The Brooklyn Nets stayed scrappy in their last three games, which landed them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Nets kept it close against the top teams in the East and even sent the Boston Celtics to overtime despite the loss. If the Nets continue to play at this rate throughout the season, they could be a dark horse pick to make it past the play-in during the playoffs.
Sending The Reigning Champions to Overtime
The Nets lost to the Boston Celtics 108 to 104 on Sunday and Monday. The Nets kept the Celtics from reaching their average of 19 three-pointers made per game, making only 14 of their 53 attempted threes for the night. The Nets fared no better, making only 10 3-pointers. Both teams kept it fairly close-scoring throughout the whole game, and despite an eight-point lead by the Nets in the second quarter, the Celtics immediately wiped the lead away and remained neck-and-neck throughout the rest of the game. The Nets tied it up at 94 after a pair of free-throws by Cam Johnson and prevented a game-winning three-pointer by Jayson Tatum to send it to overtime.
It was a battle between the two teams during overtime, but a three-pointer by Al Horford shifted the momentum to the Celtics, who did not let up for the remainder of the game to get the win. The Nets played very well against the champions, with Cam Thomas scoring 31 and Dennis Schroder with 21 points. Johnson also contributed on offense with 18 points. However, the Nets’ defense was not able to put a stop to the 33 points by Tatum and 20 points off the bench by Peyton Pritchard.
.@doefinney_10 puts the clamps on and we're headed to OT! pic.twitter.com/9rS7JqDqgT
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 9, 2024
Nets Fail to Put a Stop to Cavaliers’ Streak
The Nets struggled to put a stop to the offensive rally that the Cleveland Cavaliers put up which landed in a 105 to 100 loss. The Nets were up by as much as 14 points after a Keon Johnson three-pointer put the Nets up 82 to 68 near the end of the third quarter. Evan Mobley answered with a dunk to end the quarter, which became the spark that the Cavaliers needed to return. The combination of the offensive prowess of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland kept hitting at the Nets who had no answers for them as the Cavaliers slowly crawled back. Garland’s pull-up jump shot and pair of free throws put the Cavaliers back in the lead with 2.5 minutes remaining in the game. The Cavaliers kept pushing the momentum that helped outscore the Nets 35 to 18 in the fourth quarter and win the game.
Despite three Nets players all scoring 20+ points each, it was not enough to fend off the Cavaliers in their comeback that kept them at an undefeated record. Thomas, Schroder, and Johnson led the offensive performances with 22, 22, and 23 points, respectively, along with a double-double by Nicolas Claxton, who had 10 points and 10 assists for the night. Mobley had a dominant night for the Cavaliers with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and four steals, with Mitchell and Garland following suit with 22 and 20 points, respectively.
.@NoahClowney takes the charge and the bench is LOVING IT pic.twitter.com/cjndOFqLq3
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 10, 2024
Nets Win Close Game Against The Pelicans
The Nets were finally able to win a close game this week, 107 to 105, over the New Orleans Pelicans. Thomas carried the load in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter alone to bring the Nets to victory. However, the Nets’ scoring was spread out, with seven of its players in double-digit scoring for a balanced win and no player fully carrying the team throughout the game. Brandon Ingram was held to just two points after scoring 22 points in the first half of the game and the Pelicans struggled against the momentum that the Nets were having because of the eight consecutive missed shots and could not take back the lead.
Ben Simmons played a great game, scoring six points and having 12 assists. His passing ability and ability to make great plays gave the Nets a more balanced offense, which spread out the scoring. The Nets’ young core was able to extend the Pelicans’ losing streak to five games after a very offensively balanced-looking Nets team. Behind Thomas’ 17 points was Johnson with 15, Schroder with 14, Nicolas Claxton with 13, Ziaire Williams with 12, with Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson off the bench with 15 and 10 respectively. Yves Missi had a double-double for the Pelicans with 17 points and 11 assists, and Trey Murphy III had 12 points. Unfortunately, the additional points off the bench, with 15 points by Jeremiah Robinson and 11 points by Jaylen Nowell, were not enough for the Pelicans.
good way to end the road trip 🙌 pic.twitter.com/90vVMCI84o
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 12, 2024
What’s Next for The Nets
While it was not expected for the Nets to take wins off the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, they managed to keep those games close. Fortunately, they won their close matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, a much-needed win. The Nets were able to utilize Ben Simmons for this week’s matchup, who has been generally impressive during the games he’s able to play as he is nursing a back injury. While the Nets are very likely to let go of Ben Simmons when his contract is up, it wouldn’t hurt to use his talents while he can still play. It’s clear he has great talent and has amazing court vision. His passing ability creates an offensively balanced Nets team and can be a threat to even the top teams in the East. The Nets can hope to take the momentum they had this week to stay afloat as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference in the coming weeks.
