In the Nets’ next-man-up approach, Tyrese Martin delivered.
Following the sidelining of Cam Thomas (hamstring), Cam Johnson (ankle), Ben Simmons (calf), and later D’Angelo Russell (shin injury during game), the dwindling Nets turned to the bench before tipoff.
It ended in a 123-94 loss on Saturday at Barclays Center, but Martin was a bright spot, scoring 16 points off the bench while adding five rebounds and three assists.
It was at least one performance head coach Jordi Fernandez was proud to see at the end of the night.
“Tyrese has been great the whole year,” Fernandez said. “He’s been consistent. Consistent in the rotation, for the most part, and he’s taking advantage of his opportunities. It starts, not just right now, it starts in the summer. He was fighting for a two-way spot. He did all the right things every single day. … And now he’s getting NBA minutes and doing a great job.”
On Nov. 27, the second-year guard scored a career-high 30 points off the bench in the Nets’ 127-117 victory over the Suns.
It was the Nets’ third straight win at the time and improved their unexpected hot start to 9-10.
Just a month prior, Martin, 25, earned a two-way contract with the Nets — the final one they had available.
The No. 51-overall pick in the 2022 draft out of UConn played for the Hawks in the 2022-23 season.
He averaged just four minutes and 1.3 points across 16 games before spending a year with the G-League’s Iowa Wolves — an affiliate of the Timberwolves.
With the Wolves, he averaged 17.8 points, eight rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 33 games.
He is now making new waves for the Nets, where he has jumped to 16 minutes per game while averaging 6.7 points.
“He scored 16, 1-for-7 from 3, but I liked all the shots he took,” Fernandez added. “There’s going to be games that he’s gonna make all seven. We all remember him against Phoenix, right? I don’t care if they go in or not. I just care about his day-to-day work. How good of a teammate he is and the great job he’s done so far. He’s taking advantage of his opportunities and that’s why we love him.”
Keon Johnson’s 15 points against the 76ers represented his sixth double-figure output in the past seven games.
He also tied his career high with eight assists.
Ben Simmons was a late scratch Saturday after experiencing calf soreness during warmups.
Fernandez did not have an update on the point guard following the game, but said he will be evaluated ahead of Monday’s game against the Pacers.
