What Nets Loved About Cam Johnson’s Showing in Game 2 vs. 76ers

The Brooklyn Nets loved Cam Johnson's showing in the Game 2 loss against the 76ers.

During the first half of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 1 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers struggled defensively against the standout forward Mikal Bridges. On Monday night during Game 2, Cam Johnson stood out for Brooklyn in the opening half.

Coming off of a 21-point loss in South Philly, the Nets were challenged to execute a similar gameplan much better. Johnson stepped up to the plate for the visitors, putting up 13 shots, with seven of his attempts coming from beyond the arc.

In 20 minutes of action, Johnson scored 22 points for the Nets. His production allowed Brooklyn to enter halftime with a lead for the first time in this series. 

Following the game, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn explained what he liked about Johnson’s first-half showing.

“He was extremely aggressive,” said Vaughn. “We talked about that before the game.”

Brooklyn’s adjustments for Game 2 worked out as desired on Monday night. However, the Sixers’ response on the defensive end of the floor helped keep Johnson in check for his next 20-minute shift, as he made just two of his six attempts for six points.

“I got some good looks, played with a little pace, you know guys creating,” Johnson explained regarding his overall performance. “I was just kind of in the opportune spots in the first half. Second, the zone was in the corner a lot. You know, just kind of muck up the game from there, but there's still so many more areas of the game that you can impact that you can…make plays in that I need to capitalize on.”

“All those kick aheads, his ability to take the ball off the bounce, his ability to shoot the basketball, we encouraged him to do that,” Vaughn added. “And he was extremely aggressive, which was great for our group.”

Johnson’s struggles to follow up in the second half was one of the primary reasons why the Nets scored fewer than 40 points in the final two quarters. 

As the Sixers locked down defensively and opened up offensively, the Sixers formed a comeback and defeated the Nets 96-84.

Johnson’s playoff career-high of 28 points was a promising sight for Brooklyn as they remained happy with his personal results, but the Sixers won the battle and left Game 2 with a 2-0 series lead. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.