Now healthy, the Nets are finally putting things together.
Deron Williams has been back for two games now, and the Nets have won both games. This time they beat a team that entered the season as a Western Conference contender, the Los Angeles Clippers, for their third straight win, 102-93, on Thursday night.
Things seem to be trending upward for Jason Kidd's squad after it couldn't have been more miserable. It turns out it means a lot to get your superstar point guard back in the fold with a healthy body.
Williams had just 15 points against Los Angeles, but Brooklyn got 21 apiece from Joe Johnson and Andray Blatche to push easily past the Clippers. Doc Rivers' team shot just 37 percent from the floor and hit only six of 24 of its attempts from downtown.
Chris Paul had 20 points in 28 minutes, but he had only two assists and got hardly any support throughout the night from his starting lineup. Prior to tonight, Paul hadn't registered fewer than seven assists in a single game. Jamal Crawford had 19 points, and Blake Griffin pitched in 12 points and 11 boards.
More from SB Nation NBA:
• "What the f--k is this?": An oral history of Kurtis Blow's "Basketball"
• Flannery: Doc Rivers returns to Boston and all is forgiven
• "ATO" geniuses: Former NBA assistant coach explains out-of-bounds plays