NEW YORK _ Spencer Dinwiddie became the latest domino to fall from the Nets' lineup, thanks to torn ligaments in his right thumb, which will require surgery at some point. The Nets have proved they are deep enough to overcome injuries to top players, but with Caris LeVert and Allen Crabbe still on the shelf for an undetermined time, the Nets were forced to dig even deeper into their roster against the Knicks on Friday night at Barclays Center.
The confidence in his team's improved depth that Nets coach Kenny Atkinson expressed before the game was backed up dramatically by a bench that produced four double-digit scorers and dominated down the stretch of a 109-99 victory over the Knicks. It was the sixth straight win for the Nets (27-23), who are 19-5 in their past 24 games.
The Nets' bench outscored the Knicks' reserves 72-50 and got a career-high 19 points from rookie Theo Pinson, 18 points from Shabazz Napier, 17 points and 16 rebounds from Ed Davis and 10 points and seven rebounds from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Starters D'Angelo Russell (12) and Joe Harris (10) also got into double figures.
The Nets gave up 37 first-quarter points by the Knicks, who shot 63.6 percent. But the Nets' defense clamped down the rest of the way, allowing only 62 points in the next three quarters and ultimately holding the Knicks to 42.5 percent shooting for the game.
After the game, Davis said, "We have that next-man mentality."
Before the game, the Nets confirmed reports of Dinwiddie's torn ligaments and the need for surgery, but Atkinson revealed that Dinwiddie actually has been playing with the injury for at least two months during a season in which he has averaged 17.2 points and 5.0 assists and established himself as a strong candidate for the Sixth Man award.
Asked if a fall Dinwiddie took in a win over the Magic on Wednesday caused the injury, Atkinson said, "It was about two months ago. He tweaked it a little and progressively, it got worse. But I don't think it was just one instance."
Dinwiddie, who was not available to the media, is in the process of undergoing further medical evaluation. Atkinson said there has been no decision yet on when to have surgery. He declined to speculate how long Dinwiddie would be out if he opts for surgery right away, but he expressed his appreciation for how well Dinwiddie has played with the injury.
"I think it's been bothering him," Atkinson said. "That's fair to say. He tweaked it and it hasn't been 100 percent. I think he's a tough guy."
Dinwiddie's injury meant an expanded role for Napier as the backup point guard. When Russell struggled on both ends of the floor in the first half, Atkinson inserted Pinson, who is on a two-way contract and has played primarily in the G League with the Long Island Nets.
As soon as he stepped on the floor in the second quarter with the Nets trailing by 11, Pinson buried the first 3-pointer he looked at. Later in the period, he hit two more 3s and scored 10 points in a 16-4 run that gave the Nets a 56-55 lead before they settled for a halftime tie at 60.
Pinson totaled 13 points in eight minutes during the quarter, and the Knicks went through a stretch in which they scored once in 10 possessions when he was on the floor.
Late in the third period, the Nets began an extended 34-14 run that carried into the fourth period and expanded their lead to 104-87. Davis had 10 points and nine rebounds in that stretch as the Nets blew the game open.
