The Long Island Nets returned to their home court of the Nassau Coliseum to face off with the Maine Celtics for their big “Nothin’ But Nets” night, honoring their affiliation with the Brooklyn Nets. There was no Brooklyn presence outside of the Brooklynettes and Team Hype and even with Javon Freeman-Liberty’s impressive showing, Terry Roberts double-double, and seven players in double figures, the new look, aka depleted, Long Island team fell to Maine, 114-104.
What made things more disappointing
was that if Long Island had won, it would have clinched a playoff spot despite having their top players 20 miles west of Nassau Coliseum at Barclays Center.
Fans knew that Long Island would continue to have slim pickings. The three two-ways — Tyson Etienne, E.J. Liddell and Chaney Johnson are all with the big club as is Malachi Smith who has three days left on his 10-day with Brooklyn. Hunter Cattoor was also out with a right ankle sprain, so the recently acquired Javon Freeman-Liberty got first home start on Long Island, and he did not disappoint.
Freeman-Liberty was tied for the team lead in points, notching 17. He finished connecting on six of his 15 shots and also connected on three of his nine tries from deep. On top of his scoring game, the 6’3” 26-year-old also picked up three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
However, perhaps the best part of Freeman-Liberty’s game came in the ball protection department. He finished with a perfectly clean game, turning the ball over zero times. While the Long Island team turned the ball over 13 times, Freeman-Liberty did his part to try to mitigate the damage from turnovers. Despite the loss, he wasn’t the only one to have a very good showing.
Terry Roberts continued to show why he’s simply a fantastic point guard. Last season, when Roberts took over for former Long Island point guard Killian Hayes, he became a triple-double machine. He scored, hauled in some impressive rebounding numbers, and found open teammates with ease. This game saw a lot of that type of player as he picked up 16 points, hauled in five rebounds, and secured a double-double with 10 assists. To top it off, he led the game with four steals and had a block to his credit. After the game, he spoke to NetsDaily about his impressive showing.
“Still have to be better,” Roberts told ND. “Still trying to find ways to finish the game. That’s really all I’m thinking about right now, just figuring out how to finish the game and stay connected. We have a new team. I think we clicked pretty well, just after playing a couple of games. But that’s really all I’m thinking about right now, just figuring out how to finish these games, and get to the playoffs.”
Something about Roberts that really stood out in this one was his assist numbers. His 10 assists all looked effortless. When asked about this aspect of his game, Roberts told ND, “It’s probably my favorite part of the game. Just being able to get my other teammates going and knowing I can set them up. It makes me feel good, and it makes my teammates look good too.
“I’ve developed the most in becoming a leader, being here. My coaches always harp on that with me, especially last year. I was the only returner, and this year is my third year with the team. So, they just want me to keep my voice up in the locker room and keep the guys together. So, I think that’s probably my biggest takeaway.”
As the season winds down, Roberts told ND he has one goal in mind: “make the playoffs and win the playoffs, win the championship.” Roberts continues, “I know we can do it, we have the team to do it, so just figuring out all the details and little things and making that adjustment.”
That of course will depend largely on how many of the four healthy players in Brooklyn will return to Long Island for the G League playoffs which begin March 31. No word yet on that. The junior circuit’s post-season is unlike the NBA or WNBA in that games are single-elimination up until the Finals when who gets to hold the trophy must win two out of three.
Five other players had between 10 and 17 points, led by former Seton Hall and Ole Miss product Dre Davis put up 17 points, connecting on five of his 16 shots, including going one-of-five from deep. The 6’6” 24-year-old also had seven rebounds, which was tied for the team lead, three assists, one steal, and three blocks.
Trevon Scott continued to start for Long Island, a role he has had many times this season. The 6’9” power forward connected on six of his 15 tries for 16 points. He also hauled in seven rebounds. After the game, Scott spoke to ND about his performance…
“Tough loss,” Scott told ND. “We just have to continue to get better. Obviously, it’s a new team; we have a lot of new faces, and some guys are not here. Just have to continue to grow, learn from each other, and get everyone integrated into the system. I think we’ll be alright. The last two games, we gave ourselves a chance to win with the team that we have now, and I think our next game is going to be different for us.”
The 29-year-old tied his career-high in 3-pointers made, picking up four on his 10 tries. When asked about how important this aspect of his game was, Scott told ND,
“It’s very important. Being able to stretch the floor, I’m a three-and-d guy, small ball, five pick and pop, being able to create more space. If I get the ball, there’s a chance that I’m going to take the shot. I’m confident in every shot that I take. It’s huge for the next level. If I get a 10-day at the end of the season, go to the next level, go overseas, wherever I’m playing next year, being able to affect the game and score the ball in each and every way is huge.
Scott is also a returning player, much like Terry Roberts. When asked about his development in his second season with Long Island, Scott told ND, “I think my shooting has been way better.” Scott continues, “I’ve been shooting the ball very well. I think shooting has been one of my improvements this year, and I think I’ve grown as a leader as well.
Looking ahead for Scott, he has one goal in mind as the season winds down: “make the playoffs. We have to win one game, maybe two. However many we have to, to make the playoffs. That’s my goal. Once we get there, everything else follows. We’ll focus on the next steps. But, right now, my main priority is to make sure that I lead my team to the playoffs.”
David Muoka once again got the start at center for Long Island. He had yet another impressive showing, tallying 12 points, hauling in seven rebounds, and finishing with three assists. Muoka had four offensive rebounds, which were the most on the Long Island team. Muoka also had one steal and was tied for the game lead in blocks with three.
Unfortunately for Long Island, the bench play hurt the squad, being out scored 46-26 by Maine. Alex Schumacher and Jamal Mashburn Jr. both tallied 10 points.
Two former Brooklyn Nets players tore apart the Long Island defense. Former two-way player, Kendall Brown, scored 20 points and connected on eight of his 11 tries. Keon Johnson also wreaked havoc on his former team, entering the game from the Maine bench and notching 13.
The Celtics got off to a hot start with an 11-2 run in the first quarter. The Nets scored nine second-chance points and won the offensive rebounding battle by a margin of 5-2 in the first, but the Celtics finished the opening frame with a 28-20 lead. Maine extended the lead to double digits with a 20-8 run in the second and entered the half with a 58-41 advantage. Long Island’s defense held the Celtics to just 21.4 percent (3-for-14) from deep in the first half.
After Maine’s first field goal of the second half, Long Island scored eight consecutive points as part of a 20-5 run but never got closer than nine in the quarter. After a tightly-contested fourth, the Celtics finished the game with a 114-104 victory.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (18-14) return to the court on Sunday night for a showdown with the Capital City Go-Go in Washington on Sunday. With a win, Long Island can clinch the playoffs and set up a match with the Osceola Magic. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be viewed on the NBA G League website.
