Brooklyn Nets (17-47) beat Memphis Grizzlies (23-40) 126-115 at home on Monday, March 9, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Nets struck first, taking the opening quarter 33-31 and a 2-point lead after one. The Nets kept the pressure on with a 32-26 second quarter, carrying a 8-point lead into halftime.
The Grizzlies won the third 29-26 to stay in front, taking a 5-point lead into the fourth. The Nets took the fourth 35-29; the Nets finished the job for a 126-115 regulation win.
What decided it
The Nets got more from their shots, finishing at 65.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 51.1% for the Grizzlies. The Nets grabbed 30.3% of their own misses, while the Grizzlies recovered 28.3%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Grizzlies did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 13.5 against 18.6. The Nets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Nets produced 122.1 points per 100 possessions to 111.5 for the Grizzlies.
The Nets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 76-41.
Who made the difference
Day'Ron Sharpe was the game's biggest individual force for BKN: 19 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast on 8-11 shooting. His Game Score of 18.1 led everyone. His team was +16 with him on the floor.
Javon Small led the Grizzlies with 19 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast on 7-14 shooting, good for a 17.6 Game Score.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 51% for the Nets.
Across the last 4 meetings in our records, the series is even.
The Nets are now 17-47, and the Grizzlies are 23-40. The Nets last five before this game: L-L-L-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.