Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Steve Hentzel celebrated a dominant 127-82 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, marking one of the franchise’s largest winning margins.
Hentzel emphasized the collective performance, noting, “I don’t think anybody that stepped on the court played poorly. Complete team effort, totally focused.” He highlighted the balanced scoring and the bench contributing 60 points.
The acting head coach credited the team’s response to earlier feedback. “Jordi challenged Egor after the last game… he came out tonight quick start, really played pretty well all the way through,” Hentzel said, referring to rookie Egor Demin’s 17 points.
Michael Porter Jr.’s influence was also evident, with Hentzel pointing out his gravity on offense. “If we just stand and watch him, we don’t look like a very good basketball team. Our offense is built with player movement, body movement, and I think tonight you saw the best of it,” he explained.
Hentzel praised defensive intensity as a key factor in Brooklyn’s win. “We had 14 steals, 24 fast break points… our first staple on defense is ball pressure and physicality, and now you’re starting to see them really pick up and get better at it,” he said.
Bench players made an impact, with Drake Powell scoring 13 points and Ziaire Williams adding 10. Hentzel also noted the contributions of Nolan Traore, who played nine minutes late, saying, “Just like his confidence. He did really, really well… gained experience playing against NBA-style basketball with Long Island.”
Hentzel highlighted the team’s progress despite a 0-7 start. “Our veterans have done a great job of just staying the course… allowing these younger players to grow. Through their leadership and Jordi’s leadership, the ship never sank,” he said.
He also mentioned Jalen Wilson’s improvement, particularly in handling ball pressure and pick-and-roll situations. “With every game, he gets more confident in his own play calling… the next challenge for him to overcome is handling the physicality,” Hentzel explained.
Celebrating in the locker room, Hentzel shared a lighter moment: “Oh, with a big ice bath. But it feels good… the way they played in Jordi’s absence just shows how much they care about playing for him.”
Brooklyn’s balanced attack, efficient ball movement, and defensive intensity helped the team improve to 7-18, winning four of their last six games. Hentzel credited the coaching staff’s cohesion as essential to the performance. “Everybody’s got an ego in terms of their confidence, but they have zero ego to rock the boat in a negative way,” he said.
The Nets will look to continue their momentum at home against Miami, while the Bucks, now 11-16, try to regroup ahead of Thursday’s game against Toronto.
