After a dominant 113-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, the Brooklyn Nets are finally coming home. But not before they made some history on the road.
Due to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus holing up at the Barclays Center, The Nets have not played a home game since March 17; an usually-late eight game, 17-day road trip. The last of which saw the team break the franchise mark for road wins in a season, and guarantee the Nets' first winning record away from home since joining the NBA. Now at 43 wins, Brooklyn only trails the 2005-2006 Nets (49) for most in team history.
"That's really significant," P.J. Carlesimo said in Cleveland after the game. "I'm really proud of them. They deserve it. That's a hell of a job."
While at 5-4, the road-trip was a success, setting the franchise mark for road wins proved a bit more difficult than they had hoped. The Nets entered the week 4-1 on the trip before dropping two straight in Denver and Utah. Lackluster performances resulting in 22 and 9-pint losses respectively forced the Nets to wait until they arrived in Cleveland to put the 2012-13 team in the books.
As most teams have this season, the Nets ran rough shot over the Cavs, including a ridiculous 83 percent (15 of 18) shooting percentage in the second quarter that saw Brooklyn outscore Cleveland 38-16. The Nets scored more points in the second quarter (38), than Cleveland did in the entire first half (36). Things got so out of hand in the second quarter, Deron Williams even dunked—his first of the season.
Despite playing without Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace, the Nets were keyed by MarShon Brooks' career-high 27 points, and Williams' 24-points and eight assists as the Brooklyn backcourt had their way with Cleveland. In the process Williams raised his season-total of 3-pointers to 153, third most in team history.
Now back at home for a three-game homestretch, the playoff-bound Nets have no time to rest. They pick things right back up tonight against the Chicago Bulls—one of two teams they're trying to hold off for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. This stretch will also see them play the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers. Like their eight-game road trip, these will all be great late-season tuneups to test the merit of their playoff fight.
And it's still worth noting: if the Nets can win seven of these final eight games, they can hit the 50-win mark. Who would have thought that was in the cards last December, when Avery Johnson was still coach?
