Alize Johnson seizes his big chance when Nets with few players are eliminated by Jazz, 118-88

The odds were against the Nets shorthanded.

Without James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin, the Nets suffered a dizzying 118-88 loss to Jazz in Salt Lake City. With the defeat, Brooklyn drops to 30-15 in the season and is 2.0 games from the first Sixers. The defeat also beats the record for the Nets franchise in nine consecutive West Coast winning games.

“It is a great team. The team with the best record in the championship. We went there severely underreported and most importantly, they stayed together and played hard, ”said Nash after the game.

“Defensively, we are very good. Maybe he gave up on many three, but on the other hand, he did a lot of good things defensively. I just told them that I am proud of them. It was great to see some of these guys get a few minutes, a few opportunities, make a few buckets, get some rebounds, stop and develop. So much to be thankful for and we’ll head to Detroit. ”

The Nets became the last NBA team to lose a game by 20 points or more.

Despite losing by 30 and losing by 20+ in most of the competition, the game became a great opportunity for RPG players … and nobody enjoyed the moment more than Alize Johnson, who joined the team on Wednesday morning -market.

Johnson signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn on Monday after an impressive campaign in the G League bubble. It was easily the brightest point in the loss. The 6’8 ”striker ended with a double-double of 23 points and 15 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 33 minutes of play.

“He was great,” said Nash after the game. “He filled the statistics sheet, played well in defense and gave us a lot of energy. I don’t think he really played since the G League bubble, so what a great effort he made. (I’m) proud of the way he played. ”

The 24-year-old entered the game with 31 NBA experience games split between two seasons with the Pacers. He became the first Net since 1979 with more than 20 points and more than 15 rebounds in a team debut. Calvin Natt (20 points and 19 rebounds) made his big game on October 12, 1979.

“Just prove to everyone that I belong here in the NBA,” said Johnson of the statement about his game after the game. “I worked hard and I will continue to work and try to be the best player I can be.”

With the negotiation deadline approaching Thursday afternoon, the Nets can release Johnson to fill a vacancy on the list, if necessary. But at the other end of the spectrum, Brooklyn can offer Johnson a second 10 days as soon as the first expires, assuming he survives the deadline … and hiring players who are bought.

“I’m just accepting it day after day and trying not to think about it. Every time I go out on the track and have an opportunity, I try to play as if it were my last game, ”said Johnson of the uncertainty of his future. “That’s how I’m approaching this thing and everything else is going to take care of itself.”

Chris Chiozza, who has not played in the last seven games before Wednesday, played well in defeat as the guard registered 28 minutes and finished with 10 points and 11 assists in victory. The two-way Nets did not kick the ball well, however, going 4 out of 16 overall and 2 9 out of the back.

Reggie Perry, who has just returned from the “bubble”, had 12 points and eight rebounds and hit 4 out of 9 overall, including 2 out of 4 from the bottom.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who started, finished with 14 points, five rebounds and an assist in 34 minutes as he works to return to rotation. Joe Harris had just five minutes of action in the first quarter before being rested for the rest of the game, while DeAndre Jordan scored four points in 12 minutes off the bench.

For Utah, Donovan Mitchell was the top scorer when he finished with 27 points in 27 minutes, followed by Mike Conley, who contributed 18 points in 25 minutes while Jazz climbed to 32-11 in the season, 17 consecutive at home as the team holds the seed number 1 in the west.

It was certainly a strange first quarter for battered Nets. Jazz was rolling early when Utah forged a 16-4 lead in a commanding 11-0 run, while Steve Nash called for a timeout with 7:38 remaining for the first. While Utah certainly did not lose heart when Jazz increased its lead against the Nets shorthanded, ending the first with a 38-17 lead. The ugly Nets first resulted in the team shooting 25.0 percent overall and 18.2 percent deep, while recording three laps.

Nash and the Nets certainly had fun experimenting with the lineups, as all 10 active players saw the first quarter minutes. To close the period, Brooklyn had Reggie Perry, who finished with 12 points in 28 minutes, DeAndre Jordan and Nicolas Claxton, who finished with four points and three rebounds in 23 minutes, on the floor together.

Brooklyn regained his balance in the second, while Utah reduced the effort and went cold, making its first field goal with 6:28 remaining. While the Nets held on to Goalless Jazz for almost six minutes, Brooklyn compiled a 11-3 run hurting the long deficit over the second, but Utah woke up to end the semester with 63-38 at halftime, shooting 30.2 percent of the field and 15.8 percent of the depths – a low season.

The Nets’ 38 points in the first half marked the lowest number of points scored by the team in the entire season and not a single Net entered the interval with two digits. Chiozza gave Brooklyn a good blow, as his agility and speed reached seven points in 12 minutes, while Luwawu-Cabarrot scored seven points in 16 minutes.

Utah left the locker room looking to increase its lead when Jazz forced a 15-6 run in the first seven minutes of the third, when the game seemed to be over at that point. The Nets lost by 29 in the last 12 minutes, Utah maintained its long lead, released its bank in the middle of the quarter and won the game. And that was it.

