Brooklyn Nets (preseason) basketball is back, and there’s a win in the books. 

With both Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert out of the game with ankle sprains, viewers were not able to see what the team fully has to offer. Still, the Nets were the dominant team throughout the game, even with the Knicks threatening in the fourth quarter. 

One part of Brooklyn’s game that stood out especially was the team’s passing. With quick, sharp and active movement, Brooklyn kept pressure on the Knicks as it built a lead as large as 18 in the third quarter. 

The team’s defense was also evident tonight, holding New York to 38.3 percent shooting. 

The two biggest stories of the game are D’Angelo Russell’s play and the team’s three-point shooting.

First, Russell was ready to play tonight. He started the game alongside Jeremy Lin, faciliated offense and put up big numbers of his own (more on that below).

Lin, on the other hand, was not as impressive. He was able to distrubute well, but not finish at the rim when creating shots. 

For the three-point shooting, it seemed as if the Nets almost could not miss. They finished the game 16-32 from three, and even though the Knicks cut into the lead in the fourth quarter, the offensive production from beyond the arc allowed Brooklyn to sneak by.

Heading into Thursday night’s game against the Miami Heat, it will be interesting to see if LeVert or Crabbe will be available to play. After a strong offensive showing and unselfish play, the Nets still need to work on a problem from last season: holding a lead through the second half of games.