Jeremy Lin has brought a lot of positivity to the Brooklyn Nets since he returned from an injury after the All-Star break. He inspired the Nets to their third win in four games on Sunday against the struggling Atlanta Hawks at the Philips Arena.
The Nets were looking to get their first win of the season against the Hawks and they did just that using a big second quarter led by Jeremy Lin. The worst team in the NBA had a 22-point lead at one point and they were able to hold on for the 107-92 win.
Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson believes Jeremy Lin came up big for his team against the Hawks. He praised his starting point guard for what he did during the game that was vital as the Nets were looking to avoid a late collapse.
"We haven't been in that situation a lot. Jeremy helped matters a lot, milking the clock, taking a little better care of the ball, knowing when to get in the pick and roll," Atkinson told Reuters in an interview after the game.
Jeremy Lin finished the game with 19 points, four rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block, per NBA.com. Brook Lopez added 23 points and seven rebounds while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, KJ McDaniels and Spencer Dinwiddie all scored in double digits.
The 15-point loss was the Hawks' seventh defeat in a row but they still occupy the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks starters came up big against Jeremy Lin and the Nets with Dwight Howard posting a double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds.
Dennis Schroder had 24 points and eight assists while All-Star forward Paul Millsap added 17 points, six rebounds and three steals. The Hawks bench was the difference in the loss as they only combined for just seven total points compared to the Nets' 46 bench points.
Jeremy Lin and the Nets now have 16 wins this season. They can realistically finish with 20 wins or more. Brooklyn has a relatively easy schedule with games against the Sixers, Magic and Bulls. They will face the Hawks for the fourth time this season next week at the Barclays Center.
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