


ATLANTA — The Nets have used the same starting five in their last four games. But with blowouts of 18 and 44 points in their last two on the road, it remains to be seen if coach Jacque Vaughn will make any lineup tweaks Sunday at the Hawks.
Nic Claxton, Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges have started every game since Johnson and Bridges arrived in the Kevin Durant trade. But that starting lineup combined for just 34 points Friday in Chicago on 12-for-42 shooting.
The Nets ended up mustering a season-low 87 points and trailed by as many as 50. Clearly something needs to change.
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Cam Thomas was one of the few bright spots, scoring a team-high 22 points and going 3-for-6 from deep despite being relegated to the bench.
It marked the young guard’s sixth 20-point outing since Jan. 30 against Los Angeles after he had just two before that. In the 10-game stretch, he’s averaging 25.6 points on sterling .488/.464/.895 shooting splits.
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Thomas’ name was actually the first out of Hawks interim coach Joe Prunty’s mouth when discussing the Nets on Saturday.
“Yeah, definitely [they’re different],” Prunty said, referring to the trades of Durant and Kyrie Irving. “I think when people look at them, they’re going to look at them and they’re not going to see, quote-unquote, ‘names.’ This is a dangerous team and very talented. A lot of guys that can score the ball.
“So Cam Thomas, people may not have even knew who he was, but he goes and gets 40, 40, 40 [in consecutive games]. Mikal Bridges just had a game a few games ago 40. So no, this team is [talented].”
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In his second appearance after a five-game absence due to an adductor injury, Seth Curry had 19 points off the bench on 8-for-11 shooting against the Bulls — all in the fourth quarter.
Ben Simmons (left knee soreness), David Duke Jr. (G-League, two-way) and Dru Smith (G-League, two-way) will not play at Atlanta.
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The Nets’ game on March 9 at Milwaukee will no longer be televised by TNT, with tipoff changed to 8 p.m. It has been replaced by the Knicks at the Sacramento Kings.
South Sudan, with Nets assistant Royal Ivey as head coach, has qualified for the FIBA World Cup this summer in Southeast Asia. They’re the world’s youngest nation, and were the first African team to qualify in their initial try.
“And even better news is our assistant coach Royal Ivey, South Sudan. Are you kidding me? Qualified. He put in the work, great team behind him,” Vaughn said. “So excited for him. I’m going to have to make my way, wherever region he’s in, and go take a look at him as a head coach.”
Atlanta big man John Collins remained in concussion protocol and was questionable after a collision in a game last Wednesday.