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 three takeaways from Saturday’s win at the Timberwolves:
Cam Thomas Impresses In Return
Thomas had been out of action since Nov. 5 (20 games) when he suffered his left hamstring strain and with that amount of time off the court, one wouldn’t be surprised to see him struggle in his first game in almost two months. However, Thomas did the opposite of that as he finished the game with 30 points (9-of-15 from the field), three rebounds, and four assists in just 20 minutes of action.
Michael Porter Jr. Continues Efficient Scoring
With Thomas returning to the lineup, it was fair to wonder if Porter would be able to continue his efficient scoring given that Thomas would be working himself back into the flow of the offense in real-time. Porter not only dropped 27 points (9-of-16 from the field), 10 rebounds, and four assists, but he did so while looking comfortable next to Thomas.
Day’Ron Sharpe Delivers Off The Bench
Sharpe has been the backup center to starter Nic Claxton for the past few seasons, but the only reason that Sharpe isn’t playing more than 16.4 minutes per game this season isn’t because of his inability to do so. Sharpe dropped 10 points (5-of-5 from the field), four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in just 17 minutes off the bench while being a +21 in plus/minus.