© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest takeaways from the Nets' big win against the Cavaliers
Brooklyn won the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 120 to 101, quickly forgetting the loss to Charlotte a day earlier. The Play-In Tournament race continues to heat up for Brooklyn, considering the Hawks lost on Sunday.
It was one of the most magical performances of the season for the Nets, building a 26-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Brooklyn only trailed for under two minutes early in the third quarter.
There are some significant takeaways from this Brooklyn win since this was a great win to build from.
Cam Thomas continues to prove he’s vital to the Nets’ future
After a 31-point performance against Charlotte the previous night, Cameron Thomas followed it up with a 29-point game. The former LSU Tiger cemented his place as one of the best players on the Nets roster and a consistent fixture moving forward.
Thomas struggled with inconsistent minutes under former head coach Jacque Vaughn, but that has changed under interim coach Kevin Ollie. Cam is locked in as a starter every time he plays under Ollie, even when playing under a minute restriction like in this back-to-back.
“Cam displayed it all tonight, it wasn’t just his scoring, he was contributing in other ways,” Coach Ollie told the media after the game.
Mikal Bridges is back to his best
After a rough patch over the past few weeks, Mikal Bridges performed well in this win against Cleveland. The former Villanova Wildcat scored 25 points on an efficient 9-for-14 from the field while contributing in other areas with five assists, five rebounds, and three steals.
It was a cathartic performance for Mikal, as he was shooting horribly from the field. However, he kept shooting, and the ball finally went in for this game against Cleveland. Making an impact like this game made Brooklyn hard to beat since there were multiple scorers on the floor.
Good communication is key for the Nets
Thomas and Coach Ollie commended the team’s communication in the game against Cleveland. It was a superb performance because everyone was locked in. Every player called out defensive rotations, and the ball was moving well on offense.
Brooklyn must capture how they played against Cleveland for the rest of the season. The Nets can still catch Atlanta in the tenth seed, especially if the Hawks continue to play without star guard Trae Young.
