Big 4^th quarter carries Nets past Rockets

It wasn’t pretty but a win is a win. That’s what the sentiment must have been in the locker room. Cam Johnson was 5-9 from deep and helped his team get a much-needed win by scoring 31 points. This included a couple of big shots late, as Brooklyn scored 9 3-pointers in the final frame. Dinwiddie and O’Neale added big shots of their own, handing the Rockets their second straight loss on their New York trip.

Young Guns

The Houston Rockets have already been eliminated from playoff contention. They are last in the Western Conference and have only won 18 games this season. Times have been difficult for coach Silas and there have been moments where he has lashed out against his team. There was no reason for that last night, as his team showed a lot of fight and promise. Houston outrebounded Brooklyn by 11 and destroyed them on the offensive glass. Kevin Porter Jr. had 31 points. Alperen Sengun added 21 points and the team seemed in control in the 4^th. With the fight shown after a blowout loss in the Garden and at the end of a long road trip, things will be looking up for them in the future.

Consistently inconsistent

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets remain inconsistent. The rebounding battle was lost, with the team giving up a whopping 20 offensive boards. The defensive looked terrible at times, as getting stops seemed impossible. As many in Netsworld predicted; there are no easy wins for Brooklyn. Despite the Rockets not playing for anything, the Nets needed a smoking-hot 4^th quarter to end up on top. There is just a lack of consistency from game to game and also within the game. Last weekend Brooklyn destroyed the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, they followed up that win with an unnecessary loss against the Orlando Magic. And last night against the Rockets? “There’s no excuse for how we played the first 40 minutes of the game” said Cameron Johnson. He’s right!

The Six

Cam Johnson wasn’t the only player having a good offensive game. Mikal Bridges had 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Dinwiddie had another double-double with 20 points and 11 assists. Nic Claxton also had a double-double. He added 18 points and 10 boards. With the win, and Miami’s loss against the Knicks, the Nets strengthen their grip on the 6 seed. They will have a day off before hosting the Hawks on Friday. Another win would solidify the team’s hold on the 6^th spot and would go a long way into avoiding the play-in tournament.