As he became the Nets' go-to scorer in Tuesday's game, Trendon Watford was inching closer to his playing time limit.
A preseason hamstring injury kept him from making his debut until Sunday, when he logged 13 minutes and left Garden Court gassed. Two days later, he competed with a time limit of 18 minutes.
However, Watford's adrenaline was “through the roof”.
He implored Jordi Fernandez to ignore the restrictions, and the Nets lost leading scorer Cam Thomas (who was forced to sit out at the last minute due to lower back tightness), but still won in a 17-point comeback. is on the brink of
“Just let me rock,” Watford told his coach.
Watford only needed to play one more minute – he looked over the final box score in his post-game press conference, noted the 19:03 mark and said with a smile on his face, “We're on track.'' Said — during a game the Nets won 116-115. However, after returning to the game with 7 minutes and 15 seconds remaining, he finally closed in on Ben Simmons in the final three-plus minutes, collecting seven straight points to help the Nets win the NBA championship. Cup win.
When Thomas comes back, those shots will be Thomas's. Those minutes will be used by center Nick Claxton as he recovers from a lower back strain.
But as the Nets experiment with lineup combinations and work through injuries, Watford's 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks were reminiscent of the 24-year-old's role as an undrafted free agent in his second year in Brooklyn. . He was dumped by the Trail Blazers, but could fill in if needed.
“He just takes advantage of that matchup and does what we've seen a million times,” Cam Johnson said. “That's not unusual for him. He can score the ball. He can focus on his job and create for others. So that rise in the fourth quarter, That extra dimension of having someone go when you're trying to take away what we're doing was huge for us.”
Watford's cameos last season were limited until interim head coach Kevin Ollie's lineup combinations ended up being more about deciphering Brooklyn's future than saving the present. He first saw 30 minutes with the Nets on April 1, and over the last seven games with two starts, Watford averaged 12.1 points and shot 48.4 percent from the field.
But then Fernandes came on in Ollie's place. Watford suffered a hamstring injury. Watford said Tuesday it took time to build trust with the coaching staff, a challenge compounded by his 11 consecutive absences. His 6-foot-9, 240-pound frame hasn't prevented him from being a successful ball handler so far, allowing him to fill in a variety of positions.
However, until his return, Fernandes distributed the minutes elsewhere.
“There are some things I've had to get used to since I've been out,” Watford said. “So, I'm still trying to get used to my position on the court and trying to pick my spots and be able to show what I can do offensively. It's coming. I understand.”
Tuesday gave us a glimpse of his potential with the Nets. After a Hornets turnover, Watford drove, drew fouls, and hit foul shots to give the Nets a nine-point lead in the third quarter.
Then in the fourth quarter, Simmons checked out with 3:03 remaining, but he stayed on the court, resulting in a mismatch for Watford. On the first possession, he outscored Tre Mann for an and-one, 6-3.
Charlotte then switched 6-5 Josh Green to Watford, who dribbled twice before firing an off-balance shot that banked as it fell to the court, ending the Nets' six with 38 seconds left. I took a point lead.
“He was very impactful with his drive and control,” Fernandez said. “He's a big guy. He makes the right plays, so it's really hard to turn him on.”
The Nets fed Watford again during their final possession, but this time Green blocked the shot, giving the Hornets a chance for overtime. He joked that his Watford team-mates were “picking on me” afterwards.
But even with empty possessions, the Nets went back to their young forward, even though Johnson exploded for 34 points. They are back to being mismatched.
Perhaps most importantly, Fernandes returned to Watford in the fourth inning and they did not eject him after that.
“I'm glad he stuck with me,” Watford said.
