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The Brooklyn Nets get a dominant win over the short-handed Heat
After losing an In-Season Tournament game the night before, the Miami Heat had a short-handed team against the Nets.
The Heat lost a tournament game against the New York Knicks a night before they faced the Brooklyn Nets for the third time this season. However, this was a different Miami team because they decided to rest star players Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler on the second night of a back-to-back.
This made the game much easier for the Nets as they finally bounced back from a three-game losing streak by winning 112 to 97. It was also a good way to exact revenge on the Heat after beating the Nets just a week ago.
"Just give our guys credit for continuing to work at it. It's something new getting our guys in different positions on the floor and taking calculated risks at certain times and possessions. Tonight, we got rewarded for it," Coach Jacque Vaughn said in his post-game presser. "I think they had 17 turnovers tonight. That just fuels your ability to get out in transition and covers up possessions when they score the ball."
The Nets were much improved on defense
This was only the third game when the Nets prevented their opponents from scoring 100 points or more. It was a superb defensive performance from Brooklyn, albeit with the Heat missing some of their best offensive players.
However, this is a confidence-builder for the Nets as they've proven they can lock up their opponents. This has been an issue all season, but this was an eye-opener for Brooklyn because they forced 17 turnovers and made them play in transition, coach Jacque Vaughn's preferred playstyle.
The "Twins" were superb for the Nets
Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson had good performances in the game against the Nets, with the former scoring a career-high 45 points. The duo, dubbed the "Twins," had another strong game against the Heat as they had a superb start in the first half.
Johnson scored 12 quick points in the first quarter, hitting all five of his shots. In the second quarter, it was much of the same script as Bridges scoring all 11 of his first-half points.
By the end of the game, Johnson had a 19-point and 10-rebound double-double, while Mikal finished 24 points. It was an excellent bounce-back performance from the Nets, as the Twins were the focal points of the win.
Now, the Nets look forward to returning to .500 on a back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center.
