Brooklyn Nets: Player grades from dramatic win over Hornets

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RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON. B+. 43 MIN, 16 PTS, 7-for-16 (0-for-1), 2-for-2 FT, 15 REB (4 ORB), 6 AST, 5 PF, 2 TO, 3 BLK, +5. PF/C. Brooklyn Nets

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson shook off a cold start shooting to finish with his second double-double of the season with 16 points and a season-high 15 rebounds.

But RHJ did a lot more than just that. He also dished out six assists and blocked three shots while guarding, at various times, Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb and Marvin Williams.

Looking at Hollis-Jefferson’s career track is a fascinating mirror of how quickly the game has evolved in the last four seasons to a 3-point shooting heavy circuit where the traditional slashing small forward is almost an endangered species.

Hollis-Jefferson came into the NBA in 2015 at a 3, made the transition to a small-ball 4 last season and this year has spent some significant minutes as a small 5 to counter small lineups full of shooters on the other side.

His defensive versatility makes that possible and after a slow start this season, he’s now averaging 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.8 minutes per game, though his shooting is a still-dicey 41.1 percent overall, 26.7 percent from 3-point range and 65.9 percent at the line.

A-. 41 MIN, 37 PTS, 12-for-29 (7-for-16), 6-for-8 FT, 2 REB, 11 AST, 1 PF, 1 TO, +7. PG. Brooklyn Nets. SPENCER DINWIDDIE

Spencer Dinwiddie posted career-highs in makes and takes overall and from 3-point range while finishing with 37 points — two shy of his career high set on Dec. 12 — and recorded his first double-double of the season.

He became just the fifth player since 1970-71 with at least 35 points and 10 assists in a game he did not start, joining a list that includes Pete Maravich, Brian Winters, Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams.

Dinwiddie hit three big free throws near the end of regulation to tie the game, but missed on one that could have given Brooklyn the lead late in the first overtime period.

It was his NBA-leading eighth game this season with at least 25 points off the bench and with his third 30-point reserve outing moved ahead of J.J. Redick of the Philadelphia 76ers for the most in the league this season. No one else has more than one such game.

Over the Nets’ 9-1 stretch, Dinwiddie is averaging 24.4 points, 6.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.7 percent overall, 40.3 percent from 3-point range and 80.7 percent on 8.3 free throw attempts per game.

And he signed a three-year, $34.3 million contract extension during that span as well, so December’s been pretty good to Dinwiddie.