THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday night’s Nets team that defeated the Pacers was largely unrecognizable.
The team that will play in Washington on Monday will appear much more familiar.
Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Joe Harris, Seth Curry and T.J. Warren all sat out against the Pacers for rest or load management. Kyrie Irving (left adductor soreness), Nic Claxton (right hamstring tightness), and Royce O’Neale (personal reasons) were the three injured Nets.
This includes the top six players on the team’s rotation. With the exception of O’Neale, who did not travel with the team, all of the Nets’ absent players are anticipated to return against the Wizards after their gutsy 136-133 victory.
“Everyone else, we want them to be locked and loaded and ready to go in D.C.,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “As well as.”
Kevin Durant is anticipated to play against the Wizards
The Nets have been worried about Durant’s workload. He led the league in minutes played with 994, while O’Neale was in second place with 971. To maximize Durant’s relaxation, he will join the team in Washington instead of flying to Indiana.
Edmond Sumner had a season-high 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his first game against the Pacers since they traded him to the Nets (who dismissed him) in October 2021. He missed the Oct. 29 meeting at Barclays Center and the Nov. 20 trip to Indiana due to an injury.
The athletic guard, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon and was re-signed by the Nets this summer, scored 14 points in the first quarter while slapping the floor after a spectacular play.
“I was delighted to play here again. I have not played here for some time. “It was bittersweet due to my injury,” stated Sumner. “I was eager to participate. I mean, everything here is love. Here, I harbor no malice. However, I am a competitor, therefore I wished to compete.
Obviously, I did not play the last time we played them at this location. Consequently, I was ecstatic. Last night, I got to sleep in my own bed. So I mean, I felt like home, I’m not going to lie.”
21 of Cam Thomas’ 33 career-high points came in the fourth quarter.
The Nets, the league’s weakest rebounding club, benefited from the presence of Day’Ron Sharpe and Markieff Morris. They enjoyed a 29-7 edge over the Pacers on offensive rebounds. This is the most points scored by any team in a game this season, and the most points scored by the Nets since January 19, 1998 against San Antonio.
Sharpe tied his career-high with 20 points, while Patty Mills scored a season-high 24. Morris’ 15 points and 11 rebounds were season highs and his first double-double since April 17, 2021 against Utah with the Lakers.
Yuta Watanabe returned following a 10-game absence due to a right hamstring ailment. He scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
»Nets are anticipated to be near full strength for the Wizards matchup«