NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets (11-22) had been on a three-game losing streak coming into Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets (23-12), but they had an opportunity to beat a Nuggets team missing Nikola Jokic. More than that, Brooklyn had the chance to give forward Michael Porter Jr. a win over his former team and thankfully, everyone came away with a smile on their face.
The Nets beat the Nuggets 127-115 in a game that never really seemed close as Brooklyn led 92% of the team and had as much as a 22-point lead. Porter did his part to lead the Nets to victory as he put up 27 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists while forward Noah Clowney had a bounceback game of his own with 22 points and six rebounds while shooting 6-of-10 from the field.
Brooklyn caught a break not having to face Jokic or former Nets forward Cam Johnson, but Jamal Murray gave Brooklyn a run for their money with 27 points and 16 assists. The Nets can now rest easy, for now, that they have ended their losing streak at three games as they continue through a tough January. Here are three Nets takeaways from Sunday’s win over the Nuggets:
Michael Porter Jr. Gets One Over His Former Team
Porter was in danger of missing this game due to an illness, but he was able to come back to lift up the Nets’ offense and get a win over his former team. Prior to the game, Nuggets head coach David Adelman had plenty of good things to say about Porter and after the game, Porter recognized that he still had some of the best moments of his life in Denver. Porter showed the Nuggets how much he has grown since the trade.
Noah Clowney Has Strong Rebound Game
Clowney had arguably the best month of his three-year career in December, but the past few games had been quieter ones for him as he hadn’t caught fire from three-point land. On Sunday against Denver, he was efficient scoring from all over the floor and if he can play closer to that, Brooklyn might be able to sustain its offense if Porter has to miss more time moving forward.
Day’Ron Sharpe Playing Like A Starter In Nic Claxton’s Absence
Sharpe has been able to be the starting center for the Nets over the past two games due to Nic Claxton’s absence due to personal reasons and Sharpe has been taking advantage of the extra playing time. Over the past two games, Sharpe is averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 57.1% from the field and 63.6% from the free-throw line in 31.0 minutes per game.