Two of the Brooklyn Nets three two-ways donned Long Island Nets gear in Cleveland Friday to take on the Cleveland Charge and although the Nets G Leaguers lost in an overtime thriller, 131-126, both Tyson Etienne and newly signed Chaney Johnson played well, Johnson in his debut with the organization.
Etienne played one of his best games of the season in this one and was on fire from beyond the arc. The 6’0” 26-year-old finished the game connecting on 13 of his 28 shots, including going eight for 20
from three-point land to finish with 35 points on the night. This was Etienne’s second-best shooting game of the season, behind his career-high 10 three-pointer game he had a few weeks back.
Meanwhile, Johnson who the Nets signed off the Charge roster last week, had an auspicious start to his Nets career. The 6’7” 23-year-old wing from Auburn had a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards to go along with four assists, three blocks and two steals. His shooting left something to be desired — going 3-of-10 overall and 0-of-2 from three — but his defense is a big reason Sean Marks & co. signed him.
After only having eight points in the first half, Etienne went into another gear and became the guy for Long Island to lean on. He even hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to tie the game and force overtime, giving him 17 points in the fourth quarter. But it wasn’t enough as the Charge took the game in an Elam Ending…
Etienne’s impressive day doesn’t end with his scoring. He also hauled in six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Unfortunately, Etienne and Johnson were two of Long Island’s very few bright spots in this game, as rookie Ben Saraf had yet another down game.
After scoring 40 points in the G League Showcase’s final game, Ben Saraf has up and down. He picked up 21 points in Long Island’s last game against College Park, but in this one failed to get into the double-digits as he finished the game with only four points, connecting on just two of his eight shots, including missing all three from deep.
To his credit, Saraf did register five assists, and one steal. He did a good job of getting his teammates involved. However, one of the biggest downsides of his game in this one, other than shooting, was the ball protection department. Saraf finished this one with four turnovers, which has been trending in the wrong direction. Still, in the last four games, the 6’7” wing has averaged 18.0 points on 42/47/83 splits. He’s also recorded 4.3 assists, 3.8 boards and 2.5 steals.
Something about Saraf is that when he’s on his game, he’s one of the best on the team, and it’s not close. His 40-point performance showed that perfectly. The inconsistencies he has when it comes to scoring have to be sorted out first in the G League. The Nets see Saraf’s potential as high with his biggest booster, Jordi Fernandez promising last week that he can be a “great NBA player.” He’ll need to become a more consistent shooter to get there however.
Chaney Johnson, making his debut with Long Island. wasted very little time endearing himself to the Long Island fans, as he finished this one with a double-double. Johnson picked up 11 points and 11 rebounds. Despite not having the best shooting game, Johnson showed a good touch from the foul line (3-for-3).
On top of his double-double, the third Brooklyn two-way led the game in offensive boards with eight, missed tips contributing to his shooting woes. Like Saraf, he too had issues in the turnover department, with five.
Trevon Scott, Long Island’s 6’8” 28-year-old power forward, had another solid game, picking up 22 points and stealing the ball six times, which led the team. All six of Scott’s steals came in the first half, which was a new franchise record for Long Island for steals in a single half. As for Nate Williams, he finished with 11 points. Williams whiffed on all five of his shots from beyond the arc.
As for the Long Island Nets bench, they looked great in this one. The bench as a whole finished with 43 points, with Malachi Smith shining the most, picking up 15 points. Smith also had five steals in this one.
The Nets’ old friend, Killian Hayes, reminded them of what he did for them last season. Hayes led the team for the Charge, racking up 28 points and flirting with a triple-double. He also had nine rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and one block. While he’s no longer on the Nets, more performances like this, and Hayes, still only 24, will find himself back in the NBA.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (2-2) return to the court on Sunday, January 4th, as they return to the Nassau Coliseum for a showdown with the San Diego Clippers. This Clippers team is riding high, as they just defeated the Toronto Raptors 905, to hand Toronto their first loss since last season. The game tips off at 3:00 p.m. EST and can be viewed on the NBA G League website and the Gotham Sports App.
