The Brooklyn Nets continue to lose but are now losing in historic fashion. They recently lost to the Los Angeles Clippers by 59 points, where the Nets were almost nowhere to be found. The Nets have continuously taken losses recently to throw this season away and gain a chance at a top draft pick this offseason. The Nets are now 14-29 and are 12th in the Eastern Conference Standings.
Brooklyn Breaks Their Streak Against Portland
Cam Johnson put the Nets on his back when he carried them to a 132 to 114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers last Tuesday. The Nets finally broke their five-game losing streak dominantly. The Trail Blazers were behind by nine points late in the fourth quarter to potentially take the lead, but D’Angelo Russell’s pair of free-throws and a three-pointer by both him and Keon Johnson sealed the deal to extend their lead back to double digits.
"We all can eat when we play the right way." – Cam Johnson pic.twitter.com/hgA3kN6hKh
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 15, 2025
Cam Johnson returned after missing five games due to injury and came back with a bang as he dropped 24 points, with Keon Johnson and Nic Claxton each having 20 points. Ziaire Williams was also effective offensively with 13 points, and Ben Simmons had five points and 11 assists as he was listed as “questionable” against Portland that evening. Off the bench, Jalen Wilson had 14 points, Russell had 13, and Tosan Evbuomwan had 10.
Scoot Henderson scored a career-high 39 points for the Trail Blazers, but it wasn’t enough to win. Toumani Camara scored 23, Shaedon Sharpe had 21, and Anfernee Simons had 11. Off the bench, Dalano Banton had 10.
Los Angeles Clippers Make History After Demolishing Nets
The Los Angeles Clippers had the largest margin of victory in franchise history after a 126 to 67 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. This win over Brooklyn beat out the Clipper’s previous record of a 50-point win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022, and the Nets faced their worst margin loss since suffering a 52-point defeat over the Houston Rockets in 1978. The game was only close in the first quarter, tied at 21 heading into the second. Then, the Nets proceeded to completely collapse for the entire game.
The Nets trailed 58 to 35 at halftime and were outscored 68 to 32 in the second half. Not a single answer could combat the Clippers on either side of the ball, and the Nets lost by a shockingly large margin of victory for Los Angeles. The Nets shot an abysmal 30.1% from the field and 17.9% from the three.
.@resemartin4 finds @Ziaire for the baseline slam! pic.twitter.com/LOxbIYef5a
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 16, 2025
For the Nets, not a single starter had scored in double-digits with Tyrese Martin leading the starters with eight points. Off the bench, Jalen Wilson had 16 points and Day’Ron Sharpe had 12 points.
For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard had 23 points, James Harden had a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists, Norman Powell had 18 points, and Ivica Zubac and Derrick Jones Jr. had 11 points each. Off the bench, Amir Coffey had 13 points.
Austin Reaves And LeBron James Hold It Down for Lakers
Austin Reaves and LeBron James were the leading scorers for the Los Angeles Lakers after holding on and getting a 102 to 101 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets looked to try and recover from their embarrassing defeat over the Los Angeles Clippers as they faced off against the Lakers. It looked like the Nets nearly had their number, keeping the game close despite struggling to stop the likes of Reaves and James.
Clowney put the game within one point in the final 30 seconds after shooting a three-pointer, and Russell had a chance to hit the game-winner against his former team. Unfortunately, Russell could not execute and missed the game-winning three-pointer, which gave the Lakers the win and the second straight loss for Brooklyn.
.@Tosan_Evb's shotmaking was on display in LA.
15 PTS (6-10 FG)
6 REB pic.twitter.com/DTU3Ehl1QW— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 18, 2025
For the Nets, Williams had 15 points, Keon Johnson had 13, and Clowney had 11. Off the bench, Russell had 19 points, Evbuomwan had 15, and Wilson had 11. For the Lakers, Reaves scored a career-high 38 points, with James behind with 29 points and Rui Hachimora scoring 10 points as well. Off the bench, Gabe Vincent had 10 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder Roll Through Nets
The Oklahoma City Thunder asserted their dominance as the leading team in the Western Conference after a 127 to 101 win over the Nets. In that game, the Thunder made nine of their 13 attempted three-pointers to set the stage and led 39 to 19 to end the first quarter. Having Cam Johnson and Russell both in the starting lineup as they could not combat Gilgeous-Alexander’s 27 points and 10 assists for a double-double led to a Thunder win. The Nets were again outscored as they only shot 42.5% while the Thunder had shot 61.9% from the field. This loss for the Nets gave them their third straight loss and another loss where they could not stop an all-star player or duo in the last three games.
Point Clax turning defense to offense pic.twitter.com/tS4AgjxR64
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 20, 2025
For the Nets, Johnson had 15 points, and Claxton had 11 points. Off the bench, Tyrese Martin had 15 points. For the Thunder, Isaiah Joe backed up Gilgeous-Alexander’s 27-point performance by putting up 24 points, and Jaylin Williams added 14 points. Off the bench, Aaron Wiggins and Branden Carlsen had 12 points each.
What’s Next for The Nets?
The Nets franchise obviously should continue to tank to get the best possible chances at a top pick in the first round. With the All-Star break looming as well as the trade deadline, it’s a wonder what the Nets should do. While they could keep Cam Johnson, if there are no talks of making him a key player for the Nets in the coming years, it could be best to send him off in a trade for more picks and a young player with promising potential. Who that could be is up for grabs, but the Nets have some choices they could make and some losses to take with the All-Star break ticking closer.
