Nets clinch No. 6 playoff spot, get 76ers in first round
Royce O'Neale #00 of the Brooklyn Nets goes to the hoop against Chuma Okeke #3 of the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center on Friday, Apr. 7, 2023 in New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It’s all set.
The Nets clinched the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot Friday night with a 101-84 win over the Orlando Magic.
OK, technically the Nets clinched the spot about 15 minutes before the game was over when seventh-place Miami lost to the Washington Wizards. The important thing is the Nets avoided a play-in situation like the one they had last year with superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the team.
Instead, with a team that was thrown together after the two stars demanded a trade in February, the Nets will go straight to the first round, which they will open next weekend in Philadelphia against the third-seeded 76ers.
“I think it’s just a big sigh of relief for everybody, the whole organization,” said center Nic Claxton about making the playoffs. “We just wanted to have a good showing tonight. We took care of business tonight.”
The Nets (45-36) will also conclude the season with a meaningless game against the 76ers at Barclays Center on Sunday. Don’t expect that to be much of a preview as both teams will likely rest key players to get ready for what really matters.
The Nets were in charge from the middle of the first quarter on, despite the fact they finished shooting just 39.3%.
Mikal Bridges led all scorers with 22 points. Spencer Dinwiddie followed his 16-assist performance Wednesday with 14 assists. Cam Johnson added 18 points and Claxton had a double -double with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Orlando (34-47) entered the game tied for the sixth worst record in the league and it was pretty apparent that lottery positioning was on their mind as they did not play a number of key players including leading scorer Paolo Banchero. Cole Anthony was the leading scorer for Orlando with 14 points.
The Nets took control of the game by outscoring the Magic, 31-16, in the second quarter to take a 58-39 lead at the half. The Nets led by as many as 24 points in the third. Orlando was able to make it a 10-point game early in the fourth, but it never got closer.
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn, who took over for coach Steve Nash in November, said he couldn’t say enough about the way the team stuck together through everything they went through this season.
“I’m extremely proud of this group,” Vaughn said. “It’s the way we were able to stay together the entire year and create our own narrative. This group just endured. We chose courage over comfort many times.”
Dinwiddie said that this Nets team is a far different one than the one he was on that lost to Philadelphia, in five games, in the first round of the playoffs in 2018-19.
“You got guys on this team who went to the Finals, conference finals, things of that nature and have experience. We have an appropriate respect for Philly obviously, but there’s no fear or anything.”
Notes & quotes. The Nets did not sign Moses Most Brown after his second 10-day deal expired. Instead they converted David Duke Jr.’s two-way contract to a standard NBA contract, meaning the second-year player is eligible for the playoffs. “It’s dope, man,” said Duke, who was not eligible to play last postseason because he was a two-way player. “Being a part of the team last season and just seeing the atmosphere, I was just itching. Man, if I can even tough the floor during warmups…..Whatever chance I get, opportunity-wise, I’m ready. I’m hungry.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
