MEMPHIS, Tenn. _ It's a new year, and the Nets are showing newfound toughness. They opened a three-game road trip with a gritty 109-100 win over a desperate Grizzlies team Friday night at FedEx Forum. It was their 11th win in 14 games and allowed them to take over the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference by half a game over the idle Pistons.
Starting with a D'Angelo Russell 3-pointer near the end of the third quarter, the Nets put together an 18-7 run that included a trio of 3s by DeMarre Carroll to forge a 95-87 lead with 6:43 left to play. Three consecutive plays captured the Nets' toughness as Joe Harris scored a three-point play through tough contact, then caught a brilliant lob from Russell for a layup before Harris fed Allen for a dunk and a 104-94 lead with 3:20 to go. It reached 12 points moments later and they walked it home.
Russell led the Nets (19-21) with 23 points and 10 assists, Carroll had 20 points, Harris added 18 and Allen had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Mike Conley topped the Grizzlies (18-20) with 31 points, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 19.
The Nets are one of the youngest teams in the NBA, but the biggest difference between the past two teams that won 48 games in two seasons and the 18-21 team that faced the Grizzlies on Friday night is the presence of a cadre of quality veterans, several of whom play major roles on the second-best bench-scoring unit in the NBA. Experienced depth has allowed the Nets to weather injuries to Caris LeVert, Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, all of whom have been starters.
It's not unusual for coach Kenny Atkinson to finish games with several veterans on the floor, and he has done that with barely a ripple of dissent. What's the key?
"Find good guys with great character," Atkinson said. "It's signing the guys with the right mentality. I think it helps that we have younger guys that also accept that, as the season evolves, we'll go with veterans at the end of games, especially when we've struggled."
Atkinson cited Jared Dudley, who has returned to the starting lineup since Hollis-Jefferson went down with a right adductor strain, backup center Ed Davis, who is playing a critical role on defense and rebounding, where he leads the league in offensive rebound percentage (.166) and overall rebounding percentage (.224), and Carroll, who started last season.
"It also helps that those veteran guys can play. When they come in the game, you feel a difference, especially on the defensive end. They know what it takes to win in this league."
If there is a common thread among the vets, it's that they all are heady defensive players, and that is why they have made such an impact. "I think they keep things stable, and I think it's the edge you need and the kind of physicality you need in this league," Atkinson said.
After trailing early by nine against the Grizzlies, Carroll had five points in a 15-6 Nets run that produced a tie at 26 at the end of the opening period. After falling behind by seven in the second period, Davis had four points in an 11-0 surge for a 37-33 lead. Then Russell took over near the end of the half with nine points in an 11-3 burst for a three-point lead before Conley cut the Nets' lead to 48-47 at the break.
The physical element certainly was evident for the Nets in the third period as the teams traded the lead four times before a Russell 3-pointer at the end gave the Nets an 81-77 lead heading to the final period.
