IN-VERT-ED ENDING
Caris leads way as Nets get revenge on Suns after early-season blowout
Before tipoff between the Nets and Suns on Monday, head coach Kenny Atkinson was searching for answers from his struggling young star, Caris LeVert. With Kyrie Irving out after suffering a right knee sprain, Atkinson knew his team needed LeVert to step up after a string of subpar performances.
“We all know how good a player Caris is, so yes he’ll be playing more minutes, he’ll be playing backup point guard minutes,” Atkinson said. “To me, it’s just a matter of time until he gets his rhythm back. I know he’s trying. But this could help kick-start him a little if he definitely could get more minutes.”
Whatever the Nets did to kick-start LeVert, it worked.
LeVert turned in his best game of the season: He tied his career-high with 29 points on 10of-20 shooting to go with seven assists in Brooklyn’s 119-97 win over the Suns in Brooklyn.
“I just felt like I was aggressive,” LeVert said after the game. “Playing a lot of minutes, especially playing with the ball in my hands, it gave me a lot of rhythm tonight. My teammates gave me a lot of looks tonight, so it was easy to go out there and compete.”
The last time the Nets visited the Suns in Phoenix, it ended in a bloodbath — a 138-112 loss that included LeVert’s thumb injury. It was the lowest point of the Nets’ season and kicked off a three-game losing streak to Western Conference playoff opponents.
But revenge is a dish best served at home, and the Nets are now 9-2 when holding opponents to 105 or fewer points. LeVert played a role in Brooklyn’s defensive effort with his primary assignment hounding All-Star snub Devin Booker.
Booker, who averaged 27 points per game on 51% field goal shooting entering Monday night, finished with just 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting from the field.
LeVert had struggled since returning from the injury that required surgery and a 24-game layoff after damaging ligaments in his right thumb. He averaged 11.5 points on just 35% shooting from the field and 31% shooting from three for the entire month of January. It was not the production the Nets envisioned when they signed their young star to a three-year, $52.5 million contract over the summer.
“God is good. I put in a lot of work behind closed doors,” LeVert said immediately after the game. “I’ve been struggling a little bit, so it was good to have one of these games.”
He swerved through the lane with primary playmaker responsibilities often, either finding his way to the rim or swinging the ball to an open shooter. On one possession, LeVert somehow sent Suns wing Mikal Bridges to the ground without moving, before cashing out on a three from downtown.
It wasn’t a one-man show, either. Joe Harris and Taurean Prince each lit it up from three, scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively. Timothe-Luwawu-Cabarrot, on the final day of his second 10-day contract, turned in 13 points off the bench on 3-of-4 shooting from three. Spencer Dinwiddie also turned in 14 points of his own, and the Nets defense held the Suns to below 100 points.
LeVert’s performance was timely. The Nets had split their last four games and are a halfgame ahead of Orlando for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Finishing with the eighth seed would likely mean facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
Every game counts from this point on, and the Nets can’t afford to lose against teams outside the playoff picture. LeVert’s performance shows Brooklyn has enough firepower to stay afloat when Irving is out.
“We drafted him and we’ve seen him play at an All-Star level for stretches, so we know it’s there when he’s feeling healthy,” Atkinson said. “I will say this: In his defense, I think I was super cautious bringing him back in the beginning and should have let him maybe sprout his wings a little more and make a few mistakes.
“We know who he is, we have to put him out there and play him and play him significant minutes — and that was the idea of putting him in the starting lineup.”
The challenge now is getting it all to work when everyone is healthy.