Jaylen Martin averaged 15 points a game for the Westchester Knicks before the Nets signed him at the deadline. He had his first big game for Long Island Thurday.
With G League playoffs starting in less than two weeks, the Long Island Nets have lost three of their last four games, including a 29-point blowout to the at Nassau Coliseum Thursday night. With Noah Clowney in Brooklyn and two-way Keon Johnson unavailable, the Long Islanders had little scoring prowess and wound up shooting 42.1% overall and only 22.9% from deep. Three Nets who head coach Mfon Udofia usually relies on for buckets — Kyler Edwards, Patrick Gardner and the Nets third two-way Jacob Gilyard — shot a combined 5-of-25 overall, 1-of-13 from deep.
One positive note out of the night was a breakout game from the Brooklyn Nets most recent and presumably final acquisition of the season, Jaylen Martin. Martin, a 20-year-old wing who signed a two-year, two-way after the All-Star break, had his best game as a Long Island Net. The 6’6” Martin recorded 18 points, six rebounds and two assists while shooting 8-of-14 in 28 minutes. His high game before Thursday had been 11 points in the first game he joined Long Island from the Westchester Knicks where he had two two-ways earlier this season.
Martin showed off his athleticism throughout the game…
Jaylen Martin to the rim for the SLAM pic.twitter.com/crU0EJkAuD
— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) March 21, 2024
Long Island point guard Kennedy Chandler tallied 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block in 29 minutes and veteran forward Kaiser Gates posted 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 24 minutes. It was the team’s annual Women’s Impact game at the Coliseum.
The two teams got off to an even start in the first quarter, with five ties. Long Island closed the quarter ahead by three, 31-28. Then Indiana began the blowout, outscoring the Nets 31-18 in the second quarter, taking the lead for good. The Mad Ants closed the first half ahead by 10, 59-49.
Despite Long Island shooting 50.0% from the field and 42.9% from behind the arc in the third quarter, Indiana outscored the Nets 38-27 in the period. The Mad Ants kept their lead and closed the quarter ahead by 21, 97-76. Indiana’s momentum continued in the fourth as they outscored Long Island 30-22. The Mad Ants went on to defeat the Nets by 29, 127-98.
Mad Ants forward Quenton Jackson posted a game-high 34 points to go along with four rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block in 31 minutes. Indiana two-way center Oscar Tshiebwe notched a double-double with 26 points and 26 rebounds in addition to two assists, one steal and one block in 30 minutes.
By day’s end, Long Island was still fifth seed in the East but is now two games back of the three G League teams tied for second seed, among them the Mad Ants.
Long Island will travel to Delaware to face the Blue Coats on Saturday, March 23, at 7:00 p.m. ET.