No Jeremy Lin, no problem for the Brooklyn Nets who are now riding a two-game winning streak since losing their point guard. On Sunday, the Nets captured their second consecutive victory when they bested the Atlanta Hawks at the Barclays Center, 116-104.
Allen Crabbe, who the Nets traded for from the Portland Trail Blazers, led the charge for the winning team with 20 points off the bench. Crabbe also played well on the defensive end as he had five rebounds, one steal, and one block. DeMarre Carroll, who is known for his defense, had a terrific scoring night as he contributed 17 points for Brooklyn.
Nets starters D'Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert poured in 16 points apiece. Russell came close to a triple-double as he recorded 7 rebounds and 10 assists too. Another player from the second unit who scored in double figures was Trevor Booker with 14.
D'Lo taking over
In the absence of Jeremy Lin, D'Angelo Russell has taken over for the Brooklyn Nets. In three games so far this 2017-18 season, Russell is averaging career-highs 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest. He is the statistical leader of the team in points and assists. If he continues to play like this, the Nets giving up longtime franchise center Brook Lopez back in June would be justified.
The Nets traded Lopez and the 27th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft to the Los Angeles Lakers early in this year's offseason.
In exchange, they acquired Russell, together with the champion center, Timofey Mozgov.
Backcourt opportunities
The injury to Jeremy Lin is not all bad for the Brooklyn Nets, especially for their other backcourt players. Without Lin, Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson has been giving a lot of minutes to the likes of Caris LeVert, Allen Crabbe, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Joe Harris.
Two of these guys, LeVert and Crabbe, even had the opportunity to be inserted into the starting lineup. Crabbe started in their win over the Orlando Magic, while LeVert had the starting job versus the Atlanta Hawks.
Next games
The schedule gets harder for D'Angelo Russell and the Brooklyn Nets. Tomorrow, they will be at the Amway Center for a rematch with the Orlando Magic.
The Nets already defeated the Magic, but this time the latter has momentum after blowing out the Cleveland Cavaliers Saturday night. On Wednesday, the Nets are going to head back home at the Barclays Center. They are set to host the Cavaliers who are aiming to get back on track.
