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Kyrie continues to sizzle in Brooklyn. Irving went off for 39 points and nine assists as the Nets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 135-125 on Monday night at Barclays Center.
The Nets led 67-50 at halftime, but a 48-point third-quarter made things dicey down the stretch for Brooklyn.
“We just found a way,” said head coach Kenny Atkinson. “Crazy game. A lot of back-and-forth. [Brandon] Ingram was phenomenal of course; he hit some tough shots. We took a combination, a haymaker, however you want to call it, a couple of left hooks in the jaw in the third quarter.”
After the game, Irving asked Brooklyn fans to remain patient as the team adapts to a new roster.
“We just wanted to have a great homestand,” Irving said during a postgame on-court interview. “Obviously giving up 48 points in the third quarter is too much, just be patient with us. We’ll get there.”
Kyrie has now recorded three 30-point games during his first month as a Net. He has scored at least 20 points in all seven games this season.
The Nets are now 3-4 this season as they continue to show flashes of brilliance with Kyrie leading the way. Brooklyn will have the rest of the week off before returning to action Friday night on the road against the Portland Trailblazers.
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Kenny Atkinson Gets Creative
Through seven games this season, Brooklyn is allowing 120.3 points per game, fourth-most in the NBA. The defense almost cost the team on Monday night as the team allowed 48 points in the third quarter to the Pelicans.
To combat these lapses, head coach Kenny Atkinson is relying on techniques usually seen on the football field. During endgame situations, Atkinson has been seen holding up cue cards on the sidelines with a visual representation of the play call.
“We’ve had trouble communicating it to the guys in the past, so we came up with this idea,” Atkinson told the New York Post. We have to find a way so everybody knows. Sometimes you have to add a little humor to things. It sinks in a little more with the guys.”
The players have certainly taken notice. After the 123-116 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday at Barclays Center, center Jarrett Allen gave his feedback.
“It’s a ridiculous sign, but it gets our attention gets us to know what we need to do, so it works,” Allen said.
Allen has been one of the few consistent defenders Brooklyn has relied on this season and averaging almost 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
Nets Promote Second-Round Pick
Nicolas Claxton is heading to Brooklyn. On Monday the team announced they recalled the 2019 second-round pick from the Long Island Nets, their NBA G League Affiliate. Claxton suited up but did not appear in Monday’s win over the Pelicans.
Claxton made his professional debut during the preseason, averaging 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in three games. In two seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs, the South Carolina native averaged 8.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game
The move is likely to shore up Brooklyn’s defense, which is allowing 119.5 points per game, second-most in the NBA. The 6-foot-11 forward was a defensive star in college and led the SEC in rebounding his last season at Georgia.
Claxton comes from a great basketball pedigree. His father, Charles, was also a standout for Georgia in the early ’90s. Charles was later selected by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 1994 NBA Draft.
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