From Our Contributors, Sports

Nets Head West After Rout Of Washington 

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By Samori Benjamin

Solid Bridges Takes His Solid Game Out West

Photo: Special to the NY Beacon

The Brooklyn Nets beat up on the lowly Washington Wizards last Friday night December 8th with a comfortable 124-97 win at the Barclays Center. The only team with a worse record than the 3-win Wizards are the Detroit Pistons who currently have lost their last 20 consecutive games. Mikal Bridges led 6 Nets in double figures with 21 points. Center Nic Claxton was another one of the Brooklyn 6 to score in double figures with 13 and he also pulled down 15 rebounds.  Washington was led by the 17 points of forward Kyle Kuzma. 

Fox Big 4th Crushes Nets

Photo: Special to the NY Beacon

One of the more confounding stories of the NBA season has been the play of Washington shooting guard Jordan Poole who was traded to Washington over the summer after playing a critical role in the Golden State Warriors winning the championship in 2022. Poole finished with just 7 points against Brooklyn. He is averaging just 16 points this season on a horrendous 40% shooting from the floor, and 29% from three. Poole is in the first year of a four-year $128 million dollar extension that he signed after helping the Warriors win that 2022 championship. Many expected him to blow up this season now that he is in a situation where he could take more shots but his play has dipped significantly. 

The Nets began a five-game road trip this past Monday night and lost in Sacramento to the Kings 131-118. Sacramento got twenty-point games from their three guards. De’Aaron Fox had a game high 29 points and he dished out 8 assists.  Keegan Murray had 24 points, and Fox’s college teammate at Kentucky Malik Monk finished the game with 21 points.  Big man Domantas Sabonis scored 15 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and had 9 assists. Mikal Bridges led the Nets with 22 points and Cam Thomas had 20 points, but most of his points came in garbage time late in the final quarter. The Nets record is now 12-10 and they next play against old friend Kevin Durant and his Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.