The Brooklyn Nets have faltered this week after losing the last two of their three games, with a single win over the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 19. The Nets stay in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-18 heading into Christmas.
Nets Break Losing Streak in Toronto
The Nets broke their three-game losing streak with a 101 to 94 win over the Toronto Raptors, which saw Cam Johnson as the Nets’ player of the game for that evening. It was thanks to a clutch performance by Johnson that had him with 11 straight points in the game’s final minutes, including a tie-breaking three-pointer which swung momentum to Brooklyn. The Nets had led for the majority of the first half of the game but were outscored 31 to 18 in the third quarter, which gave Toronto a cushion throughout the fourth quarter. The Toronto Raptors lineup that Thursday evening was the youngest in team history, with the average age at 22 years and 187 days. Ochai Agbaji had 20 points, Gradey Dick had 19 points, and Scottie Barnes scored 16 points after coming back from an injury. Off the bench, Kelly Olynyk and Jamison Battle each had 8 points
ROAD DUB! pic.twitter.com/QI26s7ocg2
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 20, 2024
The Nets were without their big man Nicolas Claxton, mid-way through the second quarter due to an ejection he caused after tossing the ball into the stands. Brooklyn was without their big man, but fortunately, they cut through that cushion thanks to Johnson’s elite offensive performance. Johnson scored 33 points for the night, with Ben Simmons behind with 12 points and seven assists. Shake Milton had 12 points off the bench, and Noah Clowney had 11 points and nine rebounds.
Nic Claxton got EJECTED after throwing ball into the stands 😳 pic.twitter.com/aljd5lmu5g
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 20, 2024
Nets Get Taken Down By 7-20 Utah Jazz
Nets lose to a struggling Utah Jazz team in a 105 to 94 loss on Saturday. Johnson’s 18 points and Simmons’ double-double with 15 points and 10 assists were not enough to take down the Jazz. After leading throughout the first half, the Jazz kicked themselves into gear and went into an offensive run that gave them the lead going into halftime. The Jazz proceeded to outscore the Nets in the third quarter, holding onto the lead for the rest of the game, and did not give room for error, leading to Brooklyn’s loss. Lauri Markannen had 21 points, Svi Mykhailiuk and Collin Sexton each had 18 points, and John Collins had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson had 16 points. For the Nets, Claxton had 10 points, two steals, and two blocks, and Milton had 11 points off the bench.
OKAYYY NOAH!! 🙆♂️ pic.twitter.com/K2bsgoW2wX
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 22, 2024
Miami Brings The Heat in Win Over Brooklyn
The Nets could not handle the Miami Heat in a 110 to 95 loss, which extended their losing streak to two. Clowney and Johnson’s 19 points were not enough to take down the Heat, who were the more talented team that Monday evening. Keon Johnson put up a 15-point performance, and Tyrese Martin added 14 points off the bench, but they were not enough to take down the Heat. The Nets played great basketball in the second quarter after trailing by nine points in the first. The Nets went on a 17 to 6 scoring run as they outscored Miami 29 to 19 in the second quarter, which had them trailing 57 to 58 heading into halftime.
.@NoahClowney 3P Counter: 👌👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/22OEHso85v
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 24, 2024
Bam Adebayo made things happen for the Heat. He scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half, which helped lead Miami to the win. Adebayo and the Heat outscored Brooklyn 52 to 38 in the third and fourth quarters, and Brooklyn failed to answer back with its lack of scorers. Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson each scored 17 points, and Nikola Jovic and Alec Burks added 18 and 12 points, respectively, off the bench.
What’s Next For The Nets
While there is unfortunately not much to look forward to when it comes to the Nets this season, fans can certainly enjoy the development of some of its young players such as Noah Clowney who could be looking to be a future star for Brooklyn. The rookie is averaging 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. The rookie has shown that he can put up double-digits up on the scoreboard and the deflated stat line could be due to his utilization of playing off the bench. Fans can expect growing pains with Clowney and for him to make some mistakes that can be excused because of his status of a rookie as well as this season being a “throwaway” for Brooklyn. The Nets are still without Cam Thomas but fans can be assured that Thomas can help bring in some wins and boost team morale when he returns.
