LAS VEGAS — It was a sweet comeback for the Nets from a big fourth-quarter deficit on Friday.
For Darrik Whitehead, it’s been a welcome return after two injury-plagued years.
The Nets overcame a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit on Keon Johnson’s Elam-ending game-winning basket to beat Indiana 97-95 in overtime in the opening game of the Las Vegas Summer League.
Whitehead has overcome similar obstacles. The 19-year-old has had three surgeries in an 18-month span that ruined his lone season at Duke and his freshman season in Brooklyn.
“First game back. I’m excited to get out of that game with a win,” said Whitehead, who was finally back on track after a slump in form. “The game was fast. It was all about finding my rhythm. But I’m happy to get out of that game with a win.”
“For me, it’s good. I see it as a positive sign. I played my best defense in a while. So I’m just going to take this as a positive, a stepping stone, and know I can make shots. It was a bad game, so I’ve just got to knock the rust off, find my rhythm and move forward.”
The Newark, New Jersey native underwent surgery on his foot in August 2022 and then another before being selected as a first-round pick in last year’s draft, but a third surgery due to a splint ended his rookie season after just six games (four in the G League).
But on Friday, Whitehead took the court in the healthiest condition since high school.
The stats were awful: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1-of-12 shooting, and 0-of-7 from deep.
But he slid sideways on his surgically repaired leg, despite missing his first eight shots.
“Being able to move laterally, being able to get there before somebody else, I haven’t been able to do that for a long time, so I just look at it as a stepping stone for me to be able to do that, just being out there and being able to move my feet side to side again, it feels great,” Whitehead said. “So it’s just about keeping taking little steps, knocking the rust off and eventually getting going.”
“You have to impact the game in different ways. [Friday] Today was not my day. We all know that. The stats speak for themselves. [But] “I take a lot of pride in more than just making shots. So I just wanted to contribute in any way I could. … That’s what I had to do at the end of the game.”
Fellow second-year pro Jalen Wilson dominated much of the game, finishing with 25 points, seven rebounds and 5-of-9 3-pointers.
He played mature and physical.
The Nets were down 15 points in the fourth quarter and trailed 83-69 with 4:20 left, but a Wilson 3-pointer sparked a 20-6 run.
Wilson took a pass from Noah Clowney (14 points, four blocks) and drilled a 25-foot shot to tie the game at 89-89 with 15 seconds left in the game.
The game went into overtime and was decided by a seven-point win in a summer league game that used an Elam Ending.
That was the case for the Nets, despite allowing the first four points of overtime.
Johnson ended up winning the game, finishing with 16 points, six assists and five rebounds.
He won with a tough turnaround from the baseline.
“We forced 28 turnovers. I think we played physical, which got us into foul trouble. We have a lot to improve on,” summer league coach Steve Hetzel said. “We didn’t give up even though we were down by 15 points, we fought tooth and nail, we fought hard and we hustled hard to get the win, so I’m very happy with the win, but we have a lot to improve on.”
