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The Nets have been among the many NBA’s hottest groups bridging final weekend’s All-Star break, having received 11 of 12 after Thursday’s key victory over the Celtics.
That surge began one sport after the Nets lost on the road Feb. 9 to the group presently with the worst report within the Jap Convention, the Pistons, to fall to 14-12 on the season.
Now contending with the 76ers for the highest spot within the East — even with out Kevin Durant (hamstring) as a part of the Large 3 alongside James Harden and Kyrie Irving — the Nets admit they’re trying ahead to dealing with the Pistons (10-27) once more, Saturday night time at Barclays Middle.
“That was a sport that turned the tide for us and allowed us to get it going, however [Saturday] goes to be fascinating,” veteran ahead Jeff Inexperienced stated after a late-afternoon observe on Friday. “Their personnel is a bit bit totally different. Clearly, Blake [Griffin] just isn’t there. He’s right here.
“However we owe them one. We owe them one and want to come back out with the identical focus we’ve had the final 10-plus video games.”
Griffin will sit out a second straight game since signing with the Nets earlier this week. He formally accepted a contract buyout final week from the rebuilding Pistons, who additionally dealt Derrick Rose to the Knicks on Feb. 8.
“They beat us final time, in order that’s a superb alternative for us,” Harden stated after Thursday’s win over the Celtics. “Clearly, Blake is right here with us now, however they nonetheless have some actually good items over there.
“We don’t take any opponent flippantly, I feel it’s all about us and our method mentally going into video games, and that ought to deal with itself.”
Nets coach Steve Nash agreed, nonetheless, that the earlier loss to Detroit served as a turning level for his surging group. The Nets additionally had misplaced early-season video games to different groups with dropping data, together with the Wizards (twice), Cavaliers (twice) and Thunder.
“There’s two causes that’s correct, aside from the plain,” Nash stated Friday. “The 2 equally apparent causes are, one, we’ve obtained to attempt to get higher each night time. So if we focus and lock in, that offers you an opportunity to enhance. After which, two, we wish to end with as many wins as attainable and see the place our standing is on the finish of the 12 months.
“After all there’s gonna be nights that we’ll be challenged with well being or no matter it might be within the second half and we’re not gonna most likely have it each single night time, however the perspective, the endeavor, the dedication each night time is what’s gonna make us higher by the top of the 12 months.”
Inexperienced added that the February loss to the Pistons “uncovered us” and offered the Nets “an consciousness of what we would have liked to do to develop into who we needed to develop into.” He was certainly one of a number of gamers to talk within the locker room following that sport.
“I can’t recall phrase for phrase what I stated, I don’t suppose I may say it on right here [on Zoom], however all of us listened and all of us stated our piece and made modifications. And it was modifications for the nice,” Inexperienced stated.
“I feel we simply got here collectively,” added Bruce Brown, who performed for the Pistons final season. “We talked after that sport, talked about so much, went over so much in observe, the defensive rotations and what we’ve obtained to do offensively.
“[The loss] undoubtedly pissed us off. We thought we dropped a sport we should always have received, for certain. However we’re going to lock into this sport [Saturday] and attempt to give it every part we’ve obtained.”
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