Crisis averted in Brooklyn.
Nets point guard D'Angelo Russell played down the stretch in Tuesday's 122-117 victory over Chicago at Barclays Center.
Much ado was made about very little the night before in Boston, when Russell was benched for the final 8:42 of a 112-104 defeat.
According to Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, Russell did not make a satisfactory effort in chasing down a defensive rebound on the Celtics' prior possession, which led to a Boston second-chance bucket that made it 97-90.
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Atkinson called it a "teachable moment" for his 22-year-old star, and Russell claimed the moral high ground in his postgame comments by acknowledging the error of his ways.
As for Nets fans who were miffed that Russell was never reinserted when the deficit soon after reached double digits, well, that game was never as winnable as they made it out to be.
Though Celtics All-Star Kyrie Irving was sidelined, the Nets were even more short-handed, forced to play G Leaguers Theo Pinson and Mitch Creek major minutes due to a lengthy injury list.
More important, the Nets were playing the long game, knowing that they had to beat the lowly Bulls the next night on a back-to-back.
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For better or worse, Brooklyn is in a playoff chase, which means that the schedule and accompanying players' minutes sometimes have to be managed. At 27-24 heading into Tuesday's contest and looking at some tougher opponents in the next couple of weeks, the Bulls game was not one of those times.
So when Russell exited with 7:27 remaining Tuesday, Atkinson said he needed to assure him that it was only for a short rest.
"(Atkinson) told me that (Monday), too," Russell said in jest. "He said, 'One-minute break, one-minute break.' Nah, I wasn't upset at all."
Russell, who is averaging 23.7 points and 7.1 assists on 48.9 percent shooting (including 42 percent on 3-pointers) in January to make a serious All-Star case, scored 11 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to stomp out the Bulls' bid to play spoiler. Even better, he finished with seven assists with no turnovers in his 36 minutes in leading the Nets to their 20th victory in their last 26 games.
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Make no mistake, though the Nets received clutch plays down the stretch Tuesday from castmates such as DeMarre Carroll and Joe Harris, this is Russell's show now. When Caris LeVert was felled by a dislocated foot in Minnesota on Nov. 12, the Nets still had Spencer Dinwiddie to share the crunch-time playmaking role with Russell. However, Dinwiddie was forced to undergo surgery Monday to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb. Leaked reports indicated he will be out three to six weeks, but this is the Nets. They seem to have their own (secret) timelines.
In any event, Russell's ability to percolate forces opponents to send extra defenders at him, which creates openings for others to shine. Reserve Shabazz Napier just doesn't command the same respect.
"Russell is a monster unto himself," Bulls coach Jim Boylen said.
When the Nets needed it most, the monster was unleashed.
VETERAN TRIO DESERVE RECOGNITION
On one hand, I welcomed Tuesday's news that Nets rookie forward Rodions Kurucs and sophomore center Jarrett Allen were selected to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend. Both players have been instrumental in Brooklyn's incredible run.
However, it's too bad that there's no way to recognize the immeasurable value that the Nets have received from their players of relatively advanced ages.
Between Carroll (32), Ed Davis (29) and currently injured Jared Dudley (33), the Nets have exploited their many years of NBA wisdom to the benefit of young guns such as Allen and Kurucs, both 20.
The consulting firm of Davis, Carroll & Dudley is often called upon to correct mistakes even before Atkinson reaches the locker room at halftime, according to Napier.
"We ask them, 'What do they see?'" Napier said. "And most of the time, they're right."
Should the Nets close the deal to make the playoffs for the first time in four years, the veterans' impromptu players-only film session following a dreadful late-game loss to Oklahoma City on Dec. 5 just might be hailed as the season's turning point.
Of course, maybe not so coincidentally, that night was also the last time Kurucs was listed on the scoresheet as a DNP-Coach's Decision.
The youngsters received their just accolades. The vets, I guess, will have to settle for the respect of their teammates and coaches.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.
