Nets need Spencer Dinwiddie to score as he runs point in Game 3 vs. 76ers

As his Nets teammates put up shots after practice Wednesday. Spencer Dinwiddie sat and watched a laptop for a few minutes.

He studied the 14 shots he took in Game 2’s loss and noticed a pattern that contributed to his struggles against the 76ers so far this first-round series.

“Most of the ones I’ve taken have been like late-clock, sub-five seconds on the shot clock,” Dinwiddie said. “So obviously, any of those are going to be tougher shots and it’s on me to convert some of those and be able to save some of those plays.”

With the Nets down 0-2, Dinwiddie is the one player who must step up in Game 3 at Barclays Center. He’s shooting just 38.5% from the field and his 13.0 points per game is fewer than his regular season average of 17.3.

Coach Jacque Vaughn said Monday the Nets need more from him besides just pushing the pace. Two days later, he stopped short of challenging Dinwiddie and called the late shot selection a collective issue.

“We’re not getting the ball out quick and pushing it up quick with multiple ballhandlers,” Vaughn said. “That's happening late in the shot clock, so everyone would be beneficial, not just Spencer, if we can play with more pace.”

Dinwiddie is in charge of that as the main ballhandler. As a scorer, though, he’d take pressure off Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges, who’ve carried the scoring load through two games.

The 76ers made each player the focus of halftime adjustments and it factored in the Nets having just 43 and 35 points in the last two second halves. That could change if Dinwiddie, who has just 10 made field goals, can re-emerge as a third scoring option.

It also means navigating a better balance between being a facilitator and an aggressive scorer.

“Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the wrong one,” said Dinwiddie, who has 13 assists in two games. “Overall, I mean, this team needs me to get in the paint and typically make plays passing-wise. I think we’ve been at our best this season when I’ve been able to do that.

For the Nets to win a game at Barclays Center, though, they’ll need Dinwiddie to both set the table and eat as well. The 76ers have shown how balance is helpful when your stars are neutralized.

In the second half of Game 2, James Harden had just six points but the 76ers had three players score in double figures. By contrast, Johnson had six of his 28 points after halftime and Bridges was the only player who scored in double figures.

Dinwiddie had nine points but more is required of the nine-year veteran. His leadership has been a strength since he was acquired before the trade deadline.

But with the Nets near the brink of elimination, they need his scoring to return. If that means shooting earlier in the shot clock, so be it.

“Some of it is game rhythm but obviously we’re all pros so you have to have a next play mentality to be ready to knock down the next shot, keep trying to get into the paint, get quality looks,” Dinwiddie said.

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.