The Brooklyn Nets sent three players — Day’Ron Sharpe, David Duke Jr. and Kessler Edwards — to Long Island Monday night and the move paid off as their G League affiliate secured a 125-123 win over the Delaware Blue Coats.
Sharpe (27 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks,) Duke (28 points, five rebounds and three steals,) and Edwards (20 points, eight rebounds and four 3-pointers,) all had big games at Nassau Coliseum, along with Chiozza, who scored only eight points but handed out 14 assists and hit the winning free throws with two seconds left in the game.
Donovan Williams (12) and Kavion Pippen (10) also finished in double figures for Long Island.
The Nets are now 6-5 and winners of six of their last seven games under rookie head coach Ronnie Burrell. They jumped out early vs. the Sixers affiliate and held a 61-49 lead at the half, but the Blue Coats kept chipping away and with two seconds left and the scored tied, Delaware’s Michael Foster Jr. fouled Chiozza who calmly sank both free throws. A desperation shot by Julian Champagnie, the Staten Island native and St. John’s product, missed and the scoreboard hit triple zeros. Champagnie who played high school ball at Bishop Loughlin near Barclays Center, was the game’s high scorer with 38.
Sharpe put up his big numbers in only 27 minutes, fouling out with 1:19 left in the fourth. He shot 13-of-18 overall, 1-of-3 from deep and dominated the boards. Of his 17 boards, 11 were off the offensive glass. Duke, one of two Nets two-ways, played his first game with Long Island, shooting 12-of-26, but only 1-of-6 from three, Edwards who like Sharpe has been up-and-down with Long Island, hit 4-of-7 on his 3-point attempts.
The game also marked the return of Alondes Williams, the Nets other two-way who had missed five games with a right adductor (groin) strain. The 6’5” combo guard put up nine points in 20 minutes, shooting 3-of-9 overall and 2-of-5 from deep to go with two assists, two steals and three offensive rebounds.
The Brooklyn trio is expected back at Barclays Center Wednesday for the Nets game with Charlotte while Long Island will play Delaware again that night at the Coliseum. Game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on the YES App.
- Game Report: Long Island Nets 125, Delaware Blue Coats 123 – G League
- Game Highlights: Long Island Nets 125, Delaware Blue Coats 123 (Video) – G League