What started as an ugly game all around turned into one of the most dominant wins for Long Island of the season Wednesday night vs. the College Park Skyhawks in suburban Atlanta. Behind Danny Wolf’s double-double
and Nolan Traore’s 17 points, Long Island walked out of Georgia with the dominant, 125-101 victory.
Wolf continued to play electric basketball. He connected on seven of his 15 shot attempts and finished with 15 points. Wolf continued to be a double-double machine as he hauled in another double-digit rebound game, finishing with 10. The way Wolf has been playing, the question is how soon he’ll get reps in Brooklyn.
Most impressively about Wolf’s game was his ability to haul in offensive rebounds. He grabbed six offensive rebounds on Wednesday, which not only led the team but also led the entire game, rather comfortably. David Muoka brought in three rebounds offensively. Last season, before trading for Drew Timme, Long Island didn’t have that walking rebounder. This year, Wolf has filled that gap in more ways than one.
Wolf also finished with three assists and two steals. One of the biggest positives for Wolf in this game didn’t have to do with his points or rebounding. It was the fact that Wolf protected the ball so much better. Last game, Wolf had eight turnovers. Fast forward to Wednesday, and he only had one. However, not everything was perfect.
Wolf had one of his worst games shooting from beyond the arc. He connected on just one of his seven shot attempts. This was by far the worst on the team from deep, and one of his worst performances from beyond the arc in the early going of the Tip-Off Tournament. Nonetheless, a positive performance from Wolf.
From one part of the Flatbush 5 to another, Nolan Traore had a much quieter game than he did on Monday, connecting on six of his 15 shot attempts, including going 3-of-9 from deep, to finish with 17 points. He also picked up four rebounds and three assists in Long Island’s victory.
Traore, who was trending in the right direction protecting the ball, upped his turnover total in this one, finishing with five.
The Long Island bench played a pivotal role in this game, with their top point scorer coming from the bench. Malachi Smith, the 6’4” 25-year-old shooting guard, finished the game with 24 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Smith was averaging roughly 5.0 ppg coming into this one.
Nate Williams, who the Nets got in return for Timme, continued his solid play in this one, finishing second on the team in points with 21. The 6’5” 25-year-old guard connected on five of his 11 shots, including three-of-seven from deep. He also had four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, continuing to be a ball hawk for Long Island.
“I’ve always been a good defender,” Williams told NetsDaily earlier this week. “Especially on the ball. So, it’s no surprise to me. I’ve guarded some of the best guys in the world, and did a good job on them. So, this, in the G League, doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Should Williams continue his positive play, could he be in the running for the third and final two-way spot? More on that coming soon…
Trevon Scott, Long Island’s power forward, finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, securing a double-double. Perhaps even more impressively for Scott’s game, he matched his career-high in three-pointers with four. Scott went 4-for-6 from deep and connected on seven of his 13 overall.
Overall, there were many positive developments from this game, especially with Wolf and Traore. Six of Long Island’s players, four starters and two bench pieces, scored in the double digits. Two of the six, Smith and Williams, got over twenty. This was a very positive all-around win for the team, and Brooklyn fans have to be happy with how Wolf and Traore have looked as of late in the G League.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (3-4) return to the court to try and get themselves back to .500 on Saturday night as they return home to face off with old friend AJ Lawson and the undefeated Toronto Raptors 905. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on RokuTV and the Gotham Sports app.
