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Brown helps the Nets secure the No. 7 seed and a meeting with the Celtics
By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews
In a COVID-19 vaccination commercial featuring Bruce Brown, the versatile Brooklyn Nets guard says “my game is not pretty,” a description of his hard nosed play. “I dive for loose balls. I played the 5-man [center] last year when the team needed me to.
“I’ll literally do anything that the team needs me to do out there on the floor.” And Brown has, providing grittiness on defense and clutch baskets. Leading into the Nets’ 115-108 Tuesday night Play-In Tournament victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brown’s contributions were needed for the Nets to lock in the No. 7 seed.
The 25-year-old guard who played his college ball at the University of Miami had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals in 40 minutes to augment Kyrie Irving’s team-high 34 points and Kevin Durant’s 25. On Friday, he scored 18 points with 10 rebounds in 40 minutes in a 118-107 home victory to keep the Nets in contention for the 7-seed they would secure. Brown followed up with 21 points and 7 rebounds against the
Pacers on Sunday. “We all love how Bruce has been playing lately,” said Durant after Friday’s game. The Nets had to have big efforts from Irving, Durant and Brown to hold off a talented Cavs team to avoid playing another game to earn a spot in the postseason. The Nets shot 71% in the first quarter and took a 40-20 lead at the end of the period. By halftime they were up 57-43. Yet the Cavs, who face the winner of last night’s Atlanta Hawks-Charlotte Hornets Play-In game at home tomorrow, were down just 99-93 with 4:17 remaining in the game. The charge was led by their dynamic point guard Darius Garland, who tied Irving for a game-high 34 points. Now the Nets will take on the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics. The best-of-seven series could be determined by the availability of Nets forward Ben Simmons (back) and Celtics center Robert Williams. Both defensive specialists are out with injuries. Nets guard Bruce Brown has made key contributions to the team all season while the availability of “I know that team very well and they know forward Ben Simmons for their upcoming series versus the Boston Celtics is uncertain (Bill Moore photos) us very well and it’ll be a back and forth,” said Irving, who played for the Celtics from 201719, “and once you throw that ball in the air, you’re going to really see some spectacular basketball.”
Two of the NBA’s best point guards went head-to-head last night (Wednesday) when LaMelo Ball’s
Charlotte Hornets faced Trae Young’s Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament game (Bill Moore photos)
April’s NBA Play-In Tournament has a feeling of March Madness
By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
The celebration at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday night after the No. 7 seed Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 to secure a spot in the playoffs was reminiscent of an NCAA Final Final four triumph. Former Clipper Patrick Beverley, now the emotional leader of the Timberwolves, catalyzed the pomp and circumstance.
“Man, I wanted this one so bad,” said the spirited point guard. “This is just the icing on the cake, the cherry on top…I told you we were going to the playoffs…y’all looked at me like I was crazy when I first said that. I f---ing told y’all.”
The Wolves, despite a frustrating night from their best player, All-Star Karl Anthony Towns, who fouled out after playing only 24 minutes and scoring 11 points, overcame a fourth quarter deficit to move on to face the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies. It was was sensational in scoring a team-high 30 points. Twenty-six-year-old D’Angelo Russell, the No. 2 overall selection in 2015, added 29 impactful points for the young and rising squad. Tomorrow, the Clippers, who were paced by Paul George’s 34 points, will host the winner of last night’s game between the Western Conference’s No. 9 seed New Orleans Pelicans and the No. 10 seed San Antonio Spurs. Whichever team emerges victorious will be the West’s No. 8 seed and face the conference’s No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns in the opening round. Two of the NBA’s best point guards AMNEWS battled last night when Trae Young and the East’s No. 9 seed Atlanta Hawks took on 04/07/22 LaMelo Ball and the No. 10 seed Charlotte Hornets. Whoever came out of that game on top will travel to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers tomorrow with the winner of that game advancing to meet the No. 1 seed Miami Heat in the first round.
AMNEWS 04/14/22
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