Dinwiddie: Nets can make the big shots
CHICAGO — Three weeks ago, the Nets had two closers. After trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they have none.
But Spencer Dinwiddie — one of the NBA’s most prolific at hitting game-winning shots — vows he’s up to the task, as are other Brooklyn teammates.
“Oh, I’m fine [doing it],” Dinwiddie said. “We have a lot of great players. Cam [Thomas] has closed a couple games as well. Where you miss the stars is you get the benefit of the doubt, you get calls, you get a little preferential treatment. If we’re talking about just hitting game-winners, the actual shot itself ? Oh, I’ve got the most in the league . ... So you tee me up, it’s a bucket.
“Same thing in Dallas: it’s the last four or five minutes where you’re gonna miss a star because any bang-bang play or questionable call, a star’s going to get it every single time just based off reputation, respect. That’s where we’re going to have to be super-sharp. But in terms of the ability to make the last shot, I have confidence in most of the guys on this team: Joe [Harris], Cam, Cam [Johnson], Mikal [Bridges]. And like I said, most in the league, so tee me up and it’s a bucket.”
During Dinwiddie’s first stint in Brooklyn he established a penchant of hitting clutch shots, one that he continued in Dallas.
Dinwiddie’s six go-ahead baskets in the last 10 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime since the start of 2017-18 are tied for the third-most in the league per Elias Sports Bureau, behind only DeMar DeRozan and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
➤ Several Nets had productive All-Star breaks.
Dinwiddie went to Los Angeles to get things out of storage, get organized and even sold one of his cars, because he’s back in the city and doesn’t need it.
Bridges went to Utah on Friday and did several events, then flew back to Phoenix to pack his things, since the Suns had been on the road when Brooklyn traded for him. The most important? His Labrador.
Nic Claxton went to see family in the Virgin Islands, and recharged his batteries.
Jacque Vaughn has talked about needing to ease the burden on Claxton, who averaged a more modest 25.7 minutes over his last three appearances after logging 32.4 in the 21 games before that.
“Yeah, the numbers speak for itself. I played more minutes than I played in my career just this season,” Claxton said. “I haven’t really talked to a JV about my minutes going forward, but I’ll just be ready for whatever. The break definitely got me right, though. I feel much better, and I’m excited to just have some fresh legs and see everybody as a group and go out there and see what we can do.”
➤ In the Nets’ three games on YES since the Durant trade, they’ve averaged 92,000 total viewers. That’s up 37 percent from the 67,000 pre-trade.