The Nets were sent back to reality after a decent start to the season. Last week, the Nets took the top teams in the NBA to overtime despite their losses and kept themselves in fifth place in the Eastern Conference seeding. However, three straight losses to the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks knocked them down a few pegs and down into 10th place as they struggled to grab a single win. The Brooklyn Nets hold a record of 5-9 and have lost six of their last ten games. 

The Luck Of The Irish

The Nets lost a tough battle in a rematch against the Boston Celtics in a 139-114 defeat, which had the Celtics’ stars shining bright that night. The Nets were no match for Jayson Tatum and his offensive prowess that led the charge in a second-half domination. The Celtics had 38 points and were 7 of 11 from the 3-point line. The game was remarkably close in the first half as Cam Thomas was once again an offensive juggernaut for the Nets throughout the game. The Nets were only behind by five points at the end of the first half, but they were no match against the defending champions this time. The Nets, unfortunately, had no answers defensively to a Celtics team who kept going on offensive spurts and prevented another overtime showdown with a 25-point win. 

YEAHHH Z!!!@Ziaire has 9 quick points and we’re up, 21-13 pic.twitter.com/oCDdQS71rt

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 14, 2024

Jaylen Brown’s 24 points and 12 rebounds contributed significantly to the win, including a 16-point performance by Jrue Holiday and an offensive clinic put up by Peyton Pritchard off the bench with 23 points and five three-pointers. Ziaire Williams did his best offensively with 23 points, and Thomas and Dennis Schroder contributed with double-digit scoring, putting up 17 and 16 points, respectively. Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson put up over 10 points each off the bench, but it was not enough against the Celtics. 

A New York, New York Matchup

The Nets lost a tough matchup against their neighbors, the New York Knicks, in a 124 to 122 loss. A Jalen Brunson three-pointer in the final seconds gave the Knicks the lead, which sealed the win, with Madison Square Garden screaming for joy. The Nets lacked size in this matchup, as they were outrebounded 45 to 37. Both teams were without their big men, as the Knicks did not have Karl Anthony Towns, and the Nets were without Nicolas Claxton. The Knicks were up 100 to 82 entering the fourth quarter and barely inked out a win against the Nets, who surged in the fourth. The Nets had put up an incredible 40 points to the Knicks’ 24 points, but it wasn’t enough. The Nets could not capitalize on OG Anunoby fouling out, and Anthony-Towns was unavailable for the night, while Brunson’s three-pointer was all it took to put the Knicks back up and secure the close win. This loss also gave the Nets their first loss in the in-season tournament, putting them in 3rd place in Group A. 

.@24_camthomas made 16 shots from the floor last night

so Ian Eagle had to get creative in his praise of CT's bucket getting pic.twitter.com/myhGvzbLFG

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 16, 2024

Thomas lit up the scoreboard tonight with a 43-point performance and shot 16 of 22 from the field, including seven three-pointers for the night. The rest of the Nets struggled to put up at least 20 points, with Cam Johnson putting up 17, Finney-Smith with 15 points, and Schroder scoring 14. No Net player could put up more than nine points off the bench. Brunson’s game-winning 3-pointer contributed to the 37 points he put up with the rest of the Knicks backing him up offensively. OG Anunoby was up offensively with 25 points, Mikal Bridges put up 22 against his former team, and Josh Hart contributed all-around with a 12-point, nine-rebound, and nine-assist performance. 

A Second Chance Blunder

A second look against the Knicks was not enough, as Anthony-Towns’ return gave them a 114 to 104 victory over the Nets. The Knicks were able to sweep the Nets in their weekend matchup, and although the Nets were able to get a second look at their in-town rivals, they were unprepared for the return of Anthony-Towns, whose 26 points and 15 rebounds dominated the Nets. The Nets have not had their fair share of luck this week as with Claxton sidelined; they resorted to having Dorian Finney-Smith at center, who was no match for the Knicks’ big men. The Nets could not put much up offensively against the Knicks, with Johnson being the only player with over 20 points for the evening. 

FOUR-POINT PLAY ‼️ pic.twitter.com/28tEUPRcvw

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 18, 2024

Johnson’s 22 points were accompanied by both Thomas’ and Finney-Smith’s 16-point performances, as Jalen Wilson’s 15 points and Clowney’s 13 points contributed off the bench. The Knicks were dominant behind Anthony-Town’s 26-point performance, and Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart each had 20-point performances, contributing to the dominant win. Despite not scoring over 20 points, Brunson contributed with his assists as he had a double-double with 12 points and ten assists for the night. 

What’s Next For The Nets

While the start of the season was fun for the Nets, their struggle to stay in a play-in spot for the next few months finally begins. With an injury to Nicolas Claxton, the Nets are temporarily without a big man and have resorted to utilizing Finney-Smith as their big man. The lack of a big man has been an eye-sore for the Nets, and the organization should invest in drafting another center for the next season. While they have some height in Noah Clowney, who could get some minutes as a center, he is primarily a power forward. Cam Thomas should not be the only one who can consistently score over 30 points, and the Nets need another offensive powerhouse that can score many points alongside Thomas. While guys like Cam Johnson and Dennis Schroder have their fair share of great offensive performances, those offensive nights don’t come every night like how Thomas’ nights would. For now, the Nets have to rely on having more than one player scoring more than 20 points, and there has to be another center that the Nets can acquire to complement Claxton.