Kevin Ollie secured his inaugural victory as an NBA head coach when the Nets defeated the Grizzlies on Monday.
The Brooklyn Nets were in dire need of a rebound performance after enduring their worst three-game stretch in franchise history. A faceoff against the struggling Memphis Grizzlies proved to be the perfect remedy as Brooklyn cruised to a 111-86 win, marking Kevin Ollie’s first victory as interim head coach, on Monday at the FedEx Forum.
Drenched from a celebratory dousing by his players in the locker room, Ollie shared his reaction to clinching his first NBA win after the game.
“Receiving the game ball is a moment I’ll always cherish. It’s going straight to my office,” he shared. “I’ll make sure to give it a special touch before placing it up high in memory of my beloved mother and sister in heaven. I feel their presence with me, especially during this first NBA win, so I’ll raise it up and dedicate this victory to them.”
The Nets put on a defensive clinic, limiting the Grizzlies’ struggling offense to just 40 points in the first half. This propelled them to a commanding 26-point lead by halftime, a lead they maintained till the end. Memphis’ final tally of 86 points stands as the lowest Brooklyn has allowed in a game this season, with Nic Claxton’s stellar defense holding Jaren Jackson Jr. to a mere 2-of-12 shooting performance.
After averaging 89.5 points in Ollie’s first two games at the helm, Brooklyn’s offense came alive, shooting an impressive 44-of-90 from the field (49 percent) and tallying 32 assists. Remarkably, seven Nets players reached double figures.
“We need to play as a cohesive unit. We may not have superstar players who can carry the team with isolation plays,” Ollie emphasized. “I constantly stress the importance of ball movement. Sharing the ball makes it incredibly difficult to defend. We have talented players who can attack the rim and shoot, so when we move the ball effectively, it creates numerous scoring opportunities.”
“Today, our focus was on protecting the ball and hustling back on defense, and I believe those aspects were crucial for our success.”
Dennis Schroder stole the spotlight with an impressive performance, leading all scorers with 18 points and contributing five assists on 7-of-12 shooting. Cam Thomas also made his mark with 14 points and five assists, despite going 5-of-14 from the field, while Dorian Finney-Smith added 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
However, the victory was bittersweet, as Thomas suffered a right ankle sprain in the midst of the fourth quarter. He had to be assisted to the locker room, visibly limping, raising concerns about his availability for future games.
Earlier this season, Thomas experienced a left ankle sprain that sidelined him for a significant period. As the second-leading scorer for Brooklyn, just behind Mikal Bridges, Thomas has been averaging an impressive 21.0 points per game, with shooting splits of 44/36/84. With uncertainty surrounding his availability, his status remains uncertain ahead of Brooklyn’s upcoming back-to-back games against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
Ben Simmons, who was initially listed as questionable after leaving Saturday’s defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to leg soreness, managed to contribute four points, six rebounds, and three assists on a perfect 2-of-2 shooting in just 14 minutes of play. However, Simmons will sit out the upcoming game against Orlando as he hasn’t received clearance to participate in back-to-back matchups.
The Nets are eager to kickstart their first winning streak in almost a month when they face off against the Orlando Magic. This victory would set the stage for crucial home games against the Atlanta Hawks, who currently hold a three-game lead over them for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
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