The Nets’ Rising Star got a seat on the pine.
After being injured in his last game before participating in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend, Rodions Kurucs sat for Thursday’s 113-99 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Considering the Nets are 24-17 when Kurucs plays and a gaudy 18-11 when he starts, but now are just 6-13 when he doesn’t get on the court, his absence was conspicuous — and more than a little curious.
“Keeping the rotation, keeping it … at 10,” coach Kenny Atkinson said by way of explaining his reason for benching the rookie. “And I said it’s going to be game to game. We’re going to have to figure this out by committee. There’s tough decisions to be made.
“Obviously [versus Portland] we didn’t find the right lineup or lineups.”
Kurucs has been part of the right lineup, starting 29 straight before missing that final game before the break with a sore left elbow. He hadn’t been a DNP-CD since Dec. 5, the game when the Nets’ losing skid went to eight and their record fell to 8-18. He had been in the rotation ever since.
The 20-year-old took it in stride.
“It’s all right. Everyone is healthy, everyone is playing, I’m happy about it. Just waiting for my moment again, like back in the days in the situation I was in before,” said Kurucs, referring to his extended time on Barcelona’s B-team in the Spanish League. “So I’m waiting for my moment and when coach uses me I’ll be ready.”
When asked what advice Atkinson had offered him, Kurucs said: “Play your game again, extra effort, 50-50 balls, rebounds, run the court, stuff like that, easy stuff, what we need. The spark.”
Caris LeVert had 12 points in his second straight start, and his fourth since returning from a dislocated foot. He and the Nets still are trying to get in sync while reintegrating him in the rotation.
“There’s only 22 games left, but as a team we haven’t played a lot of games together at full strength,” LeVert said. “I think these last stretch of games will be definitely good for us, especially when Spencer [Dinwiddie] gets back.“I don’t think it’s a set time. It’s a feel-type thing.”
Portland’s Enes Kanter, who had been persona non grata at the Garden and stuck on the Knicks’ bench, had 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and nine boards in his Blazers debut.
“The last time I got a win, I think it was almost two months. Winning feels good again,” said Kanter, who was used in just three of his last dozen games for the Knicks and hadn’t won since Jan. 4. “I’m just happy to go out there again, going out there and playing with my teammates. I’m trying to make everyone better.
“That’s my game. Just go out there, I play hard and bring energy, rebounds — the inside game. I think it’s just the important thing to go out there and get a win.”
The Nets honored YES Network play-by-play man Ian Eagle for his 25 years broadcasting the team’s games. Eagle was given a commemorative framed No. 25 jersey by general manager Sean Marks, and BSE Global CEO Brett Yormark on court during the game and the network celebrated him with a montage video of flashback footage, highlights, and tributes.