LI Nets Drop Tight Game to Grand Rapids Gold
G League Long Island Nets

LI Nets Drop Tight Game to Grand Rapids Gold

Published on February 26, 2026 under NBA G League (G League)
Long Island Nets News Release


LONG ISLAND - The Long Island Nets (15-11), the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, fell to the Grand Rapids Gold (8-16), 119-116, on Thursday night at Nassau Coliseum.

Brooklyn two-way forward Chaney Johnson led the way with a career-high 29 points on 83.3 percent (10-for-12) shooting from the field and 100 percent (3-for-3) shooting from beyond the arc while grabbing seven rebounds, one steal and two blocks in 29 minutes off the bench. Brooklyn Nets assignee guard Ben Saraf put up his second consecutive 20-point game with 21 points on 60 percent (9-for-15) shooting from the field and 50 percent (3-for-6) shooting from long range while adding two rebounds, two assists and three steals in 30 minutes. Long Island guard Malachi Smith added a double-double of 18 points and 13 assists to go along with seven rebounds and two steals in 39 minutes while shooting 60 percent (6-for-10) from the field.

Brooklyn two-way guard Tyson Etienne scored 18 points with six rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes. Etienne reached 2,000 career points in the NBA G League as he knocked down 58.3 percent (7-for-12) of his attempts from the field and 50 percent (4-for-8) of his attempts from downtown. Long Island center Grant Nelson pitched in with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.

The Gold went on an 8-0 run from 7:31 to 5:52 in the first quarter before Long Island responded with a 22-4 run over the final 5:36 of the first. The Nets closed the first frame with a 30-22 advantage after scoring 18 points in the paint and shooting 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from the field in the first. Grand Rapids went on a 17-7 run from 11:19 to 5:45 in the second quarter to close the gap, but Long Island entered the break with a 55-51 lead. Johnson led all scorers with 16 points in the first half, shooting 83.3 percent (5-for-6) from the field and 100 percent (2-for-2) from deep before halftime, and the Nets held the Gold to just 27.3 percent (3-for-11) shooting from long range in the first half.

Long Island entered tonight's game with a +19.5 net rating in third quarters, the best differential by an NBA G League team in any quarter this season, and the Nets continued that success by limiting the Gold to 38.5 percent (10-for-26) shooting from the field and 11.1 percent (1-for-9) shooting from deep in the third. After Grand Rapids started the fourth on a 15-7 run from 11:48 to 9:21 to regain the lead, both teams traded the lead over the final nine minutes. Johnson hit a layup to tie the game at 116 with 5.1 seconds left in regulation, but Grand Rapids made three free throws to secure the 119-116 victory. Long Island scored 60 points in the paint for the second consecutive game and dished out 31 assists.

Guard Curtis Jones led the Gold in scoring with 25 points to go with six rebounds and 13 assists in 40 minutes. Center Moses Brown finished with a double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes.

The Nets will host the Westchester Knicks on Sunday, March 1, at 3 p.m. ET, while Grand Rapids will travel to Delaware to face the Blue Coats on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. ET.

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NBA G League Stories from February 26, 2026


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