FanPost

Good Play of the Day: Spencer Dinwiddie the real MVP

The Brooklyn Nets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday with a full-team effort. The only active player who did not get into the game was Yakuba Ouattara, the Ghanaian guard whom the Nets signed to a two-way contract this summer but who has yet to play an NBA game. Although Coach Atkinson has shown a frequent willingness to go deep into his bench (a proclivity that should help newcomers Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas), it became a necessity in this game due to two particular personnel issues.

First, the Trevor Booker trade earlier in the day robbed the team of some of its front-court depth. Timofey Mozfov consequently played seven minutes, a promotion from the consistent "DNP- Coach's Decision" that he has been receiving over the past three weeks. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also ended up playing his most minutes since returning from a right ankle sprain. The dynamic young forward responded with a fantastic, well-rounded game.

The second personnel issue emerged unexpectedly, as star point guard Spencer Dinwidde picked up three fouls in the first quarter alone (plus a technical foul for arguing one of the calls). With the team struggling in the absence of their best player, Atkinson tried bringing Spencer back into the game too soon. Twice Spencer reentered the game only to be called for an additional foul less than two minutes later, eventually picking up his fifth foul midway through the third quarter. In total, Spencer only played 6 and half minutes in the first half, as Oklahoma City built their lead as large as 16.

The rest of the team showed Mexican fans what Brooklyn Grit is all about, and the locals seemed to embrace the scrappy Nets, occasionally breaking out into "DE-FENSE" chants. Caris LeVert led the way, in what was his second straight impressive outing. Even without a true point guard in the game to match up against Russell Westbrook, Brooklyn clawed back into the contest and the score remained close (neither team leading by more than 5 points) for much of the second half.

With 8:24 left in the game, and the score deadlocked at 84 apiece, Spencer reentered the game for the final time. Although everyone knew that one more ticky-tack call would result in him fouling out, now was the time to decide the game. And decide it Dinwiddie did.

Russell Westbrook took two foul shots a minute later, and the fans in Arena Ciudad de Mexico started up the old "MVP" chant. As the chants rained down, Spencer raised his hand. It was a signal to the bench, but it could have been a signal to the world. He got this.

When last year's NBA regular season MVP missed the second free-throw, Spencer corralled the rebound. On what proved to be the decisive play of the game, he ended up taking the ball into the corner, collapsing the Thunder defense, and then zipping a perfect pass through the trees to Allen Crabbe. The open sharpshooter drilled the three-pointer, giving Brooklyn a lead they would never relinquish.

A minute later, Spencer probed the defense and, at the perfect time, threw it out to Rondae in the corner for a three-pointer that just beat the shot clock. Then Rondae returned the favor on the next possession, with Spencer knocking down the corner three even as the Thunder defender knocked down him. Just like that, Brooklyn led by eight.

Nobody is claiming that Spencer is going to win the league MVP this season. It should probably go to the best player on a team with one of the best records in the league. The Brooklyn Nets are not that (yet). The Nets' record is, however, within one win of the celebrated Oklahoma City Thunder. And on this night in Mexico City, they had the best point guard on the court.