LI Nets Pull Away from Herd Behind Career Night from Malachi Smith
G League Long Island Nets

LI Nets Pull Away from Herd Behind Career Night from Malachi Smith

Published on January 9, 2026 under NBA G League (G League)
Long Island Nets News Release


LAVAL, QC - The Long Island Nets (4-4), the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, capped off a two-game set at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, with a 121-112 victory over the Wisconsin Herd (3-5) on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 6,201 fans.

Long Island guard Malachi Smith led the way with a career-high 36 points while matching his career high with nine assists for the second consecutive game. Smith added six rebounds and a steal while shooting 63.6 percent (14-for-22) from the field in 34 minutes. Long Island forward Nate Williams added 19 points on 75 percent (3-for-4) shooting from beyond the arc while grabbing seven rebounds and a steal in 39 minutes. Williams also dished out three assists, including his 250th career assist in the NBA G League. Long Island forward Tre Scott scored his 750th point with the Nets and finished with 16 points and nine rebounds on 54.5 percent (6-for-11) shooting from the field and 50 percent (2-for-4) from deep in 37 minutes.

Brooklyn two-way guard Tyson Etienne added 12 points with six assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes as he became the second player in franchise history to knock down at least 200 3-pointers in a Long Island uniform. Long Island forward D'Andre Davis pitched in 14 points on 71.4 percent (5-for-7) shooting from the field in 18 minutes off the bench to set his career high for scoring in an NBA G League regular season game. Davis also scored the 100th point of his NBA G League career in the win. Brooklyn two-way forward Chaney Johnson put up 12 points, five rebounds and a block in 24 minutes while converting on 71.4 percent (5-for-7) of his attempts from the field.

Long Island fell behind early after a 17-7 run by the Herd from 6:07 to 1:24 in the first and trailed Wisconsin 32-23 after one quarter. The Nets responded by scoring the first 10 points of the second quarter and outscored the Herd 39-25 in the period to take a 62-57 lead into the locker room. Long Island finished the second quarter without a single turnover after committing seven in the first.

The Nets maintained the lead with an 8-0 run from 3:23 to 2:20 in the third quarter and entered the final period up by four, 85-81, after a highlight dunk by Chaney Johnson with two seconds remaining in the third. Long Island took control of a tightly-contested fourth quarter with a 10-2 run from 5:41 to 3:09 in the final frame to close out the team's trip to Laval with a 121-112 win. The Nets outscored Wisconsin 58-38 in the paint and won the offensive rebounding battle by a margin of 12-4. Long Island finished the game shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from deep with six players scoring in double figures.

Guard Stephen Thompson led the Herd with 32 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and one steal in 42 minutes. Guard Cormac Ryan added 19 points with four assists and four steals in 42 minutes.

The Nets will return to Long Island to face the Stockton Kings at Nassau Coliseum on Monday, Jan. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the Herd will travel to Grand Rapids, Mich., to play the Grand Rapids Gold on Sunday, Jan. 11, with tipoff at 3:00 p.m. ET.

-Long Island Nets-

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NBA G League Stories from January 9, 2026


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