By the Associated Press
The Brooklyn Nets usually do well when they hold opponents under 100 points. They did it again Friday night for the second straight game.
Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris (12) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings guard Yogi Ferrell (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, in New York. The Nets won 116-97. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 23 points and Joe Harris added 22 in the Nets’ 116-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Brooklyn is 34-6 under coach Kenny Atkinson when keeping opponents under 100.
“We’re just trying to play good basketball, play the right way,” Harris said. “We’ve done a better job here lately defensively. When you’re able to get stops, things offensively come a lot easier.”
Garrett Temple finished with 18 points, Jared Allen had 11 points and nine rebounds, and DeAndre Jordan added 10 rebounds for the Nets.
Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 18 points. Buddy Hield had 16, Justin James 14, Nemanja Bjelica 13 and Richaun Holmes 12 as Sacramento shot 4 of 26 from 3-point range.
“If you’re a 3-point shooting team and you shoot 15 percent, you’re not going to win a lot of games,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “Brooklyn also beat us up on the glass.”
The Nets outrebounded the Kings 48-33, matching their highest differential of the season.
Temple’s 3-pointer opened the scoring and Brooklyn never trailed in the game.
Leading 26-23 after the first quarter, the Nets began the second on a 17-8 run to open a 12-point lead at 43-31. The Kings, with Hield scoring 14 first-half points, pulled within seven at halftime, 56-49.
Temple’s 3-pointer capped a 10-2 run and gave the Nets a 15-point lead, 66-51.
The Kings were able to get back within 10 points at 72-62, but Dzanan Musa’s two free throws with 39 seconds left gave the Nets a 16-point lead after three quarters.
“Looking at all our games before this, the third quarter was really our crutch,” Allen said. “Now we’re getting rid of it and we’re running full speed.”
Jordan’s dunk midway through the fourth made it a 22-point advantage at 104-82.
“I think our defense was outstanding again,” Atkinson said. “We talked about it pregame. I thought they were active, just a lot of deflections, forcing turnovers, so that’s good news.”
Source: Manila Bulletin
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