Nets bench erupts after Cui Yongxi 3-pointer: Everybody was lit

The Nets rolled to a 39–point rout in their first home preseason game.It was predictably full of highs, but the unquestioned highlight was seeing little-used Cui Yongxi drill a heat check late 3-pointer — and the bench erupt.“I had nothing in my mind.When I’m open, I just shoot straight to the hoop.

Score or not, it didn’t matter because I was focused in the game with my teammates on defense.When I have the shot, of course I [will] take it,” said Cui, wearing a traditional black Chinese suit in the postgame locker room.“I went to San Diego, I just wear slides and short pants.

And right now, it’s my first home [game], and my Chinese suit just arrived, so I want to try it because it might give me luck.”It did just that.Cui had five points and a rebound in his 4:42 on court, going 2-of-5 from the floor and even sending the bench into stitches when he called for a clear out.“Everybody was lit.

Everybody’s lit when he hit that 3,” said Cam Thomas.“And when he went iso, everybody just went crazy.”Ben Simmons had 11 points and five boards in just 13:09 first half minutes and sat out the second half.“That was the plan, we had to play more minutes.

And it should have been on me because he should have played a little bit more in that first half.And like I said, I wasn’t lying to you guys.

I think he played 12 [in the opener] and I like 13, so I didn’t lie,” coach Jordi Fernandez said.“We obviously had a plan for him.And as you guys can expect — I know that you guys are fascinated with this subject — but when you have a back surgery, you have to build up and go one step at a time so your body can adjust to it.

Real minutes are never going to be replicated anywhere.Even if you train, you don’t have the fans, you don’t have the officials, so that build up has got to make sense.”Keon Johnson was out with a minor sprained ankle.Killian Hayes — hoping to make the roster an Exhibit 10 training camp invite, but ineligible for a...