The Nets started their road trip on the right foot and extended their winning streak to five games with 99-90 victory in Sacramento on Sunday night.
"Right now, with the way we've been playing here recently -- not that we've been perfect, they are sensing something starting to happen," Avery Johnson said after the game. "We are still on the ground floor, but something is starting to happen."
The Nets trailed 16-8 early, but had a 12-point lead at halftime behind a 33-point second quarter and 18 first-half points from Andray Blatche. Then came the recurring third-quarter issues and the Kings closed to within two. It was a two-point game again early in the fourth quarter when the Nets went on a 13-2 run to pull away.
The Nets shot 48 percent from the field, but just 5-for-17 from three-point range. They had just 10 turnovers, but were outrebounded 42-33.
Blatche led six Nets in double-figures with 22 points, making 11 of his 12 shots from the field. Deron Williams added 14 points and 10 assists, while MarShon Brooks scored 14 points in just 12 minutes, including four key buckets in the fourth quarter. Brook Lopez shot just 5-for-14, but blocked four shots. Joe Johnson struggled once again, shooting 1-for-10 from the field.
In his return to the lineup, Gerald Wallace had four points and three assists in 25 minutes. His minutes will be limited, Avery Johnson said, with game-by-game assessments. Wallace told Stefan Bondy that the ankle was not as big a problem as a bone bruise that resulted when the ankle rolled over and bones in his foot brushed against each other.
- Boxscore - NBA.com
- Nets vs. Kings (Video) - NBA.com
- Blatche scores 22 to lead Nets over Kings - AP
- Avery Johnson talks about fifth straight win (Video) - YES Network
- Deron Williams on staying focused (Video) - YES Network
- MarShon Brooks talks abut his improved play (Video) - YES Network
- Blatche Excels Off Bench as Nets Win Fifth Straight - Jake Appleman - New York Times
- Nets hold in against awful Kings for fifth straight win - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Brooklyn Nets defeat Sacramento Kings, 99-90 - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Wallace returns to lineup - - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Gerald Wallace returns and explains why it took so long - Stefan Bondy - NY Daily News
- Balanced Nets offense survives ice cold Joe Johnson to beat lowly Kings - Stefan Bondy - NY Daily News
- Nets win fifth straight, beating Kings, 99-90 - Rod Boone - Newsday
- Deron Williams OK after hard fall - Rod Boone - Newsday
- Rapid Reaction: Nets 99, Kings 90 - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Rapid Recap: #Nets 99, #Kings 90 - Jim Mancari - SNY
- Thanks to Signings, Nets Can Now Rebound - Michael Salfino - Wall Street Journal
- Blatche, Brooks lead Nets to 5th Straight; Lakers next - Jason Schott - Brooklyn Fans
- Kings Blog and Q&A: In-game blog: Kings vs. Nets - Jason Jones - Sacramento Bee
- Photo Gallery: Sacramento Kings lose 99-90 to Brooklyn Nets - Paul Kitagaki Jr. - Sacramento Bee