SALT LAKE CITY — The Nets have improved their rebounding after being arguably the worst team in the NBA on the boards.
But conceding second-chance points is a problem, and it’s costing them.
As dangerous as Golden State star Steph Curry was in Brooklyn’s loss Saturday, it was the Nets’ own vulnerability on the defensive glass that hurt them even more, outscored 22-11 by the Warriors in second-chance points.
“He’s going to shoot some shots that only he as a human being can make, but the 11 offensive rebounds in the first half, those have nothing to do with Steph,” said Jacque Vaughn. “So those are the physical battles that you have to win on the road. And so I lean towards those things, and are more hopeful that if we were to get that part done, those shots wouldn’t have that much of a significance.
“So those little things I’m more concerned about at the beginning of the game, the physicality…those are the things we need to focus on.”
Brooklyn has allowed 15.4 second-chance points, which was seventh-worst in the league entering Sunday.
“The [Warriors] turned those offensive rebounds into [3-pointers]. Now you’ve given them shots that they can make and that they want to take,” Vaughn said. “Then some of those possessions where you’re expending a lot of energy to get a stop, and then you’ve got to do it again. You don’t get a reward. It’s negated hustle. So we want to be in a position where when we do hustle, we get rewarded for it.”
Cam Thomas snapped out of his funk with 41 points Saturday in Golden State.
He’s now cracked 40 points six times before his 23rd birthday, passing Bernard King for the most in team history for players 22 and under.
Thomas snapped a tie with King and Mikal Bridges to move into fifth place in Nets NBA history for 40-point outings.
He trails, in order, Vince Carter, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and John Williamson.
Dorian Finney-Smith is questionable for the Jazz game with left knee soreness.
Ben Simmons (left lower back nerve impingement), Dennis Smith Jr. (upper back sprain) and Lonnie Walker IV (left hamstring strain) are all out.
With Brooklyn shorthanded, rookie second-round pick Jalen Wilson essentially filled Finney-Smith’s wing role against the Warriors.
He has long been viewed as the most NBA ready of his class, with first-round picks Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead still with G-League Long Island.
Wilson had two points in 8:10, but the bench has been sorely taxed, Royce O’Neale the only other reserve to score.
It remains to be seen how long Finney-Smith will be sidelined with the injury report not yet released.
