Nets Defeat Kings, 119-106 and Clinch Playoff Berth

Overtime Heroics Editorial

1148 days ago

After a terrible loss to Boston on Wednesday night, the Nets responded with a commanding win over the Kings. Caris Levert led the team in scoring, with 22 points on nine for twenty-one shooting and seven assists. Joe Harris, who only played 25 minutes, managed to score 21 points on eight for eleven shooting, including five of seven from 3PT. Jarrett Allen nearly became the first Net center in franchise history to have a triple-double with 17 points, eight assists, and eleven rebounds. On the Kings side, Bogdan Bogdanovic (27 points) and De’Aaron Fox (21 points) led the Sacramento scoring.

Crucial Factors

A critical factor for the Nets’ success tonight was their lack of turnovers. The Nets are the 5th worst team in the NBA this season for turnovers, averaging 15.3 per game. However, Brooklyn only had eleven turnovers against the Kings. Another improvement for the Nets tonight was their three-point shooting. The team shot forty threes and made seventeen of them, which translates to 42.5% from beyond the arc. Six Nets made multiple three-pointers in the game. The Nets finally seemed locked in on defense, as Sacramento turned the ball over 15 times and only shot 42.7% from the field. Brooklyn also had nine steals, which further emphasizes the intensity that Jacque Vaughn has his players performing at.

Nets Clinch Playoff Berth

With this win tonight, the Nets have clinched a playoff berth. Brooklyn will be battling with the Magic for the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference and a likely matchup with the Toronto Raptors. The Nets are (1-2) against the Raptors this season, but they have proven that they can compete with Toronto. The team has clinched a spot in the playoffs for the fifth time in eight seasons since moving to Brooklyn, and it is the second consecutive year that Sean Marks’s squad has made it to the playoffs.

It is hard to lose when the team shoots 48.8% from the field and 42.5% from 3PT. The question is whether the Nets can stay consistent on both sides of the floor in the upcoming games. Brooklyn continues their push towards the 7th seed as they take on the Clippers tomorrow at 9:00 PM EST on NBATV.