The Long Island Nets returned to the court on Wednesday for a showdown with the Capital City Go-Go in Washington, D.C. This game marked the return of Brooklyn two-way player EJ Liddell, who missed the last
three games due to a knee injury. Liddell, a 6’7” 23-year-old forward, notched 17 points in 24 minutes his return, adding nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks to help push Long Island past Capital City in a close one, 104-101.
The win gave Long Island a 5-5 record in the G League regular season.
Liddell was the only one of the Nets three two-ways who was with Long Island. Both Tyson Etienne and Chaney Johnson were with Brooklyn Wednesday night. Ben Saraf also was on hand for Long Island and he finished with 14 points and four assists shooting 5-of-12 overall and 1-of-3 from deep. No word on when he might return to duty in Brooklyn.
The bigger story was Liddell. With just over four minutes remaining in the first quarter of last Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Clippers, Liddell went up for a shot and had an awkward landing. He immediately fell to the floor in front of his Brooklyn teammates, Jalen Wilson, Terrance Mann, and Haywood Highsmith. Things didn’t look right, and he left the game immediately. He never returned and proceeded to miss the first two games of the Canada trip, and Long Island’s next home game against the Stockton Kings.
Before his injury in that one, Liddell was in line for a huge game. He had 10 points, shot 80%, and made 66% of his shots from deep. This once again showed the player that the Nets signed to their two-way deal in the offseason and exactly why they liked him. He’s reliable, a good shooter, and above all else, a consistent player.
Now, Liddell hoped to build on that performance in tonight’s game, and he came very close to another massive game. Liddell finished this one with 17 points, connecting on four of his nine shots. He also continued to show he’s far more than a one-dimensional player. Liddell notched nine rebounds and one assist. He even had two steals to his credit.
However, once again, Liddell showcased his prowess as a blocker. He blocked two shots, including a game-saving block at the end of the game to keep the lead and momentum in Long Island’s favor. For the season, he’s averaging nearly two a game. After a recent home game, Liddell had this to say about his blocking ability to NetsDaily:
“It’s a God-given gift,” Liddell told ND. “The timing, the patience, I think it’s just me blocking out negativity. That’s how I look at it when I’m blocking shots. Blocking out bad vibes. That’s just a gift I’ve always had.”
In addition to his 14 points, Saraf also had two rebounds, four assists, and a block to his credit. Ball protection was a bit of a problem for the Brooklyn rookie yet again, as he had three in this one. He’s averaging 3.8 per game. Still, this is down from the eight he had a mere few games back. Overall, Saraf is having a decent season at the G League level, despite some ankle woes, averaging 15.5 points on 40/36/82 splits while handing out 4.2 assists in 24 minutes a game.
Coming off a career night on Monday, Grant Nelson only notched nine points in this one. This game marked Nelson’s third game back since November 26th. Nelson had returned on Friday night when the Nets were in Laval, Quebec. Despite the low-point total, Nelson connected on four of his six shots and connected on his only shot from the foul stripe. In his two starts since returning from his knee issues, Nelson has scored 30 points and grabbed 12 boards in 32 minutes as he appears to be on a minutes restriction.
Nelson only played 17 minutes in this one, as he’s still getting acclimated to minutes on the professional level after missing a month and a half of action. Despite not taking a lot of them, Nelson takes smart shots that will see him always have a good field goal percentage.
Nate Williams, Long Island’s 6’6”, 26-year-old wing led the team in points, scoring 21 against Capital City in 39 minutes. He maintained his status as one of the more consistent shooters on Long Island, as he shot close to 50% yet again in this one. He connected on seven of his 16 total shots and went two-for-five from deep. He also had two rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block.
Malachi Smith, who was Liddell’s high school teammate in Illinois, continued his great play since joining the starting line-up for Long Island. He notched 18 points in this one, after racking up 36 last game. He also had five rebounds, eight assists, and a career-high of seven steals. The seven steals also tied the LI Nets franchise steal record, and his six takeaways in the second half tied Tre Scott’s franchise record for steals in a single half.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (5-5) return to the court on Sunday night, January 18th, as they travel to Iowa to take on the Iowa Wolves. The game tips off at 4:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on NBA TV.
