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Blake Griffin finally made his Nets debut on Sunday.
It was the veteran striker’s two-handed dunk – his first since 2019 – that got the Barclays Center audience on their feet. But it was Griffin’s subtle impact on the Nets’ win over Washington that made Steve Nash smile.
“I thought Blake was awesome,” Nash said. “I don’t think he stuffed the stats sheet, just his experience, his intelligence, made winning games. In 15 minutes he was a plus-12, so I thought Blake was awesome, and you can see how he can help us.
Griffin had just two points and two rebounds in 14:57. But by finishing a game higher over-12, he displayed basketball acumen and defensive versatility.
“He was a great man, just being back and having a little bit of rhythm was great,” Griffin said. “It’s hard to recreate like an actual playing atmosphere. So to go out you know you were feeling good and that was a good start. But you know, there is room to improve, obviously.
Griffin took a load off Bradley Beal, threw Landry Shamet open for a 3-point corner, and yes, blew through center Robin Lopez for a two-handed dunk. It was his first since December 2019, and the Cheshire Cat’s smile as he walked up the field – with the Nets bench erupting – showed just how much that meant.
“It was great. I knew once that happened, it was going to be one thing. And so I tried not to look at the bench when I came back down. But then I kinda took a look, and I saw DeAndre all along the side, and I saw [everybody] standing. So it’s hard not to smile in this situation. But it felt good to just take that out and move on, ”said Griffin, who said he heard the crowd reaction.
“I think our audience has been great,” he said. “Obviously limited, but our audience was great. I noticed it a little, I was trying to stay locked up but I really heard [them]. But the best thing about crowds is when there is a moment in the game and the fans are well informed, they know what’s going on, they will cheer on anyone on our team. I always enjoy playing in front of crowds who know what’s going on.
Landry Shamet suffered a sprained right ankle and will be evaluated on Monday.
“I do not know [the severity]. He’ll definitely have a scan or an imaging and we’ll take it from there, ”Nash said. “But unfortunately I don’t have more details.”
Kevin Durant missed his 15th consecutive game with a hamstring injury.
With the Nets scheduled to fill one of their two open spots by Monday, they will do so by adding 6-foot-7, 212-pound forward Alize Johnson. The move was first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post.
A second-round pick in 2018, Johnson had played sparingly for Indiana his first two years, shooting 41.4 percent from field last season and 37.5 from deep. He dominated the 905 Raptors G-League and is one of the favorites to be named the league’s MVP on Monday. He averaged 16.6 points and was second in rebound (13.3) and efficiency (27.2).
Johnson has attracted interest from the Magic, Raptors, Rockets, Spurs and Suns, according to The Ringer. Brooklyn still has an open spot on the list with the trade deadline looming Thursday and Shamet’s injury. If they need a long-term replacement, JJ Redick – who lives in Brooklyn during the offseason – could be a potential candidate.
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