Brooklyn Nets vs. Orlando Magic Recap: Nets Rebound in Florida

Aaron Afflalo and Jerry Stackhouse

Tonight, the Brooklyn Nets bounced back in a big way in Orlando, defeating the Magic by 39 points, 107-68. Brooklyn outscored Orlando in every quarter of the game and had their largest lead at the final buzzer. It was a balanced effort from the Nets tonight. 5 players scored in double-digits, led by Andray Blatche’s 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench. Brook Lopez was also effective with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks. E’twaun Moore scored 18 for Orlando.

This game was a blowout in every sense of the word. Here are a few stats to back that up:

Brooklyn made 9 3’s to Orlando’s 4.
Brooklyn more than tripled Orlando’s free throws attempted, 25 to 8.
Brooklyn outrebounded Orlando 48-35.
Brooklyn tripled Orlando in steals, 9 to 3.
Brooklyn had 11 turnovers while Orlando had 18, most being unforced.
Obviously, Brooklyn won this game by 39 points.

The Nets played well enough to win this game, but I think Orlando lost it more than the Nets won it. They played very, very poorly, and I have no idea how they already have 2 wins this season. Orlando was a mess defensively and just got worse as the game went on. And offensively they played even more poorly than they played on defense. The Nets have played terrible defense in the first three games and I honestly don’t think they played that much better tonight. Orlando was just so bad on offense. They did not work to get to the free throw line, they took many bad, contested shots, and they had many unforced turnovers. Any NBA team could have held them under 80 points tonight.

The Nets still have lots and lots of work to do, especially on defense. However, this was their best game of the season and they showed that they were angry about how they played in their last game against Miami, when they were blown out by 30 points. The Nets are now 2-2 and will try to go back above .500 on Sunday when they finish up this home-and-home with Orlando in Brooklyn.

For a box score of this game, click here.

Player grades and notes:

Brook Lopez: A-

Brook had a very nice bounce-back game after a terrible game in Miami on Wednesday. He shot the ball well, was aggressive on the boards, and had a double-double in only 24 minutes. He was also effective on defense with 3 blocks and he outplayed all of the Orlando big men. The one thing he could have done better was his free throw shooting. He was 4-7. He should be at least 5-7 if not 6-7.

Deron Williams: B

Deron did not play great tonight, but the team got the win and he led them to the big lead. Deron again made some interesting passes to nobody in particular and he only had 4 assists. This was a very easy win for the Nets and Deron only needed to play 29 minutes.

Joe Johnson: B

This was Joe Johnson’s best game as a Net even though he didn’t play that well. His shooting percentage wasn’t terrible as it had been in previous games and he helped out with the offense with 4 assists.

Andray Blatche: A-

I love watching Andray Blatche when he catches the ball in the post. There are some players who simply cannot defend him down low and count all the Magic big men in that category. When he caught the ball near the basket, the best the Magic were able to do tonight was to foul ‘Dray. This is the one area where he needs improvement. He only shot 5-8 from the foul line. When Blatche came into the game, it was still close, but he led the bench in breaking the game open. He also played with the bench players in the fourth quarter to expand the Nets’ lead even further. I am officially an Andray Blatche fan.

Jerry Stackhouse: A+

Speaking of fan favorites, who doesn’t love Jerry Stackhouse? He did all of his damage in the second quarter, scoring 11 points on three 3’s! This was his first game of the season and I want more. Jerry can still shoot despite his age and he is a team leader. He is still fun to watch.

C.J. Watson: A-

C.J. looked very good tonight playing point guard. He was 4-5 from the field for 9 points. He was also active on defense, forcing E’twaun Moore and Ish Smith into some very bad shots.

The Nets will have a day off in Brooklyn tomorrow, and then host this same Magic team in a 3 PM eastern start at Barclays Center on Sunday. FRWD will have full coverage of that game.