Recap: Clippers 123, Nets 84
It’s not over, until it’s over. Unless you’re the Nets and you allow the Clippers to shoot nearly 60 percent from the field on their way to a 70-37 halftime lead. Brooklyn led 17-14 midway through the first quarter, but the Clippers would end the quarter on a 20-6 run and never look back. The dunking duo of Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan combined for 38 points on 18 of 21 shooting as the Clippers ran away with it. The game will be remembered for another alley-oop by Jordan, who jumped from beyond the restricted area to add Brook Lopez to the list of eliminated defenders throughout the young center’s career.
The bench was the only bright spot in the big loss after the team’s narrow victory over Sacramento the day before. The energy from the Clippers, who are now riding a three-game winning streak and had two days of rest, appeared to be something that the Nets were unable to match. Brooklyn now have a day of rest before completing a three-game road trip in Utah.
Grades:
Joe Johnson: In the absence of Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett, Johnson was unable to steady the team in the face of the Clippers aggressive offense. The veteran swingman also shot just 4 of 12 in 25 minutes of action. D
Brook Lopez: Despite being the tallest player on the court, Lopez was passive while facing off against the more athletic Deandre Jordan. In 24 minutes, the center attempted just three shots and grabbed a single rebound. He has officially earned my lowest grade of the season. D-
Mason Plumlee: As the only Brooklyn starter to finish with double-digit scoring, Plumlee finished with 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting. He battled Blake Griffin early, despite allowing 13 points in the first quarter and 24 on the game. The weak point in his performance came from the charity stripe, finishing with 4 of 11 shooting from the free throw line. C+
Jarrett Jack: Going up against his former teammate, Jack was unable to take advantage of the familiarity in another passive performance. As the team’s starting point guard, he finished with a team-high 26.7 turnover percentage while shooting 27 percent from the field. D
The Bench: While playing an abnormally large amount of minutes due to the blowout, the Brooklyn bench provided a number of positives. Darius Morris scored 11 points on 5 of 13 shooting, while Jerome Jordan led the team with 11 rebounds in 21 minutes. B-
