Plenty of Lo’ blows
Brook gets win as twins get physical
Any matchup between 7foot NBA centers is going to be physical, but Wednesday’s clash between the Lopez twins went next level as Brook’s Nets pulled off a 110104 upset of Robin’s Knicks.
Robin was in a fiery mood during the game and a foul mood after it, while his brother got the last laugh. And Brook said he plans on having a few more laughs at his brother’s expense.
“I hope to really give it to Robin,’’ said Brook, who went backandforth in an exceptionally chippy battle with his brother. “He was kind of making me mad out there.’’ Making him mad? “I think he was making all of us mad. He definitely went at [Wayne Ellington]. I don’t know what that was about. It’s crazy,’’ Brook said, tongueincheek — at least somewhat. “I don’t think he knows [Ellington] and I are boys. Maybe he thinks we don’t get along or something; I don’t know. But I was kind of offended by that.’’
Brook’s Nets are in the midst of a horrid season, just 1128. But at least he won the battle, with a teamhigh 20 points on eightof13 shooting, eight rebounds and a seasonhigh tying five assists, while his twin had just nine points, a dozen boards and a loss that left him angrier than if somebody stole all his Star Wars toys.
“We didn’t play defense,’’ Robin said. “I don’t think we pressured them, and they took advantage of that.”
Asked if their sibling clash was more physical than usual, he answered shortly: “No.”
The eye test said something else altogether. Brook rose up to try to dunk, and Robin fouled him hard with 4:25 left in the second. The twins rarely talk oncourt, can’t live together because their cats hate each other, and Nets guard Shane Larkin said that — as intense as sibling rivalries are — Wednesday went to another level.
“Oh, yeah. For sure,’’ said Larkin. “The last time we played, I don’t really remember what kind of game Brook had, but he definitely made a focal point to go out there and be more physical with his brother. There was a point in the second quarter when they were just going backandforth with each other: Basketbasket, foul-foul.
“Brook tried to dunk on him. Robin was calling for the ball in the post even though he’s not known as a lowpost scorer. So definitely, siblings playing against each other is going to always be more energy. But twins, they look the same, on opposite teams in New York City, there’s no more story lines you could have with that one.’’