The Brooklyn Nets earned a major win with the help of a last-second tip-in from forward Royce O’Neale.
The Brooklyn Nets won a nail-bitter against the Trail Blazers on Thursday night, and offseason acquisition Royce O’Neale sealed the game with a final second tip-in in Portland.
Superstar Kevin Durant shot the lights out for the Nets scoring an impressive 35 points. As a team, the Nets shot more than 10 percent better than the Damian Lillard-led Blazers.
Brooklyn’s playmaking was the key difference in the victory, as Brooklyn dished 10 more assists than Portland. Ben Simmons produced his best stat line of the season so far, recording 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Sharpshooter Joe Harris seemed to be back in form tonight, hitting half of his shots from behind the arch.
Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Brooklyn Nets and Ben Simmons beating the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Brooklyn Nets beat the Blazers in Portland 109-107 thanks to Royce O’Neal’s tip-in game-winner.
Ben Simmons had his best game of the season, as he flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Simmons was also a focal point for Brooklyn on the defensive side of the court.
Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the former 76ers star putting up his best game of the season.
Nets’ Kyrie Irving is finally set to return, following an eight-game suspension the guard will look to play the Grizzlies on Sunday.
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been serving an indefinite suspension after tweeting support for an antisemitic film back in October. Irving has so far missed eight games while he’s been working to get a better understanding of how hurtful his actions were.
NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic has reported that Irving is set to return on Sunday, in the Nets’ home game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 7-time All-star was originally served with a suspension of no less than five games, with a list of stipulations that involved getting to know the Jewish community more. It appears that he has reached those requirements and he can now return to the team.
Just In: Suspended Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is expected to be cleared to play on Sunday vs. Memphis at Barclays Center, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
While the guard faced heavy criticism after the incident, it seemed that most of the league felt that he has served a fair punishment a few games ago. The NBPA stated that it would file a grievance on Irving’s behalf if he wasn’t allowed to return to the team soon. Former teammate LeBron James voiced similar thoughts, claiming that the Nets’ mandates were “excessive.”
The latest on Kyrie Irving’s status with the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is nearing a return to the floor, but won’t be in the lineup on Thursday night in Portland.
ESPN basketball insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Irving is “nearing completion on the process needed for a return to play and could rejoin the Brooklyn Nets.”
NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio stated Kyrie “rejects antisemitism in any form, and he’s dedicated to bettering himself and increasing his level of understanding.”
NBPA's Tamika Tremaglio to ESPN: "He has been grappling with the full weight of the impact of his voice and actions, particularly in the Jewish community. Kyrie rejects antisemitism in any form, and he’s dedicated to bettering himself and increasing his level of understanding." https://t.co/2JuDJvgCcy
Basketball writer Sam Amick of The Athletic talked about the possible return on his podcast, The Glue Guys. “It does feel he will likely be back sooner rather than later. I do not anticipate him playing in Portland on Thursday night. I believe the next game is at home against Memphis. It feels like that could be a possibility. Especially, you know, having a home game and before they hit the road again.”
Our prediction and best bet for Thursday’s Nets at Blazers game.
The Brooklyn Nets play the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at BetMGM.
The Nets’ stop in Portland is the last in a four-game road swing, and Brooklyn is currently mired in a two-game losing streak. On Tuesday in Sacramento, the Nets allowed a season-high 153 points in a blowout loss.
Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Nets’ stop in Portland on Thursday night.
The Brooklyn Nets play the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.
The Nets have suffered two losses in a row, despite superstar Kevin Durant’s best efforts. Durant sits at seventh in the NBA for scoring per game, bringing in 30.3 points per game and shooting 52 percent from the hardwood.
The Nets have been without guard Kyrie Irving, but his suspension seems to be coming to an end soon, as ESPN reports that Irving is expected to return this weekend. With Durant keeping the team’s offense afloat, can the Nets avoid another road loss?
Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant sat down and discussed this offseason, but also illuded that his team’s starting lineup “doesn’t measure up.”
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant touched on trade request over the offseason, his frustrations with the coaching style and the Nets’ current issues in a must-read interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes., and claimed that the team’s current starting lineup “doesn’t measure up.”
Durant also seemed to send a clear message to general manager Sean Marks that the roster needs to improve following a 6-9 start, throwing shade at the four starters sharing the court with him.
“Look at our starting lineup. Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, Joe Harris, [Nic] Claxton and me. It’s not disrespect, but what are you expecting from that group? You expect us to win because I’m out there. So if you’re watching from that lens, you’re expecting us to play well because No. 7 is out there.
