Nets give Jordi Fernandez an emotional win over Kings and his former mentor, Mike Brown
Nets guard Cam Thomas, center, is guarded by Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox, left, and Kevin Huerter (9) during the first half of an NBA game in Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday. Credit: AP/Randall Benton
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nets coach Jordi Fernandez has downplayed any overemphasis on personal moments in his rookie season as a head coach. But Sunday night’s game meant more than usual for him. It was his first time facing Kings coach Mike Brown after spending the previous two seasons as his lead assistant.
The Nets made their coach sweat a bit in his return to Sacramento, but a strong fourth quarter helped them leave Golden 1 Center with a 108-103 win.
Their 19-point second-quarter lead faded into a third-quarter deficit, but in the fourth quarter, the Nets (7-10) used a 17-6 run to pull ahead for good. They held the Kings to 15 points in the period.
“I wanted to get the victory for our players,” said Fernandez, who had an extended hug with Brown after the final buzzer. “And then with all my respect to [Brown], because he is more than my mentor.
“Obviously, you want to beat everybody, and they were in front of us. So, with that being said, we did our best to win. It means the world to me, because he’s the person that brought me here.”
Brown hired Fernandez 15 years ago to train his son Elijah, and that led to Brown, then coach of the Cavaliers, hiring him as a player development coach. Fernandez later coached in the G League and became an assistant with the Nuggets.
Fernandez’s new team found a way to outlast his former team through defense and quality shooting. The Nets were 19-for-39 on three-pointers, one shy of their season high for made threes, and held the Kings to 9-for-25 shooting from outside the arc.
Cam Thomas, who played through illness in Friday’s loss at Philadelphia, had 34 points and six assists. “I felt better, obviously played better,’’ he said. “You feel good, you play good. Just felt better today and just wanted to come out and be aggressive and try to will the team to a win tonight.”
Cam Johnson added 16 points, ending his streak of three consecutive games with at least 20. The Nets’ bench outscored the Kings’ bench 44-9, helped by Noah Clowney’s season-high 18 points, including a career-high five three-pointers, and Shake Milton’s 10 points.
The Nets put together a 17-5 run in the second quarter and made 10 of their first 14 three-pointers, but the Kings (8-9) trailed by only 65-57 at halftime and then tied the score at 82.
The Nets gave up 13 second-chance points in the third quarter and were outrebounded 17-3. However, Clowney tied the score at 88 with a three-pointer just before the buzzer.
De’Aaron Fox finished with 31 points for the Kings, continuing a trend of the Nets giving up big games to opposing guards, but he shot 0-for-3 in the fourth quarter.
Dennis Schroder (sore right ankle) missed a game for the first time this season, joining fellow starter Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) on the sideline. Ziaire Williams started as did Nic Claxton, who opened up alongside Ben Simmons for the first time this season.
Seven Nets made at least one three-pointer in the first half. Clowney’s five three-pointers matched his total in New Orleans on Nov. 11, but he left the game with 6:05 remaining with a sprained left ankle after landing on Keegan Murray’s foot while jumping to pass.
After the game, he had trouble walking under his own power in the locker room. He later said he was doing well and had dodged a potential worst-case scenario, though his status for Monday night’s game at Golden State is to be determined.
It proved to be a sweet return for Fernandez, who also coached with Brown on the Nigerian national team years before they reunited in Sacramento. Brown complimented the job his former protege has done.
“He has them playing really, really, really hard,’’ Brown said before the game. “They’re doing some good things on both sides of the ball. But I can only imagine the success that he’s going to have, especially given some time once they figure out which direction they may or may not want to go.”
Notes & quotes: Fernandez said Finney-Smith is out for Monday night’s game as he continues to be evaluated. Schroder said he isn’t sure if he’ll be available but that he’ll see how he feels when he tests his injured ankle in the morning . . . Simmons also will be out Monday because he has yet to be cleared to play both games of back-to-backs.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
