Blake Griffin has found his role ‘filling the holes’ for Nets

Blake Griffin knew it before he joined the Nets.

It only takes one glance at this power-packed Brooklyn roster to realize just how much firepower the Nets have at their disposal. Kevin Durant on one side, Kyrie Irving on another, James Harden orchestrating the offense and Joe Harris ducked off in a corner as a three-point threat adds up to an opponent’s worst nightmare.

And then there’s Griffin, who now finds himself as the starting center alongside possibly the most potent tetrad of active NBA players. The talented scorer and play-maker is deferring to those more talented than him.

“I think when I was coming to this team, one of the things I felt like I could bring was some physicality and some plays like that,” he says. “You kind of have to fill those holes somewhere.”

Griffin’s sacrifice paid dividends in the Nets’ 115-107 Game 1 win over the Bucks on Saturday. He finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds and two steals for his first playoff double double, but his impact stretched far beyond the stat sheet.

Griffin used all six of his fouls, tangible proof of the physicality he said he wanted to bring to Brooklyn. He also dove on the floor and forced jump balls in two different scenarios, including one tangle-up with Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis that could have been aired on UFC TV.

“When he plays like that it just ignites the whole crowd and ignites our team when he’s down on the floor playing tough and big as a center,” Kevin Durant said of Griffin. “And a lot of guys have moved down, I guess, as far as guarding bigger players in this series. So Blake is one of those guys that’s been battling all playoffs and in the first game. To play 35 minutes to grind like that, very, very promising start to this series.”

Head coach Steve Nash praised Griffin’s scrappiness. “His energy and fight was outstanding,” Nash said. ”That willingness to flight and claw and do the dirty work has been unbelievable from Blake since he got here.”

Believe it, Griffin said after the Game 1 win.

“At this point being part of something bigger than yourself and trying to win takes precedence,” Griffin said. “So you do whatever it takes.”