In a recently concluded Eastern Conference play-off, the Nets fought hard for four quarters to finally defeat the Cavaliers 115-108 and officially advance to the playoffs as seventh in the East, and in the first round they will play against the second-place Celtics in the East.
And this first round of the showdown is almost a copy of last season, only this time, the positions of the two teams are reversed.
The Nets established a 20-point lead in the first quarter, which ensured they held the Cavaliers' counterattack at the back, while Irving and Durant took turns to take over the game, completely stifling the Cavaliers' hopes of turning the game.
Irving exploded with 34 points, three rebounds and 12 assists, including 20 points on 9-of-9 shooting in the first half. Durant contributed 25 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, and made consecutive shots in key moments of the fourth quarter to help the Nets through the difficulties.
In addition to the two giants playing well, the Nets won this game, and Bruce Brown can be called the biggest surprise.
In the whole game, Brown started and played 40 minutes and 23 seconds, shooting 8 of 19 and 2 of 6 three points, contributing to the full performance of 18 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, as well as 3 steals, attacking and defending well. Throughout the fourth quarter, Brown alone delivered 5 assists, a good boost to the team's offense, in the last minute, he also sent a wonderful pass and completed a key layup, a single 4 points, to help the Nets with 21 seconds left, to open up an 8-point lead, the performance is extremely critical, becoming one of the big contributors to the game.
It can even be said that Brown's performance in this game has a bit of Harden's flavor, especially this quasi-triple-double data, which is a good way to fill the gap after Harden left the team. Of course, Brown can't replace Harden, but being able to play such a performance undoubtedly shares the pressure of Durant and Irving to a large extent.
Whether it's offense, rebounding, passing, or defense, Brown has played his little fastness to the fullest. The key point is that he delivered 8 assists, but he didn't take the ball at all.
It is worth mentioning that in Nash's platoon, Brown has always played the number four position, and this position, when Ben Simmons returns, is likely to be replaced by him. After the game, the famous Perkins could not help but praise Brown and called on Ben Simmons to learn how Brown played.
Perkins wrote: "Simmons really should have learned more about how Brown played, and in this game, Brown showed Simmons what role he should play in the team when he returned from injury. ”
Indeed, playing next to the two top offensive giants, Ben Simmons should be better positioned and aware of his position. Just like Brown, although he is only a role player, he can deliver such an all-round performance, and Ben Simmons's strength is beyond doubt, in addition to the offensive stability needs to be strengthened, his ability to defend, protect the frame and pass the ball, he is more talented than Brown, not to mention, his physical condition is beyond Brown's reach.
Therefore, after Ben Simmons returns, we must lower our posture, first do ourselves from the defensive end, and then share the pressure of the double giants in passing and attacking. If Ben Simmons can play a stat like Brown around the Big Two, there's no doubt the Nets' Big Three will be pretty scary when they're healthy.