Kenny Atkinson had been on his team to hit the boards harder, to cover for Jarrett Allen when he rotates to protect the rim.
They finally got the message. And DeMarre Carroll got it clearest of all, collecting 12 rebounds as the Nets earned a physical 101-85 win over the Spurs.
“I thought we had to match their physicality. I thought that was key,” Atkinson said. “I thought we did a good job of that, rebounding was good. We were ready for them physically, which was a concern.”
Clearly.
The Nets had been outrebounded in five of their past six games.