Nets rally to give Jordi Fernandez tight win over ex-team Kings, mentor
NY Post
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When Jordi Fernandez went back to Sacramento to face the Kings on Sunday night, Mike Brown joked he wanted to kick his protégé’s ass and then give him a hug. But it was Fernandez that got to give the victorious postgame embrace.
Fernandez got his first win over his former boss, after his Nets had gutted out a come-from-behind 108-103 victory in front of 16,750 at Golden1Center.
“First of all, I wanted to get the victory for our players. And then with all my respect to [Brown], because he is more than my mentor,” Fernandez said. “Obviously, you want to beat everybody, and they were in front of us. So, with that said, we did our best to win. It means the world to me, because he’s the person that brought me here. So, circle of life that we got back together.
“And I would not be where I am today without him. So, special moment for me.”
It was a tough one, and a nail-biter. The Nets built a 19-point lead, trailed in the fourth quarter, and then used a 15-4 run to take the lead for good.
Cam Thomas had a game-high 34 points. And after committing seven turnovers while sick Friday in Philadelphia, he had just one Sunday with six assists.