Following Brooklyn’s 120-115 upset in Game 4, a large chunk of the nationally-geared sportswriting internet got in on the sudden, shocking goodness of Nets-Hawks. If you missed any of it, we’ve got you covered:
- For SB Nation, Mike Prada discusses how the Nets have turned this into a legitimate series by citing four points: Containing Kyle Korver, letting Jeff Teague & Dennis Schröder beat them, getting Brook Lopez the ball on short rolls to the basket, and the health of Al Horford and Paul Millsap. All good points, with the ones about Korver & Lopez the most salient. As Prada notes, Korver is Atlanta’s most impactful player in terms of the on-off court offense, and the Nets have attacked him defensively in ways that have messed with Korver’s rhythm. As for Lopez, the Nets have killed opponents by getting Lopez the ball in the 8-12 foot range, because he shoots so quickly off the catch that it’s unstoppable if he has a sliver of space.
- Zach Lowe of Grantland discusses “The Spursgasm,” which was born out of one of those aforementioned Lopez short rolls. The Nets have moved the ball exceptionally well in these past two games, and have looked little like the plodding mess that slogged through the middle of the season.
- At Deadspin, Kyle Wagner hops on the Zombie Nets bandwagon and breaks down how Deron Williams shocked the Hawks in Game 4.
- Matt Moore of CBS Sports goes further than anyone above by saying the Nets could be headed for the “perfect storm upset,” citing past 1-8 playoff battles to make the case.
- Off the topic of Nets-Hawks, Complex Mag followed around the social media crews of various teams, including the Hawks and the Nets. Really interesting look into how team’s social media strategies have evolved: the best team accounts are younger, fresher, and are willing to do more to connect the fan with the team.
