Celtics

Brooklyn owns the paint against Denver in third straight win

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Final: 12/08/2019

W 105 – 102

The Brooklyn Nets ended up on top of a back-and-forth affair against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday thanks to key defensive stops and a surging Spencer Dinwiddie. 

The game took place on a lethargic Sunday afternoon, and the Nuggets showed it to start the game. Brooklyn at will from any spot on the floor, and we would not be surprised to learn that the Nets have the deed to Denver’s paint after this game — because they owned it.

The craziest statistic from Sunday’s game is the fact that Brooklyn outscored Denver in the paint 66-22. But a differential that large was evened out by the Nets’ beyond-the-arc accuracy. Shooting 25 percent on 28 attempts was not Brooklyn’s best showing, and these opposing forces cancelled each other out — with neither team holding a double-digit lead the entire match.

All the while, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets could not dominate the interior. Brooklyn builds most of its offense around three-point shooting, so it is always fascinating to see how they adapt when that shot is not falling.

It seems as if they did not miss a beat, right down to the end of the game when the Nets were able to score at will around the basket.

In tonight’s Game Grades, we looked at a few key players in this offensive switcharoo which brought Brooklyn to 13-10 on the season.

Jarrett Allen

A+

The stats: 19 PTS, 7-13 FG, 5-8 FT, 11 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO, 30 MIN

If you missed the Jarrett Allen hype-train, it’s too late because now this thing is going at full speed.

Not only was his afro perfect, but so was his presence in the paint on both ends on the court. He converted on his opportunities in the restricted area and stopped Jokic from abusing him like he has in some previous matchups.

Spencer Dinwiddie

A+

The stats: 24 PTS, 10-17 FG, 0-3 3PT, 4-5 FT, 4 REB, 8 AST, 3 TO, 34 MIN

Spencer Dinwiddie made a joke of the Denver defense.

Replay that video about 20 times, and you will have a pretty good idea of what Dinwiddie did this game. Seriously, he did it nearly every time he touched the ball.

Dinwiddie may actually be a robot, because that is one exceptional motor.

Taurean Prince

B-

The stats: 9 PTS, 3-13 FG, 1-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 11 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 33 MIN

Taurean Prince struggled offensively, but made up for it elsewhere. 

It was especially pronounced after how well he has slotted into his role in recent games. He was the only starter to not score in double-digits, but despite that, he was a force when it came to crashing the glass, and he was able to show flashes of his play-making ability to help his teammates score even when he could not.

Joe Harris

B

The stats: 13 PTS, 3-9 FG, 2-5 3PT, 5-5 FT, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 TO, 31 MIN

When Joe Harris has an off game, the whole team feels it.

That being said, when your version of an “off” night is shooting 40 percent from three, the rest of the team will have to figure out how to cope.

About the Author

Logan Gilchrist

Logan Gilchrist is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln pursuing degrees in both political science and sports media & communication.

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