The Brooklyn Nets (2-9) defeated the Atlanta Hawks (8-5) 90-88 on Tuesday.
Brook Lopez has been a consistent source of scoring on a Brooklyn team that has endured a forgettable season to date, and the big man was once again the linchpin of the offense Tuesday. Lopez tallied his third double-double in the last four games with a strong 24-point, 10-rebound effort. He also posted three blocks for the second consecutive game, giving him an impressive 11 stuffs over his last three contests.
Atlanta played without starters Jeff Teague and Kent Bazemore, who were sidelined with ankle injuries. Their offense was missed, with Atlanta falling considerably short of their 102.8 points per game average on Tuesday. Tiago Splitter entered the starting lineup but could only muster two points, three rebounds, and a block over 12 minutes, while Dennis Schroder pitched in with eight points, 10 assists, and five rebounds in Teague’s stead but struggled from the field for a second straight game (3-for-11). Al Horford (18 points), Paul Millsap (17 points), and Kyle Korver (13 points) all tallied respectable efforts, while Thabo Sefalosha’s and Shelvin Mack’s eight-point efforts paced the reserves. However, the Hawks simply could not muster sufficient scoring to avert the road upset.
Atlanta drops to 8-5 but remains in first place in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division. They head home for a date with the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
In addition to Lopez’s standout performance, frontcourt mate Thaddeus Young continued his recent stretch of significant offensive contributions with a second consecutive double-double. Young totaled 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals, and made a pair of game-winning throws after drawing a foul from Kyle Korver with one second left. Veteran Joe Johnson pitched in with his third double-digit scoring game (13 points) over his last four contests, while Jarret Jack once again provided stat-sheet-stuffing production from the point guard position (14 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and a steal). Shane Larkin paced the Nets bench with a pleasantly surprising 14 points.
Brooklyn improved their record to 2-9 and remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division. They head to Charlotte for a Wednesday showdown with the Hornets.
