No size? No problem: Nets complete season sweep of paint-dwelling Grizzlies

The Nets‘ 106-104 decision of the Memphis Grizzlies connected Monday was conscionable the latest illustration of the resiliency they proceed to showcase nether first-year caput manager Jordi Fernandez.

Nic Claxton returned to the starting lineup but was inactive restricted due to the fact that of a hamstring wounded helium suffered successful grooming camp, truthful his availability was limited. Ben Simmons did not suit up since it was the 2nd crippled of a back-to-back acceptable and the squad was being cautious with his usage, too.

Forward Noah Clowney and reserve halfway Day’Ron Sharpe were sidelined arsenic well, truthful the Nets entered Monday’s matchup severely undersized against the NBA’s apical overgarment scoring team. And it went precisely however you would expect early.

Memphis’ Zach Edey was eating astir the rim successful the game’s opening minutes. The monstrous 7-4 rookie halfway had six points successful his archetypal 7 minutes connected the court. Because of the Nets’ deficiency of frontcourt depth, Fernandez was forced to deploy unconventional small-ball lineups. One radical featured Dennis Schröder, Keon Johnson, Shake Milton, Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson — 2 tiny forwards and 3 smaller guards.

Twenty of the Grizzlies’ archetypal 30 points came successful the paint, and they were shooting 68.4% from the tract done 1 4th of action. Meanwhile, the Nets were shooting conscionable 36.4% and struggling to get prime looks adjacent to the rim. Their deficiency of size was evident, and Memphis took vantage of them whenever it could.

Guys similar Schröder and Johnson did not miraculously turn 5 inches during the interruption betwixt the archetypal and 2nd quarters, but the Nets surely turned up the unit connected defence — and yet caught occurrence connected discourtesy acknowledgment to a balanced onslaught led by Cam Johnson and Wilson.

After giving up 20 points successful the overgarment successful the archetypal quarter, the Nets matched Memphis’ 14 overgarment points successful the 2nd quarter. They changeable 52.6% successful the play and outscored the visitors 27-19 to instrumentality a 50-49 advantage. Suddenly size was nary longer a factor. Suddenly we had a shot game.

360 FAKE DUNK & HAND SWITCH.

THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT.

JA MORANT IS PURE THEATER. https://t.co/o156iosFGk pic.twitter.com/77cMPM7NEp

— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2024

Both teams changeable amended than 55% from the tract successful the 3rd 4th and scored astatine slightest 30 points. Although Edey went disconnected for 13 of his 25 points successful the period, and Ja Morant was doing wildly diversion Ja Morant things, the Nets escaped into the 4th fourth with a four-point edge. Dorian Finney-Smith, who was shooting conscionable 28.9% from heavy entering the night, went 3-for-3 from region successful the 3rd 4th to assistance Brooklyn make immoderate separation.

The result of Monday’s crippled came down to the last seconds of regulation, arsenic it has truthful often astatine Barclays Center this season. Finney-Smith’s 5th 3-pointer of the nighttime gave the Nets a 104-101 vantage with 1:13 left. Brooklyn forced a Morant miss astatine the different end, past Schröder drove consecutive into Edey’s thorax to propulsion the pb to 5 with 32.1 seconds left.

Things got unnecessarily dicey for the Nets toward the end, but Santi Aldama’s trey astatine the buzzer came up short, which secured their 4th triumph of the season, and a play expanse of Memphis.

Schröder and Cam Johnson led Brooklyn with 20 points each and Finney-Smith finished with 5 3-pointers, mounting a caller play high. Wilson contributed 13 points, six rebounds and 4 assists successful 28 minutes disconnected the bench. Morant matched Edey’s 25 points successful the loss. The Grizzlies outrebounded Brooklyn 44-37 and outscored them 66-48 successful the paint.

The Nets bounced backmost from a disappointing nonaccomplishment to the Detroit Pistons connected Sunday and got backmost to .500 this play with a 4-4 record. After a three-day break, they volition instrumentality to enactment connected Friday against the Boston Celtics, which volition beryllium the archetypal matchup of a three-game roadworthy trip.