New Net Schroder ready for Boston two-step

Brooklyn hosts Celtics in opener of home-and-home series

February 13, 2024 John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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After an impressive Barclays Center debut, newly acquired Nets point guard Dennis Schroder will have the Brooklyn faithful behind him heading into this week’s home-and-home, back-to-back series with the league-best Boston Celtics.

“I’m glad we got the win,” Schroder said Saturday night after coming off the bench to amass 15 points and 12 assists during the Nets’ 123-103 rout of visiting San Antonio. “I think that’s the most important.”

Schroder, who arrived here in the deal that sent Spencer Dinwiddie to Toronto at last Thursday’s trade deadline, went 6-of-13 from the floor, including a 3-of-5 effort from 3-point range, in 27 solid minutes.

The 30-year-old German directed the Brooklyn offense quite capably, registering the most helpers in a Nets debut since James Harden handed out 14 on Jan. 16, 2021.

Perhaps more importantly, he won over the sellout crowd of 18,005 on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush by complaining to the officials over an undetected elbow to the face he received from San Antonio’s super rookie Victor Wembanyama.

“The appreciation was there and I love that the fans did it,” Schroder said of the Brooklyn faithful chanting his name following the incident. “Big-time for me.”

Even bigger for the Nets (21-31), who snapped a three-game losing streak, albeit against the team with the worst record in the Western Conference.

Brooklyn also remained two games behind 10th-place Atlanta for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn appreciated the performance, especially after Schroder finished with a plus-10 points differential on the night and earned acceptance from the fans and his new teammates almost instantly.

“He’s won games and played in high-level games, so for him to be out here on the floor and lead our group tonight, pretty impressive,” Vaughn said of the 11-year veteran, who was averaging 13.7 points and 6.1 assists through 51 games with the Raptors.

Schroder’s mass appeal spread to his back-court mate, Ben Simmons, who began the game at point guard and finished with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go with five assists, three steals and three rebounds.

“He’s a hooper. I’m not surprised,” Simmons said. “He knows how to play the game. He has a great feel for the game. Wants to help us guys get better and he did that tonight.”

“I knew he was going to be a seamless fit,” added Dennis Smith Jr., who put up 14 points in a reserve role beside Schroder Saturday. “He comes in and we allow him to be himself. There’s no ego and you know, he(‘s trying to) win some games.”

Schroder, who played 49 games for Boston during the 2021-22 campaign, and his teammates will have a much taller task in trying to tame the Celtics (41-12), who have won eight of 10, four in a row and enter Barclays on a five-game road winning streak.

Boston has won its last seven visits to Brooklyn and is 13-1 in its last 14 against the Nets, including a four-game sweep in the opening round of the 2022 playoffs, when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were still around.

The Celtics are coming off Saturday’s tough 110-106 triumph in Miami.

Net killer Jayson Tatum had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Boston, which has already beaten Brooklyn twice this season.

Tatum had 32 points and 11 boards in a 124-114 win at Barclays on Nov. 4 and followed it up with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 121-107 victory in Beantown six days later.

Brooklyn may continue to be without starting forward Cam Johnson (abductor) and back-up center Day’Ron Sharpe (knee) on Tuesday in the series opener.

The teams will meet again Wednesday in Boston to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Schroder, on his seventh NBA team in just over a decade in the league, already received a hearty welcome to our borough over the weekend.

From the fans, his Nets teammates and his new coach.

“He’s a professional,” Vaughn said. “It’s proven, and we need that with our group, whether it’s the conversation in the huddles, conversation at halftime.

“It gives us a chance to really be in a position to explain things, which is good for our group, for everyone to hear it and feel it and see it again, how we want to play.”

NOTHING BUT NET: New Nets forward Keita Bates-Diop, acquired in the three-team swap that sent Royce O’Neale to play alongside Durant in Phoenix last week, made his Brooklyn debut Saturday as well. Bates-Diop had two points in four minutes off the bench. He was averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 boards and 15 minutes per game with the Suns. … Nic Claxton avoided being dealt away at the deadline. He put up 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots against the Spurs on Saturday. … After their two-game set with Boston, the Nets will go into the league’s annual All-Star break.