Brooklyn Nets’ Maxwell Lewis Getting Long-Awaited NBA Opportunity

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernández broke down his team's performance against the Atlanta Hawks, including how Maxwell Lewis has been impressing him.

Jan 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets forward Maxwell Lewis (27) warms up before playing the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernández credited how his team went “one possession at a time” to defeat the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.

“I think there are a lot of times you get caught with like being down 10, and you wanna make that home run play, and it goes down to do[ing] the right things," Fernandez said. "Good players are gonna make tough shots. Trae Young is an amazing player, and he can do that. But we just went one possession at a time, and I thought that on both ends of the floor, we competed at a high level.” 

This was the Nets’ sixth-straight home win against the Hawks, who haven’t won at Barclays Center since 2021. Cam Johnson led Brooklyn in scoring with 28 points, while Keon Johnson poured in 22. Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin, Maxwell Lewis and Trendon Watford were the other Nets who scored in double figures. 

The Brooklyn bench boss mentioned that it was an “amazing” performance from Cam Johnson, who once again demonstrated how he is “always there” for his teammates. He also dove into Martin’s contributions to the team.

“Right now, Tyrese performed again at a high level, shot the three well,” Fernández said. “He was good with the ball. Six rebounds, which is impressive. He had an amazing performance. Just solid on both ends. His consistency is the best thing. and again, that's why he's part of our club. That’s why we love him here.”

Maxwell Lewis also got extended run after impressing in the Nets’ loss against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. The former Pepperdine star had 10 points on 4-from-7 shooting and played a career-high 22 minutes. The most he’d played in an NBA before Sunday — 16:01 minutes — was against the Celtics. Lewis previously suffered a left tibia fracture one minute into his Nets debut earlier this season.

Fernández weighed in: “I liked what I saw yesterday. I liked what I saw today. Obviously, I’m trying to be careful with the minutes because he’s playing extremely hard, and it takes time to adjust your body. There’s nothing like playing real minutes. You can get yourself as close as you think you can. Max has been unbelievable [these] last two games.”

The Nets’ head coach was most satisfied with his team’s assists. Brooklyn combined for 33 assists on 43 made field goals. It was the team’s fourth consecutive game with more than 30 assists, having also reached that mark against the Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers.

“It just tells you how the group is playing, how the ball has got energy, and it's flying around,” Fernández said.

An away game at the TD Garden is next on the Nets’ calendar this Tuesday night. The team will spend the week on the road before returning to Barclays Center next Monday.

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