The Nets continued their pursuit of the top spot in the Eastern Conference on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. Brooklyn more than did their part, knocking off the Magic, 129-92. But, the Nets are still stuck at No. 2 in the Eastern Conference because the Philadelphia 76ers took care of business against the Dallas Mavericks.
Surprisingly, James Harden did not log a double-double on Thursday. He finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while Kyrie Irving led the Nets with 27 points and nine assists, grabbing five boards along the way.
To round out the starting lineup, Bruce Brown and Joe Harris scored 14 points apiece, and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 11 points in his eight-point performance.
The real story in this one was Brooklyn’s bench. Nicolas Claxton scored 10 points and was a force on the defensive end, finishing with four steals and two blocks. Landry Shamet had one of his best nights as a member of the Nets; he had 19 points and nine rebounds.
“Our energy and connectivity has been outstanding,” Steve Nash said after the win. “We’re getting better in that department every week. You can feel it and see it, and that’s something we [have] got to continue to invest in.”
With their eighth consecutive win, the Nets matched their franchise record for 120-point games in a season (20), which was previously set in the 2018-19 campaign.
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