Everybody might be on edge due to the election, but everybody in Brooklyn is happy.
Behind a 26-point performance from Brook Lopez, the Nets (3-4) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (1-5), 119-110, Tuesday night at Barclays Center. They dropped 31 points in the fourth quarter and even more important: they held Minnesota to just 19 points in the third quarter.
It was just a two-point Brooklyn lead down the stretch .Posting up in the corner, Brook Lopez was double-teamed with under 40 seconds left. He kicked it out to Bojan Bogdanovic at the top of the key, who was sitting just beyond the perimeter.
Bogdanovic, who was just 2-for-7, nailed the contested 3-pointer to put Brooklyn up by five with 37 seconds left. The bench and fans erupted.
On the following possession, the Nets came up with a big stop and sealed the deal at the free throw line as the Nets faithful chanted, "Brooo-klynnn" ... again.
The Nets survived a 36-point effort from Andrew Wiggins and 21 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Nets, however, held Towns to just two points in the second half. They also held Minnesota to just 42 percent shooting.
Meanwhile on their own end, they shot 55 percent and nailed 12-of-33 from deep. They survived without the long ball, having shot 3-of-17 in the second half. Wanna know Minnesota’s halftime adjustment? There it is.
In the first quarter, Gorgui Dieng stepped on Isaiah Whitehead’s head – forcing Whitehead to leave the game for the concussion protocol. He did return and facilitated the Brooklyn offense efficiently. He was a plus-12 on the night with six points, seven assists and most importantly, only two turnovers.
"That’s the toughness we need and the definition of Brooklyn grit," Lopez said about Whitehead’s incident. "That’s homegrown, and we need that from every player of ours."
That's just the way I grew up," Whitehead said. "That's where I'm from and what we do."
Kenny Atkinson said. "It’s his Coney Island toughness. We’re getting to feel comfortable with him out there."
Off the bench, the NBA’s top-scoring reserve, Sean Kilpatrick, finished with 14 points, while Joe Harris scored 11. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, coming off a 4-of-5 performance vs. Charlotte, shot 3-of-4 vs. Minnesota, hitting his lone three point attempt. He scored 13 points and also grabbed four rebounds and handed two assists.
This win was bigger than most think early in the season. The Nets are 3-4 and will now go on a five-game road-trip, starting tomorrow against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The rest of the nation – even world — might be very worried right now.
In Brooklyn, things ain't that bad.
- Box Score - Timberwolves vs. Nets - NBA.com
- Game Recap, Nets 119, Timberwolves 110 (Video) - NBA.com
- Wiggins drops 36 points, grabs 8 rebounds (Video) - NBA.com
- Brook Lopez does it all with 26 points (Video) - NBA.com
- KAT attack (Video) - NBA.com
- Follow flush (Video) - NBA.com
- Whitehead takes a blow (Video) - NBA.com
- Hanging and Hitting (Video) - NBA.com
- Watch the Feed (Video) - NBA.com
- Highlights: Nets vs. Timberwolves (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Luis Scola Extra Move (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Highlights: Brook Lopez (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Nets Sink Five 3's in 2nd Quarter (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Atkinson happy with the win (Video) - YES Network
- Lopez on closing out victory vs. Timberwolves (Video) - Sarah Kustok - YES Network
- Whitehead continues to win (Video) - YES Network
- Foye after win over T-Wolves (Video) - YES Network
- Harris on the Nets win (Video) - YES Network
- Trevor Booker assists Nets for the third win (Video) - YES Network
- Nets keep Wolves winless on the road with 119-110 win - Brian Mahoney - AP
- Whitehead does some of everything in glimpse at Nets hope - Brian Lewis- New York Post
- Brook Lopez comes up big against Karl-Anthony Towns in Nets’ 119-10 win over Timberwolves - Peter Botte - New York Daily News
- Nets take control of boards to win tight contest vs. Timberwolves - Greg Logan - Newsday
- Kenny Atkinson mulling whether to rest Brook Lopez again - Greg Logan - Newsday
- Nets grind a big win out against Andrew Wiggins and the Timberwolves, 119-110 (Game Grades) - Benny Nadeau - The Brooklyn Game