Caris LeVert took a jumper, a three in front of the Knicks bench with the score tied 100-all Friday night, the Net’s home opener. It had the form that coaches teach, the elevation and the arch.
Tim Hardaway was on him, checking LeVert tightly, a hand in his face, but the shot went in anyway, unfettered as if Hardaway wasn’t there. One minute and thirty-three seconds remained on the game clock. Brooklyn took the lead 103-100.
With 15.9 seconds remaining on the clock, LeVert had the ball again. Hardaway was on him, again. From the top of the key, right side, LeVert drove to the basket contended, a layup that put the Brooklyn Nets ahead, ending their home opener against the New York Knicks 107-105.
LeVert led Brooklyn with a career-high of 28 points, hitting 8 of 13 field goals, 2 of 5 threes and 10 of 11 free throws, also a career high, along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 32 minutes of play two days after totaling 27 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds the game before, the season opener in Detroit versus the Pistons.
“He was our leader tonight,” said Brooklyn’s head coach Kenny Atkinson. “That was a heck of a finish at the end.”
LeVert’s shot left one second on the clock. They would’ve preferred for it to go to zero. They didn’t want to risk a turnover, giving the Knicks a last chance. As planned, the play that Atkinson had drawn up worked, getting the ball into the hands of LeVert.
“He can really drive the ball,” Atkinson noted, giving LeVert his props.
“I just wanted to get the shot that I wanted,” said LeVert. “I wanted to get the last shot.”
Even David Fitzdale, the Knicks’ new first-year head coach, was complimentary in defeat, giving LeVert props on closing out the game.
“I thought Caris LeVert made a tough shot,” said Fitzdale, impressed with his game. He assigned Hardaway to check him. “We even had help come over from the weak side. He hit a tough spinner off the glass. The kid is a big-time talent.”
The kid, LeVert, also hit for 19 Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers, a road game. After the Cleveland Cavaliers last night (Wednesday), Brooklyn closes out their three-game road trip in New Orleans against the Pelicans. They’ll host the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, featuring Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green Sunday in Brooklyn, an evening game, and then cross the bridge to play the Knicks again at the Garden Monday night.
