The Brooklyn Nets (10-19) have been playing some of their best basketball in the month of December as they have changed their identify to using the defensive end of the floor to make their impact. With a matchup at the Minnesota Timberwolves (20-12) looming on Saturday, Brooklyn had the chance to take their winning streak to three games and the Nets were able to accomplish their goal.

The Nets beat the Timberwolves 123-107 in a game that started out as a back-and-forth before Brooklyn pulled away from Minnesota in the third quarter. Guard Cam Thomas returned after missing the past 20 games to drop 30 points and four assists off the bench while forward Michael Porter Jr. continued scoring like he has been all season as he finished the game with 27 points and 10 rebounds.

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards did his best to keep this team with his 28 points and seven rebounds, but the Nets did a good job of limiting Julius Randle to just 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field. Brooklyn found a way to keep the winning going by competing on the defensive end of the floor so here are the Nets player grades following Saturday’s win over Minnesota:

Egor Demin: C

Demin struggled to shoot the ball against the Timberwolves despite getting some good looks thanks to the attention that Thomas and Michael Porter Jr. drew throughout the game. With Demin starting alongside Thomas, he can play off of the team’s two best scorers, but if he is going to shoot this poorly, he will have to focus more on impacting the game through his passing and defending the opposing ball-handlers.

Terance Mann: B-

Mann remained in the starting lineup despite Thomas returning for the first time in almost two months and similar to most of his games, Mann’s impact goes beyond what the stat sheet says. Mann did a good job of doing everything else on the floor outside of his scoring as he rebounded well, protected the ball while running the offense, and he made things difficult for Minnesota’s perimeter players.

Michael Porter Jr.: A

Not much more can be said about Porter and what he has done for this team, especially in the absence of Thomas for what seemed like half of the season. Porter did a great job of scoring the ball at all three levels and he seemed to give more effort in rebounding the ball, something that head coach Jordi Fernandez has been asking him to do over the past few games.

Noah Clowney: C+

Clowney struggled shooting the ball, especially from three-point land, despite getting some open looks throughout the game because of the attention being drawn by Thomas and Porter. Clowney has been a streaky three-point shooter over the past two seasons, but he did a good job of rebounding the basketball and trying to be in the right spot on the defensive end of the floor.

Nic Claxton: B+

Claxton did a good job of scoring the ball efficiently despite having to go against Rudy Gobert for the majority of the game, not the easiest task against one of the best defenders in NBA history. Claxton did a solid job of rebounding the ball despite having to deal with Gobert on the boards and he did a good job of protecting the rim against some of Minnesota’s best scorers.

Danny Wolf: C

Wolf did a good job of scoring the ball overall despite struggling with his three-point shot and that should encourage fans given how dependent the rookie has been in making his three-pointers. Wolf is usually more active on the glass so that is something he will have to improve on next time out and once again, he turned the ball over more than he generated assists.

Day’Ron Sharpe: A

Sharpe did a great job of contributing in multiple ways outside of his rebounding as he was as efficient as possible scoring the ball in the paint, despite having to deal with the Timberwolves’ length in the frontcourt. Sharpe did his usual job of rebounding while throwing in some nice assists and picking up some steals thanks to his active hands in the defensive passing lanes.

Cam Thomas: A+

Thomas came back to the rotation following almost two months on the shelf due to his left hamstring strain, but Thomas was not rusty as he looked determined to do as much as possible in his limited time on the floor. Thomas played just 20 minutes, but the fact that he scored 30 points and put up four assists showed just how impactful he can be in whatever role he has.

Drake Powell: C+

Powell was solid during his time on the floor after missing the past couple of games with his right ankle sprain, but he looked like he was ready to go from the time he stepped on the floor. Powell still has to figure out his role on this team, especially with Thomas back in the fold. The good news for Powell is that he can affect the game through his athleticism and activity.

Nolan Traore: B

Traore continued seeing the backup point guard minutes behind Demin and Traore did what he was asked of him, which was to run the offense without turning the ball over and setting up Thomas whenever possible. Traore was efficient with the ball in his hands, scoring and passing, and he didn’t turn the ball over, something that Fernandez has been wanting from his ball-handlers since last season.