Protecting Harden from himself

Wednesday’s defeat was only the second time James Harden has sat down since being negotiated with the Nets in the first week of January. Although he played on Sunday in Portland, he was still suffering from the shot he took in the neck in the previous game against the Wizards.

Nash explained before the game that Harden wanted to play, but it was not his decision, that the team decided that another 40 minutes could do him more harm than a defeat would do to the team.

“I hope it’s short-term,” said Nash. “To be honest, I’m sure James would like to play [in Utah]. But he is not. I don’t think it’s safe for him to play, and I think sometimes you have to protect him from yourself. He is a warrior and a competitor and loves to play.

“But he was questionable for [Tuesday], played a ton of minutes. I could see that it was difficult for him to kick the ball, but he obviously dominated in other ways. But I think [Wednesday] it was the smartest and safest decision to protect him from himself and get him out of the squad because he’s fighting. It is very sore. I hope he comes back in the next game, but we will have to see the day to day here. “

So, no word yet if the pain in his neck and if he would be back on Friday.

The cinema room

There weren’t that many highlights in this (duh), aside from ESPN literally using the third quarter as a podcasting opportunity to bring Adrian Wojnarowski to discuss some deadline rumors. They just … directly did not comment on the game for 8 minutes of play. I’m not sure if I laughed that hard a long time ago.

Alize Johnson was also good, right? Some promising energy, good recovery instincts. He will have a chance somewhere.

This is a push shot! He came in!

It is all I have. I’m very sorry. This was difficult.

Reggie Perry’s hilarious comment about a strange lineup

There was a period during the first part when Nash, a crazy scientist on Wednesday night, launched a program that included THREE centers with Nicolas Claxton, Reggie Perry and DeAndre Jordan (yes, this game was what Weird). It was a night of experimentation.

Reggie Perry provided his (hilarious) thoughts.

“When we first saw this happen,” explained Perry. “We all look at each other as … okay? … are we all here the same way? …”

The full video does it justice.

How could SpongeBob say …

Per Will Hanley.

What is the next

The NBA trading deadline is at 3pm on Thursday. Experts continue to suggest that Brooklyn is offering the injured Spencer Dinwiddie in possible business for a veteran side defender. The Nets will end their three-game trip when the team travels north to face the Detroit Pistons on Friday. The game is scheduled to start at 7 pm Eastern Time.

For a different (and more positive) perspective, take a look at SLC Dunk – our sister site that covers Utah Jazz.

• Box Score: Utah Jazz 118, Brooklyn Nets 88 – NBA.com

• Game highlights: Utah Jazz 118, Brooklyn Nets 88 (Video) – NBA.com

• Highlights: Alize Johnson 23 points, 15 rebounds (Video) – NBA.com

• Highlights: Chris Chiozza 10 points, 11 assists (Video) – NBA.com

• Nets Post Game Plus: Nets fall for Jazz (Video) – Nancy Newman and Frank Isola – YES Network

• NBA Trading Deadline Preview (Video) – Nancy Newman & Frank Isola – YES Network

• Sarah Kustok, Richard Jefferson on the loss of the Nets (Video) – YES Network

• Steve Nash in the Nets’ loss to Jazz (Video) – YES Network

• Alize Johnson on how to make the most of your opportunities (Video) – Rede YES

• Use Brooklyn in? (Video) – SIM Network

• NBA leader Donovan Mitchell defeated the short-handed Nets – AP

• Without the big three, Nets lost 30 points to Jazz – Larry Fleisher – Reuters

• Big 3-less Nets hammered by NBA’s best jazz – Brian Lewis – New York Post

• Nets sit James Harden to ‘protect him from himself’ – Brian Lewis – New York Post

• Young Nic Claxton Nets Giving Great Defensive Boost – Brian Lewis – New York Post

• Listen to episode 14 of ‘Fullcourt on Flatbush’: Do networks need to make a switch? Partnership. Rod Thorn (Podcast) – Jake Brown – New York Post

• Shorthanded Nets are no match for the best NBA Jazz – Greg Logan – Newsday

• James Harden was a Nets player, but was discarded against Jazz – Greg Logan – Newsday

• Nets explode through Jazz after James Harden is forced out with a neck injury – Kristian Winfield – New York Daily News

• Brooklyn Nets’ James Harden (neck) ‘is not a guarantee’ for Friday Vs. Pistons – Malika Andrews – ESPN

• Alize Johnson, who signed a 10-day contract with the Nets, shines with 23 points and 15 rebounds against Utah – Alex Smith – SNY

• Sources: JaVale McGee on the Nets radar – Ian Begley – SNY

• GAME NOTES: Bench nets popped by Jazz while Alize Johnson shines on debut – Elizabeth Swinton – The Brooklyn game

• JAZZ 118, NETS 88: SHORTHANDED BROOKLYN FALLS IN UTAH – Tom Dowd – Brooklyn Nets

• NETS VS. JAZZ: ALIZE JOHNSON, REGGIE PERRY AND STEVE NASH KEY QUOTES – Tom Dowd – Brooklyn Nets

• GALLERY: NETS VS. JAZZ – Brooklyn Nets

• Instant analysis: Jazz achieves a wire-to-wire victory over shorthanded Nets – Sarah Todd – Deseret News