Nets Notes: Roberts, Play-In, Bridges, Thomas

Long Island Nets guard Terry Roberts was shot in the chest on Sunday outside a bar in Philadelphia, but after arriving at a local hospital in critical condition, he has since been taken off a ventilator and is expected to recover, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“Terry Roberts was the victim of a crime on Sunday morning in Philadelphia, and we are in the process of gathering more information about the incident,” Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate said in a statement.

“He is currently in stable condition, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Our thoughts are with him and family at this time. Due to the ongoing law enforcement investigation, we will have no further comment.”

As the statement indicates, the shooting is still under investigation, but police confirmed Roberts was not involved in the altercation. The former Georgia guard went undrafted last year and has spent his first pro season playing for Long Island.

Here’s more on the Nets:

• While Brooklyn has struggled mightily the past few months, the team still has a shot at a play-in berth, currently trailing No. 10 Atlanta by four games with 24 games remaining. As Lewis writes in another story, the Nets host the Hawks on Thursday and Saturday, presenting an opportunity to gain ground — or nearly fall out of the postseason picture altogether. “We’ve got to win both of the games,” backup center Day’Ron Sharpe said. “We need both of them, because we’re trying to get into the playoffs. So we’re going to come in and fully focus so we can win both of the games so that we can make the playoffs.“
• A big part of the team’s most recent stretch of poor play, particularly on offense, is due to the struggles of Mikal Bridges, Lewis adds. The Nets’ leading scorer has been in a miserable slump of late, including missing 26 of his last 28 three-pointers, and has a plus/minus of minus-78 over the past five games. “I feel like when I’m open, you know, I’m going to take threes. They all feel good, it’s just not going in unfortunately, which is not fun,” Bridges said. “Just continue to take what the defense gives me, keep being aggressive. Only way to get out of this slump is to keep shooting.”
• Brooklyn’s second-leading scorer, Cam Thomas, will be sidelined for Thursday’s contest with a right ankle/midfoot sprain, according to Lewis (Twitter links). He’s considered day-to-day, which confirms the injury is relatively minor.