The Brooklyn Nets showed their grit once again with a 108-103 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Brooklyn led by as many as 19 points and allowed the Kings to battle back, but standout efforts from Cam Thomas and other contributors helped the Nets hold their opposers back. Brooklyn's win impressively comes despite relatively poor performances in two key areas.
1. Rebounds
Through their first eight games of the 2024-25 season, the Nets ranked second-to-last in rebounds per game. They profoundly improved upon their totals in Nov. 9th's 108-104 loss to the Boston Celtics. However, Brooklyn reverted to their old ways against the Kings on Sunday.
The Nets lost the rebounding battle 44-31. None of Brooklyn's players reached a double-digit board mark. Nic Claxton led the team with seven followed by Cam Johnson at six. But was Brooklyn's rebounding trouble purely a result of their own negligence? Or was it the result of the Kings' overwhelming crashing? Domantas Sabonis would argue the latter.
Sabonis finished the game with a whopping 18 boards. Furthermore, Sacramento's second-highest rebounder totaled more than Brooklyn's highest. Keegan Murray followed Sabonis' effort with eight rebounds.
Through 16 games, the Nets rank last in the NBA in rebounds per contest. Nevertheless, they still found a way to overcome the woe against Sacramento alongside another important stat.
2. Points in the paint
Brooklyn totaled just 30 points in the paint compared to the Kings' 46 on Sunday. The big reason the Nets were able to prevail over their lackluster interior showing was their red-hot three-point shooting. Brooklyn shot 48.7 percent from beyond the arc compared to Sacramento's 36.0 percent.
Noah Clowney, Cam Johnson, and Cam Thomas spearheaded the Nets' deep-range display. Clowney knocked down 5-of-8 three-pointers, shooting a team-best 62.5 percent on the night, including this third-quarter buzzer-beater:
.@NoahClowney at the third quarter buzzer!!! pic.twitter.com/syKfBHXz0b
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 25, 2024
Clowney amassed an incredibly helpful 18 points on the night. Unfortunately, he rolled his ankle during the fourth quarter and was helped off the court. Hopefully, he will undergo a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, Johnson went 3-of-6 (50 percent) from range, while Thomas went 4-for-10 (40 percent). Thomas led all scorers with 34 points. He impressively outdueled De'Aaron Fox, who finished with 31 points.
The Nets' lack of points in the paint is understandable, given that Nic Claxton is still finding his rhythm amid his ramp up from injury. But if Brooklyn keeps hitting their outside shots, they will have support until they can improve their marks.
Brooklyn improved their record to 7-10 on Sunday, which places them ninth in the East.