The Brooklyn Nets’ end-of-year surge has been one of the most impressive win streaks of this NBA season. After losing eight games in a row, Brooklyn has turned it around, winning nine of 10, although they ended the year with two losses, one to the Charlotte Hornets and the other to the Milwaukee Bucks, two teams with records better than their record of 17-21, ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings and a two-position move upward in three weeks.
To their credit, Brooklyn has been able to improve themselves and break away from the bottom rung of teams currently in the East, 11 through 15. Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, the Knicks and Cleveland.
They’ve also beaten several of the conference’s best teams to get to the ninth seed, the Toronto Raptors, currently in second place, and the Philadelphia 76ers in fourth.
Brooklyn starts the new year off playing the New Orleans Pelicans at home before their three- game road trip—the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow night, the Chicago Bulls Sunday and the Boston Celtics Monday, a back to back before hosting the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday.
Consistent play from Spencer Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell, Joe Harris, Rodions Kurucs and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has also been a bonus to Brooklyn’s success. Players have been stepping up. Shabazz Napier’s 32 points; Kenneth Faried’s double-double, 21 points and 10 rebounds; and DeMarre Carroll’s 18 off the bench against the Bucks Saturday are a perfect example, although the team came up short in their comeback attempt.
Brooklyn started the game six players short because of injuries or rest, and then lost Hollis-Jefferson in the first quarter after a right groin injury.
“That’s the spirit of the group,” said Kenny Atkinson, Brooklyn’s head coach. “It’s kind of known throughout the league that this team doesn’t quit, keeps competing until the end.”
