© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Brooklyn pulls off the upset by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers
After losing to the Hornets on the first leg of the back-to-back, Brooklyn trounced the Cleveland Cavaliers. The first half was close between the two teams, as the Nets had a slim one-point lead at halftime. It looked like Coach Kevin Ollie’s halftime speech worked, as Brooklyn scored 44 points in the third quarter and cruised to a 120 to 101 win.
Cameron Thomas led Brooklyn to the win by scoring 29 points, and his running mate Mikal Bridges bounced back from his slump by scoring 25. Georges Niang’s 20 points led the shorthanded Cavs as the Nets defended well, limiting Coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s team to only 101 points.
“We were the underdogs coming in here. I just told them nobody thought we were gonna win this game, especially with the back-to-back,” Ollie said after the upset win against Cleveland. “But they believed, they communicated, and they stayed in as a pack… They put it all together tonight, which was great to see.”
A great result for Brooklyn
The Nets needed this win, especially after the losses to Memphis and Detroit. Losing to teams like those will not get Brooklyn a spot in the Play-In Tournament, so getting this result against the Cavs is a big deal.
It was a good game for Coach Ollie, as his team looked loose in the third half. The players looked confident, as both Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder hit near-half-court three-pointers to cement the Nets as the dominant force for this game.
Aside from the win, Play-In rivals Atlanta lost in their recent game, which closes the gap to 3.5 games. It’s still a long way to go for the Nets, but there is still a chance for them to keep winning and catching up to the Hawks.
Momentum is brewing for Brooklyn
The losses to the Grizzlies, Pistons, and Hornets were disheartening for the Nets. However, this win against Cleveland can set the tone for the rest of the season, as beating them proves Brooklyn can keep up with the best teams.
Granted, the Cavs did not have Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, but limiting Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen to 29 points is a sign that Brooklyn can reach this level. However, they must be consistent with this performance to make it to the Play-In spots.
