With Spencer Dinwiddie out for the season and now Kevin Durant quarantining for who knows how long, the struggling Nets rolled the dice.
And won big.
Rookie coach Steve Nash swapped out every starter except Kyrie Irving and got rewarded with a 130-96 slump-busting rout of Utah at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.
Irving had 29 points, six rebounds and five assists. For a Brooklyn team that had lost four of five, it was a bounce-back win. And an unexpected one.
“Just being clairvoyant,” Nash quipped. “We don’t have much practice time, we’re a new group, we have Kevin out with COVID protocols. We were struggling. I think we’re going to continue to experiment. We have to find out who we are, what we are, and where we need to improve, and sometimes just giving guys different opportunities at different times can mix things up.”
Kyrie Irving goes up for a shot during the Nets’ 130-96 win over the Jazz. Robert SaboWith Durant quarantined because of COVID-19 contact tracing, Nash pulled DeAndre Jordan, Joe Harris and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from the starting lineup. Jarrett Allen, Bruce Brown and Taurean Prince started in their places and helped the Nets defend, push the pace and do everything they could to make up for the loss of their star.
For a night, it worked. Allen had season-highs of 19 points and 18 boards, a career-high three steals and blocked Rudy Gobert twice.
The Nets shot 55.9 percent, held Utah to 38.8 percent and piled up a 68-40 edge in the paint against one of the best interior teams in the league.
And this came from a starting five that had never played together, not even in practice.
“We just mixed it up. I think we got a shot in the arm out of it,” Nash said. “Guys responded to it. Not only the guys who started, but the guys who moved to the bench … didn’t flinch and accepted their role, and that’s the type of teamwork and attitude so important if you want to win games.”
Brooklyn piled up a season-high 68 points in the paint, handed out a season-high 31 assists and got a season-high 66 points off the bench. Caris LeVert had 24, while Brown’s contributions were on the other end.
The defensive ace had been buried deep on the bench, having previously logged just 13 minutes in three brief cameos appearances. But he had six points, six boards, five assists and finished with a plus-20 that was a testament to his defense and energy.
“I found out right when we were doing the lineups pregame, going through their personnel,” Brown said. “I just started smiling. I knew I was ready. My teammates knew I was ready, so I’ve just got to go out there and bring energy and do well.”
Most fans would say the move to start Allen was beyond long overdue. He hadn’t started yet this season, behind the struggling Jordan. That could change after dominating Gobert, who was held to 10 points, 11 rebounds and a minus-15.
Allen joked his big game came from switching from pesto to Alfredo sauce on his pregame pasta, but the young center has clearly played with an edge.
“I wouldn’t say it’s personal. I want to go out there, try my best and prove I can be on that level of a center in the league,” Allen said. “[Gobert] did just get that [$205 million] contract that he earned playing amazing defense, being an offensive threat, so I just want to prove that I’m on his level.”
Brooklyn stormed out of the starting blocks and never looked back.
Irving had a quick dozen points and found Brown cutting for a 20-4 Nets lead.
The Nets kept increasing their lead by touchdown margins, first 28-7 and then finally 35-14 after one.
Irving found Allen with a behind-the-back pass for a thunderous dunk on Gobert. And after taking a 63-44 lead at the break, the Nets added on. Allen blocked Gobert not once but twice, then got a basket and foul on the other end. The laconic center gave a rare show of emotion, but it was well-earned.
“We lost a few games so bounce back,” Brown said. “Get out there have fun. DJ said that in the huddle before the game, have fun and play with energy. And we did that.”







