MEMPHIS, Tenn. — This was the game the Nets needed to get right.
Kevin Ollie made his first win as interim coach a resounding one Monday night, 111-86 over Memphis at FedExForum.
Or at least over the skeleton crew left posing as the Grizzlies these days.
The Nets didn’t have to face Ja Morant or Desmond Bane or Marcus Smart. But they didn’t care.
They had problems of their own even before losing Cam Thomas late. And a laugher like Monday’s could only serve to lift a burden, and lighten the mood.
The only downside was Thomas turning his ankle late, after landing on Day’Ron Sharpe’s foot.
After coming in on the worst three-game span in their NBA history — outscored by a staggering 93 points — the Nets’ slump was historic.
It had started with a 50-point beating in Boston that cost Jacque Vaughn his job. In Ollie’s first two games, they went from embarrassing in his debut to losing in his second to now victorious in his third.
The Nets led essentially wire-to-wire, scoring first and never trailing. They led by as many as 27, and broke out of a Mariana Trench-deep offensive funk.
“[It’ll take] everybody being committed,” Dennis Schroder said. “You know what coach wants to do; we’ve got to come out with a little bit more force, on the defensive end especially, try to dictate the game, how we want to play and be aggressive, picking up full court and disrupt them. And on the offensive end just play, enjoy. That’s just what we’ve got to focus on.”
Schroder’s 18 points and five assists led a balanced attack with seven Nets in double figures. They dished out 32 assists on 44 baskets, shooting .489 in a slump-buster.
The Nets had dropped seven of their last eight, dead last in the league in shooting (.425) and offensive rating (101.9) over that span. But Ollie had preached simpler, crisper passing and got it.
“Limiting our turnovers, of course getting back in transition, making sure we don’t have a lot of live turnovers,” Ollie said beforehand. “It’s a big challenge for us. But it’s a championship opportunity and we’re going to take this opportunity and try to run with it.
“I want [Schroder] to just play free. And when his shot’s open, take them with confidence. That goes with all of our guys. You know we had some great shots in Minnesota: We just missed them. But if we continue to get those shots over and over again, I like our chances. So we need to continue to live in that process, and don’t get down on ourselves.”
This should buoy their confidence.
The Nets ran out to a quick 14-5 lead midway through the first quarter on a 3-pointer by Mikal Bridges.
Brooklyn led 30-18 at the end of the first quarter that saw them dish out 11 assists on 13 baskets, including Thomas finding Cam Johnson off an inbounds in the waning seconds.
It was the fewest points the Nets had surrendered in a first quarter on the road this season, and they kept up that defense.
With the threadbare Grizzlies still hanging around 42-31 after Lamar Stevens’ jumper with 7:10 left in the half, the Nets put it away.
They held Memphis to just 1 of 7 shooting the rest of the half, forcing four turnovers for good measure.
They closed on a 24-7 run, taking a 66-40 cushion into the locker room.
After a sterling half — they had just four turnovers, and got back on defense to not allow a single point off them — it was their biggest halftime lead this season.
It reached 27 several times — when Schroder found Nic Claxton for a dunk to make it 68-41, and again on a Thomas 3-pointer for a 71-44 cushion with 8:59 left in the third.
There was little drama in the fourth.
The highlight was likely Lonnie Walker (13 points) going around-the-back to spin Luke Kennard around in transition. But the real highlight was their passing.