On the eve of his 26th birthday, Tyrese Martin had another big scoring night for the Nets.
The second-year guard had 17 points, shooting 7-for-12 off the bench, in the Nets’ 121-119 loss to the Warriors on Thursday at Barclays Center.
He also shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, making 3-of-6 3-point attempts, with two rebounds and one assist.
The performance came two games after Martin had a 23-point night off the bench against the Pistons.
It was the third time he scored 15 points or more in his past 10 appearances.
“Yeah, consistency. He’s a true pro. I play him off the ball, he plays well. I play him at point guard, he does his best and he’s getting better, like [Thursday],” head coach Jordi Fernández said after the loss. “Defensively, he’s on point. He knows coverages, he knows everything. He shows up and works every day with a good attitude and he’s a great teammate. That’s what we want from everybody, but it’s not that easy to do it. He’s doing it consistently and that’s why he deserves all these good things that are coming to him, that he’s doing, that are coming his way.”
Martin, who has spent the majority of his career in the G-League, took on a larger role within the team as the Nets had an extensive health bill in January.
He’s moved in and out of the starting lineup, but has been a consistent depth piece for the Nets.
Warriors on March 6. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
In his past 10 games, he’s averaged 9.1 points on 42 percent shooting in 20 minutes per contest.
The Nets have shown they want to invest more in Martin, a UConn product and the 51st pick of the 2022 draft.
They put an end to his two-way contract in February by signing him to a multiyear deal.
“Just doing what Tyrese do. Confidence. Great shooter, letting it fly,” Cam Thomas said of Martin’s performance. “We are going to need him to do that, for sure. He’s been great these last few games. Definitely proud of him. Definitely need more of that, but he’s just being Tyrese. Confident. Ready to play. Always ready to play. Always ready to go, so definitely proud of him for that.”
The Nets head to Charlotte on Saturday, which feels increasingly more like a must-win game for the tanking team if it wants to make the play-in.
The Hornets (14-47) rank 14th in the East and have lost all three previous games against the Nets.
The Nets are three games behind the Bulls for the final play-in spot.
They’re also tied for sixth in the lottery with the 76ers and are within one game of the No. 5 Raptors.
