in the passing lanes, frustrated the Pistons from the start. The Nets had eight steals in the first half alone after coming into the game averaging 6.5 per game.
Kurucs had three in the first half, turning them into dunks on the other end while scoring 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting before halftime. He scored six of Brooklyn's first eight points and Crabbe followed with another eight on two 3-pointers as the Nets went up 18-9 and led 27-19 after the first quarter.
The Nets held Detroit to 8-for-23 shooting and 0-for-6 from 3-point range in the first quarter, then quickly extended their lead. Another steal and dunk from Kurucs put the Nets up by 14 and his 3-pointer made it a 45-30 game.
The Pistons ended up making just one field goal over the final six minutes of the half, and that was a 3-pointer from Blake Griffin that was his first make of the game after starting out 0-for-6 from the field. By halftime Detroit was shooting 27.9 percent overall and 18.2 from 3-point range.
The Nets took advantage in transition. Dinwiddie scored on two drives and Allen dunked back a miss to put Brooklyn up by 20. After Griffin's three, the Nets got a LeVert drive, another steal and dunk by Kurucs and a Dinwiddie 3-pointer. LeVert's blow-by on Griffin put Brooklyn up 61-35 at halftime.
A little Detroit run to open the third quarter didn't dent much of the Brooklyn lead. The Pistons cut their deficit to 18 points before Russell answered with a jumper and Crabbe hit another 3-pointer.
Up 78-57, the Nets put together a 10-2 run to stretch their lead to 29 points as Dinwiddie converted a drive and then made two free throws. After Langston Galloway's 35-footer at the buzzer for Detroit, the Nets took an 88-62 lead into the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
The Nets take off on a seven-game road trip that begins in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.