December 11th, Hornets vs. Nets 113-108
Brooklyn was up as much as 18 at multiple points throughout this holiday season matchup. However, once again on the back of Most Improved Player candidate, Graham, the Hornets were able to pull this one out in dramatic fashion.
The highlight of this game is undoubtedly Graham’s fourth-quarter showing. His 12 point final quarter was capped off by two clutch jump shots within 30 seconds of each other in the final minute to put his team up by five.
While early-season flashes were promising, this game definitively sealed the idea that Graham could be a significant piece for the franchise moving forward in the rebuilding process.
This game was in the midst of the starting guard’s best month of the season. In this month, he averaged 20 points and eight assists a game on 37% shooting from three-point range. These numbers ranked similarly to All-Stars’. They ranked in the top 10 in scoring and three-point percentage amongst point guards for the month of December.
On the other side of the ball in this contest, a tactical Borrego switch caused problems for the Nets’ offense. The Boeheim trademarked 2-3 zone gave little room for Brooklyn’s guards to operate out of its pick-and-roll heavy offense.
This is one of many instances throughout the season where Coach Borrego maximized the potential of a quick, college-like lineup.