Player grades: Mikal Bridges drops 21 as Nets lose to Trail Blazers 105-103
The Brooklyn Nets visited Moda Center on Wednesday to face the Portland Trail Blazers and lost 105-103.
For the Nets, Mikal Bridges had 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists while Spencer Dinwiddie had 19 points and seven assists. Cam Johnson had 13 points and Lonnie Walker IV had 13 points off the bench.
For the Trail Blazers, Jerami Grant had 30 points and eight rebounds while Anfernee Simons had 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Duop Reath had 17 points and Malcolm Brogdon had 16 points.
In the first half, it was a back-and-forth affair as neither team could figure out how to stop the other for a first half that at least had a decent amount of scoring. Mikal Bridges (15 points) and Lonnie Walker IV (13 points) combined for 28 points to help the Nets take a 52-51 lead heading into halftime.
In the second half, it was a tale of two quarters as the Nets used a massive run in the third quarter to lead by 11 points thanks to some impressive play from Dinwiddie and Johnson. However, Portland took over in the fourth quarter to get back into the game where it came down to Simons hitting a clutch floater over Bridges to win the game 105-103.
Here are your Nets player grades following Wednesday’s loss:
Spencer Dinwiddie: B
Dinwiddie had a nonexistent offensive game as he barely shot the ball which could be an indication of some shaken confidence due to how he has shot the ball so far this season. While Dinwiddie recently came down with an illness during the team’s trip to Paris, it seems that something else is going on with him if he’s continuing to play in the starting lineup. He did a good job of setting up his teammates to his credit.
Mikal Bridges: C
Bridges played well in this one as he had his game working from all over the floor. While he had some trouble from the free-throw line, Bridges was able to mix in some of his patented mid-range shots with his long-range three-point shooting and had a solid all-around overall game. He did a good job of rebounding the basketball and he had a solid defensive game despite having to guard Anfernee Simons for most of the game.
Cam Johnson: C+
Johnson had a solid offensive game in this one as he actually did most of his damage from inside the three-point arc. His game this season has come down to him working his way into games by seeing what he can do from three before exploring more of his dribble-drive game. Johnson did the opposite of that in this one and he benefitted from it in a big way. Johnson also did a good job of setting up his teammates either within the flow of the offense or when he was able to drive to the rim and draw a second guy.
Dorian Finney-Smith: C-
Finney-Smith had one of his quieter games of the season as he did not take many shots and wasn’t particularly efficient with his three-point shooting. While it has been noted for a few time now, Finney-Smith’s hot shooting at the beginning of the season has definitely come down to earth, but that has also been the case for the rest of his teammates. He gave a good effort on the boards and he played some solid defense while having the tough task of guarding Jerami Grant on most possessions.
Nic Claxton: B+
Claxton had a solid game in this one as he was efficient around the rim despite not getting many attempts after the first quarter. It seems that Claxton stopped touching the ball much after Portland committed to the “hack-a-Clax” and he did not shoot the ball well from the free-throw line. Aside from that, Claxton was very active on the glass and he was using his length to get into the passing lanes multiple times to come up with some crucial steals.
Royce O'Neale: C
O’Neale had a decent game as he wasn’t particularly efficient with his shooting, but was able to provide other things on the floor with his rebounding and his passing. To be fair, he did not shoot much in this contest, but he clearly did not have it going from beyond the three-point arc and that usually limits his overall offensive impact.
Trendon Watford: C+
Despite this being a revenge game for Watford, he only played eight minutes. He was pretty productive during his time on the floor, especially since he was catching fire from three-point range. He also picked up some assists during his stint on the floor, but Jacque Vaughn decided to go in a different direction for the second half.
Cam Thomas: C-
Thomas had a tough time shooting the ball in this one as he wasn’t able to make a shot from inside the three-point arc. He did have some tough plays as he was getting a good amount of contact on his drives to the basket and on some of his jumpshots and yet, he wasn’t able to get some of the calls that he should have. Thomas did a good job of passing the ball and made some nice dishes to his teammates, especially on his drives to the rim.
Dennis Smith Jr.: C-
Smith had one of his games this season where he didn’t make much of an impact on either end of the court for the Nets. He wasn’t able to get much going on the offensive end and while he brought his usual energy, Smith appeared to be a step slow for important portions of this game. He did not play down the stretch as an indication of how well Spencer Dinwiddie played in the second half.
Lonnie Walker IV: B+
Walker had a great game in this one as in just 19 minutes, he put up 13 points and was a +10 during his time on the floor. When Brooklyn was having trouble with defending Portland, Walker at least gave them the ability to keep up through his scoring at all three levels. With the way that he was playing, it was curious that he didn’t play down the stretch, but he has been on a minutes restriction since he came back from his hamstring injury.
