LI NETS SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR FOR COMEBACK WIN OVER MOTOR CITY
By Long Island Nets Staff /January 27, 2026
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LONG ISLAND (Jan. 26, 2026) – The Long Island Nets (9-6), the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, defeated the Motor City Cruise (7-8), 112-106, on Monday night at Nassau Coliseum.
Long Island guard Malachi Smith led the way with 23 points, four assists and two steals on 57.1 percent (8-for-14) shooting from the field and 66.7 percent (4-for-6) shooting from deep in 35 minutes. Brooklyn two-way guard Tyson Etienne added 22 points with four rebounds and a team-high seven assists on 46.2 percent (6-for-13) shooting from beyond the arc in 36 minutes. This marked Etienne’s 11th game with at least five makes from long range since joining the Nets, the second-most such games in franchise history. Long Island forward Nate Williams put up 16 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes as he reached double figures in scoring for the 13th consecutive game.
Long Island center Grant Nelson recorded 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block in 20 minutes as he converted on 50 percent (4-for-8) of his attempts from the field. Brooklyn two-way forward Chaney Johnson scored 10 points with five rebounds, two assists and a block in 31 minutes while also setting his career high with a game-best four steals. Long Island forward Trevon Scott contributed 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench.
Motor City got off to a strong start in the opening quarter with an 11-0 run from 7:30 to 6:07 in the first, and the Nets trailed 36-22 after the opening frame despite committing just two turnovers. Long Island responded with an 11-0 run of their own from 8:51 to 6:17 in the second quarter, and after entering tonight's game ranked second in points off turnovers per game (25.4) and tied for first with 19.5 fast-break points per game, the Nets outscored Motor City 15-6 in points off turnovers in the first half. Long Island shot 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from the field in the second quarter while holding the Cruise to 31.8 percent (7-for-22) from the field to enter the locker room trailing by a single possession, 56-53.
Long Island used a 16-6 run from 7:53 to 2:47 in the third quarter to take back the lead. The Nets dominated the offensive glass in the third and picked up five steals to take an 83-80 lead into the final frame. Long Island closed out a 112-106 win by shooting 88.9 percent (8-for-9) from the line in the fourth and going on a 14-5 run from 11:00 to 8:31 to snap Motor City’s five-game win streak. The Nets trailed by as many as 16 points, marking the largest comeback win of the season for Long Island and the team’s first comeback from a deficit of at least 15 points since a 16-point comeback win over Motor City on March 22, 2025.
Center Tolu Smith led the Cruise with 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes. Guard Wendell Moore Jr. finished with 20 points, five rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes.
The Nets will host the Cruise for a rematch on Wednesday, Jan 28, at 7:00 p.m. ET.