“I’m really having a good time. I wish y’all could hear me talk during the game. If I got mic’d up more, people would stop asking me if I’m happy or not. I’m enjoying every moment I get to step on this [expletive] court, and part of it is because I tore my Achilles. And the pandemic, I didn’t know if we were going to play again.”
Kevin Durant speaks out about the reasons behind his trade request over the summer.
Brooklyn Nets superstar forward Kevin Durant discussed his trade request over the offseason and his frustrations with the coaching staff, claiming that nobody was “one the same vibe” as him.
Durant requested a trade in June, following the Nets’ first-round exit in the playoffs. The Nets were reportedly unhappy with offers the organization received for Durant, who later asked Joe Tsai to fire Steve Nash and Sean Marks during a meeting in London. Tsai did not comply with any of Durant’s demands, though Nash did eventually lose his job just a few games into the 2022-23 season.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Kevin Durant explained that his trade request was about basketball, and went on to detail how he felt the staff around him was letting him down by not holding him accountable.
“It wasn’t difficult at all to request a trade because it was about ball,” Durant said. “I went to them and was like, ‘Yo, I don’t like how we are preparing. I don’t like shootarounds. I like practices. I need more. I want to work on more [expletive]. Hold me accountable. Get on my [expletive] in film if that’s going to help you get on everybody else’s head. I want to do more closeouts. I want to work on more shell drills at practice.’
“This was the type of [expletive] I was coming at them with. It wasn’t like, ‘Yo, y’all need to make sure everybody around me can make my life easier.’ Hell nah, I want to make everybody else’s life easier. Ask Steve Nash, you can go call him right now. I would say, ‘Yo, I need more closeout drills. We need to practice more.’ That’s what I was on.
“I wasn’t feeling that, and nobody was on that same vibe with me. Jacque Vaughn is. I had some complaints in the summer, and my complaints were not about just me; it was about how we are moving as a unit. I want us to be respected out here in the basketball world. I don’t want players to look at us and say, ‘Oh man, these [expletive] are full of [expletive]. That’s not the type of team I want to be on.’ So when we’re all playing like [expletive], you know the one person they’re going to look at. That’s why I requested a trade.”
But it’s not really about anything Simmons did — it’s actually about what he hasn’t been doing. And that is, well, actually playing basketball.
Simmons has only played in 10 of Brooklyn’s 15 games so far this season. And, when he has played, he just hasn’t been that effective. He’s only averaging 5.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists along with nearly 4 fouls per game. That just isn’t good enough.
And, apparently, his Nets teammates have grown frustrated with that. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that there’s been a growing “frustration” within the organization among players and coaches about Simmons’ lack of availability and his performances so far this year.
They went as far as questioning his “passion for the game,” according to Charania.
“According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation, the frustration surrounding Simmons had been building in recent weeks within the organization. The coaching staff and players have been concerned about his availability and level of play, with some questioning his passion for the game, those sources said. But even when he did play, Simmons’ struggles in his first nine games this season were part of the Nets frustration as well.”
He’s in a precarious situation. He spent last year dealing with mental health issues after requesting a trade. Now, he’s finally back to playing again, but his body is failing him between his ailing knee and back. Not only have they kept him off the court, but they’ve also slowed him down when he’s been out there.
It’s not really fair to question Simmons’ “passion” for the game here. He’s legitimately injured and team officials see that. He did have back surgery. He does have a bad knee. Those are not fabricated things.
At the same time, it’s understandable why some might question him. His past with the 76ers informs everyone’s present-day perception of him. Based on that, it’s easy to see how someone could question Simmons.
The Nets’ maligned point forward explained he was well aware of this in Charania’s piece, saying that there’s “only so much I can really do” to change his teammate’s perception of him. He’s right — the only thing that can change that is playing well and winning.
Simmons returned to the Nets on Tuesday night in a 32-point loss to the Kings where Sacramento dropped 153 points on Brooklyn. Despite the loss, it also happened to be his best so far this season. He scored a season-high 11 points in about 20 minutes along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
But, more importantly, he looked spry. And confident.
The Nets allowed a shocking 153 points on Tuesday night in a blowout loss to the Kings.
The Brooklyn Nets suffered a 32-point loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night, making it the team’s third loss in five games.
The Nets had one of the worst defensive performances in the history of the franchise against Sacramento. According to Statmuse, Brooklyn’s 153 points allowed is the second-most in team history, trailing only a double-overtime 161-157 loss to to Steve Nash’s Suns in 2006.
A total of six different Kings scored at least 14 points as Sacramento ran up the score on the Nets’ defense. Terence Davis torched the Nets from beyond the arc, making seven 3-pointers in just 26 minutes on the floor to lead all scorers with 31 points.
Here’s what fans, analysts and players were saying after Tuesday’s loss:
