And also you thought the Nets’ street journey was unhealthy? Apparently Brooklyn hadn’t bottomed out. Not even shut.
The decimated Nets — or what’s left of them — suffered a buzzer-to-buzzer, 126-91 beating by the hands of Boston earlier than a sellout crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Heart.
The defeat stretched their dropping skid to 9, the longest within the NBA and their worst since dropping 16 in a row from Jan. 21-Feb. 25, 2017. And it noticed them fall from atop the East on Jan. 22 to eighth, and within the play-in.
So, is it time to fret about Brooklyn?
“I don’t suppose it’s a case of worrying: It's what it's. There’s not a lot we will do,” coach Steve Nash mentioned. “We management what we will management, and that’s how we assist these guys via this.
“What are we going to [do]? We are able to’t magically restore these accidents and have everybody again and return to their pure roles and positions. That’s one thing that we’re simply going to must proceed to play via till the time comes.”
The time can’t come quickly sufficient for Brooklyn (29-25), lacking their total supposed beginning 5 popping out of camp for one motive or one other.
Kevin Durant and Joe Harris are presumed out till after the All-Star break, Kyrie Irving is unvaccinated and ineligible at residence, and James Harden and Nic Claxton are hamstrung. LaMarcus Aldridge is damage as properly, leaving the Nets in dire straits.
“Clearly who we've got out,” mentioned James Johnson, who had 17 factors and 5 assists, pressed into emergency level guard obligation. “Nevertheless it’s an excellent constructing course of for us, an excellent time to tell us who we've got, and it’s time to essentially be within the trenches. So staying collectively’s actually essential.”
Jevon Carter had a season-high 21 factors, whereas Cam Thomas added 17 for this threadbare roster.
“Frankly, that’s a extremely good beginning 5 that’s taking part in actually good basketball, taking part in towards a reserve lineup,” Nash mentioned. “We’re asking numerous these guys. It’s not essentially truthful to anticipate Patty Mills to be our lead ball-handler and scorer towards Marcus Good. It’s a tricky, robust matchup towards a ton of strain.”
That strain bought Brooklyn down by two touchdowns proper out of the gate. They missed their first eight pictures and noticed the Celtics drain six of their first eight, a 3-pointer by Jaylen Brown (22 factors, 9 assists) making it 14-0.
By the point Blake Griffin lastly broke the drought with 7:49 left within the first, the competition was already over.
The Nets fell behind 28-2 on a finger roll by Jason Tatum (19 factors), and it was exhausting to say which finish of the court docket was the larger drawback, the Nets taking pictures simply 1-of-15 with 5 turnovers and letting Boston hit 12-of-15The deficit reached 85-50 on a 3 by Marcus Good (22 factors) with 6:42 left within the third. It bought so ugly that when the TNT feed of the sport went out, it left many to joke that they’d stop on the non-contest to indicate Phoenix and Philadelphia.
For his half, Nash hasn’t felt any warmth from the entrance workplace throughout this skid.
“It’s not come up,” he mentioned. “We acknowledge the place we’re in. We’re undermanned. We all know what our report was after we had been wholesome. We’re simply going via a tricky interval.” he mentioned. “There’ll be development from this no matter how lengthy it lasts. We’ve simply bought to maintain our guys supported. It’s a tricky stretch for them to undergo; there’s no different approach out than to maintain our heads down and keep collectively.”
The Nets are banking on well being, the data they had been 24-12 with Durant. Irving will likely be eligible Thursday in Washington, and with two extra days to relaxation (and the commerce deadline having handed), there may be hope of a Harden return.
“Keep collectively. Maintain speaking via it,” Johnson mentioned. “Powerful occasions don’t final, robust folks do.”
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