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NBA Summer League: Brooklyn Nets vs. Cavaliers Recap

By Sean Costello

Nov 18, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (24) prepares to pass the ball as he is guarded by Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb (3) during the first half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (24) prepares to pass the ball as he is guarded by Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb (3) during the first half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
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On day two of the Las Vegas NBA Samsung Summer League, the Brooklyn Nets played their first game of the summer league, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 79-73 in a solid team effort. 

The game begun with signs of a low scoring, grind it out contest. Early in the first, Nets Nation lost their breath when Rondae Hollis-Jefferson went down grabbing his ankle after completing a pass to Sean Kilpatrick in the lane. Less than three minutes later, Hollis-Jefferson was back on the court. When the Nets substituted their second unit, which included Yogi Ferrell, the Cavaliers started making up some ground, erasing the lead and grabbing the lead before a basket by Beau Beech helped the Nets gain the lead back 13-11 at the end of the first.

Halfway through the second quarter, Brooklyn jumped out to a 24-17 lead over Cleveland before the Cavaliers tied the game less than two minutes later with a quick 7-0 run. Cleveland went another run that helped gain them the lead, 31-28 lead with two minutes left in the second. McCullough showed his dominance in the second quarter, getting an and-one resulting in a 35-33 Nets lead with 25 seconds left to play. Brooklyn took a 38-33 lead into the halftime break.

As the second half of play began with a layup by Chris McCullough set up by a nice drive into the lane by Isaiah Whitehead. Jordan McRae caught fire again in the third quarter, scoring seven of the Cavs’ next 9 points and cutting the lead down to two. Cleveland continued to fight back and tied the game at 48. Beech was too much for Cleveland in the third period, scoring five points immediately out of Brooklyn timeout, putting the Nets in front 53-48. Cleveland finished the quarter with four straight points, cutting the lead to one and making the score 53-52.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Ferrell got the Nets off to a solid start with a dribble-drive, finger-roll lay-up. Brooklyn went on a 8-2 run thanks to Egidijus Mockevicius and Josh Magette, grabbing a 63-57 lead. The Nets never looked back, extending and maintaining their lead for most of the final portions of the fourth quarter thanks to the play down the stretch by Sean Kilpatrick. The Nets held on to beat the reigning NBA Champions, 79-73. 

Kilpatrick ended the day with 19 points on 7/12 shooting from the field and a perfect showing at the free throw line, going 4-4. McRae led all scorers with 27. The Nets played better defense than expected, holding the Cavaliers to a 34.3 field goal percentage. Hollis-Jefferson was the clear leader of the defense with seven steals in 25 minutes. 

The Nets did a solid job rebounding as team, tallying 43 rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Something the Nets need to improve on next game is the number of turnovers the team committed (26). The Nets are a young team and mistakes happen, but 26 is too much for an NBA team. Seven of those turnovers were due to Isaiah Whitehead and Hollis-Jefferson had five on his part. But those guys are still young and will learn enough for the next summer league game. 

The next game for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Summer League will be on July 11 at 4:30 p.m. EST. (NBA TV).