The Brooklyn Nets failed to conjure up more than one win this week but stayed afloat in eighth place in the standings after losing three straight games. Fortunately, they broke their streak of losses after facing off against the Indiana Pacers, who have been on a losing streak of their own. The Nets have been struggling to stay consistent on a week-to-week basis, and fans will need to ride out the rest of the season to see results in their future.
No Fun In Orlando
The Nets were without their primary scorers on Friday as they got mauled by the Orlando Magic offense in a 123 to 100 loss. The Magic were 18 of 35 from three-point range and did excessive damage within the perimeter. The Nets tried to fire back, but without guys like Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas, the Nets only shot 14 of 29 from the perimeter. Shake Milton was the only player to “shake” things up for the Nets offensively, scoring 22 points off the bench and was 7 of 13 from the field. Cam Johnson’s 14 points and going 3 of 5 from three-point range were not enough for the Nets starters as the rest of the lineup struggled to get more than 11 points on the board.
COUNT IT 🗣️
YESSIRRR @SniperShake pic.twitter.com/5Yrx7PeYSR
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 30, 2024
The Magic, on the other hand, played lights out. Franz Wagner led the charge with 29 points and shot 12 of 20. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope answered back with 19 points and went 7 of 8 from the field. Both Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. matched together offensively, scoring 12 points each. The Magic were a more offensively sound team, and the Nets could not fire back due to their lack of offensive firepower on Friday night.
Brooklyn Takes Back To Back Losses To Orlando
The Nets fared a better chance against the Magic with Schroder back in the lineup but could not get it done in a 100 to 92 loss. Schroder’s 20 points, seven assists, and Johnson’s 26 points helped keep the Nets alive throughout the game. However, rebounds were crucial in Sunday’s game as the Magic had outrebounded the Nets 52 to 33. Despite getting some height back for the Nets in guys like Dariq Whitehead and Nicolas Claxton, they could not grab as many boards as the Magic could.
"Some German spice from Dennis!" pic.twitter.com/4e2iPyJR8V
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 1, 2024
Again, Franz Wagner led the Magic offensively with 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks. Goga Bitadze, who scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, was a major contributor to the Magic’s rebounding. Moritz Wagner contributed off the bench with his eight rebounds and 12 points. The Nets played better basketball in their second matchup against the Magic, but their lack of height and lack of Cam Thomas in the lineup were detrimental to their loss.
A Chicago Welcome Ends In A Loss
The Nets did not stand a chance against the Chicago Bulls, who won in a 128 to 102 blowout loss for Brooklyn. The Nets looked to have gassed themselves out in the second half after tying up the game in the first and only trailing by six points heading into halftime. The Nets struggled to keep up with the Bulls, who managed to pull the game away from the Nets as they were outscored 36 to 22 in the third quarter and could not catch up.
No Cam Thomas or Cam Johnson for the night left Dennis Schroder to himself, as he put up a double-double with 16 points and ten assists. A couple of notable Nets put up offensive performances, such as Whitehead contributing off the bench with 18 points and two steals, Milton with 14 points, Tyrese Martin with 15 points, and Claxton with 11 points and eight rebounds.
OKAY, RIQ! 👏 pic.twitter.com/9YSicx8S2W
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 3, 2024
Josh Giddey had a triple-double for the Bulls with 20 points, 11 assists, and 13 rebounds. Nikola Vucevic also put up an excellent performance offensively with a double-double after securing 21 points and ten assists. Zach LaVine and Ayo Dosunmu put themselves on the board with 18 points and 16 points, respectively, and Matas Buzelis with 20 points off the bench. Notably, Vucevic, LaVine, and Dosunmu had an outstanding plus/minus, with Vucevic at +29, LaVine at +25, and Dosunmu at +24, showcasing their positive impact offensively when on the court.
The Losing Streak Ends For Brooklyn
The Nets ended their losing streak by adding onto the Indiana Pacers’ losing streak with a 99 to 90 win on Wednesday. The Pacers played heavily sloppy basketball throughout the first half of the game, combining for only 35 points heading into halftime. The Pacers scrambled to make plays but only shot 13 of 39 from the field and were only four of 18 from three-point land. The Pacers pulled themselves together to tie the game up at 80, but a 10-0 scoring run led by Trendon Watford pulled the game away from the Pacers and secured the win for Brooklyn.
Johnson led the Nets in scoring with his 26 points, with Claxton behind scoring 16. Milton led the team offensively off the bench with 15 points. Five Nets players managed at least two steals each for the night as they took advantage of Indiana’s sloppy ball security, resulting in 16 total turnovers for the Pacers.
BIG 👏 TEAM 👏 EFFORT 👏 pic.twitter.com/8Hfz5bkrO3
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 5, 2024
No Pacers player had 20 points on the scoreboard against the Nets, with Tyrese Haliburton scoring 17, Pascal Siakam scoring 14, and Myles Turner scoring 11. While Siakam and Turner combined 13 rebounds, the Pacers were not advantageous with getting rebounds as Johnny Furphy was the only other player aside from Turner with seven rebounds. Off the bench, T.J. McConnell scored 14 points, Furphy scored 12 points, and Toppin scored 13 points.
What’s Next For The Nets
The Nets need their starting guard back if they want any chance at winning a few ball games. Without Cam Thomas, the Nets are left with players who won’t always be able to give you a 20-plus point game on a nightly basis. A player holding them back is Ben Simmons. While he has an excellent eye for passes, he is a liability on the scoring end of the ball. Simmons only averages 5.4 points per game, which is not what the Nets want from a player who was once considered an All-Star-level player.
Simmons looks to be a shell of his former self, and there’s no way the Nets should continue to carry that load heading into the next season. Their best move is to take him off the roster by having Simmons as a buyout candidate during the trade deadline. This buyout leaves the Nets with $40 million to play with and hopefully acquire an offensive threat who can impact the Nets franchise.
