Crabbe leads Nets past Hawks 116-104
NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets thought their rebuilding phase was right on track when they signed Allen Crabbe to an offer sheet in the summer of 2016, only to see Portland step in and match it.
After finally being able to acquire him in a trade with the Trail Blazers in July, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is starting to see some of the intangibles that Crabbe brings.
The gamble, although delayed by a year, might have been worth it.
Crabbe, who has been on a minutes restriction because of preseason injuries, came up big Sunday, scoring 20 points — 10 in the fourth quarter — to help the Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 116-104.
Crabbe had started the second game of the season Friday night with Jeremy Lin out for the season with a knee injury. Before the matinee meeting with Atlanta, the newcomer told his coach he was willing to come off the bench, with Caris LeVert getting the nod at shooting guard.
“He is the ultimate team guy, ultimate professional,” Atkinson said. “He said, ‘I’ll come off the bench. That’s better for my rhythm.’ Everybody wants to start. To me it shows what kind of guy he is.”
DeMarre Carroll added 17, and Caris LeVert and D’Angelo Russell each had 16 points to help the Nets improve to 2-1 with their second straight victory.
Marco Belinelli had 19 points for Atlanta. The Hawks have lost two in a row to drop to 1-2.
Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroeder, who scored 17, went down with a left ankle injury with 3:37 left and had to be helped off the court. X-rays were taken, but the results weren’t available.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was already thinking of who to pencil if his point guard is out for an extended time. He said Malcom Delaney and Josh Magette could see time there with Kent Bazemore stepping in as well.
Brooklyn found a way to win once again without Lin, holding off the Hawks after leading by 16 points late in the third.
Suns fire coach three games into season
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns fired coach Earl Watson just three games in to the NBA season.
The Suns announced the firing Sunday night after hours of meetings at the team’s headquarters.
Assistant coach Jay Triano, a former head coach of the Toronto Raptors, was named interim coach. Triano was an assistant at Portland before coming to Phoenix last year.
Watson was promoted from assistant to interim coach of the Suns after Jeff Hornacek was fired Feb. 1, 2016. The interim tag was removed on April 19 of that year. With an extremely young team, the Suns struggled under Watson. He compiled a 33-85 record. Watson’s only full season was 2016-17, when the team went 24-58.
The 38-year-old Watson played collegiately at UCLA and in the NBA for 10 seasons.