Sunday was a day stuffed with combined feelings for Nets followers.
Earlier within the day, Brooklyn traded Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks. The transfer got here simply weeks after the staff despatched Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors, hellbent on clearing cap house, stockpiling future draft picks and buying intriguing younger expertise to help its present rebuild.
“We miss toughness, leadership, day to day happiness and about being about the right things and all that stuff,” head coach Jordi Fernandez stated when requested in regards to the Finney-Smith commerce after the sport. “It’s just very simple that if we were to have that maturity and that toughness, we close this game.”
Later Sunday, the shorthanded Nets fell to an injured Orlando Magic staff 102-101 at Kia Middle in a sport the place Cam Thomas returned from a 13-game absence. After trailing by as many as 21 factors within the second half, the Magic ended the sport on a 22-4 run, capped off by a game-winning floater from Cole Anthony with 1.3 seconds left.
Brooklyn dropped its second straight sport and fell to 12-20 with the loss.
“This is a tough one,” Fernandez stated. “It hurts for me because I don’t ever want my team to look like this… I’m very disappointed with the effort and the focus and the finish.”
Thomas, showing in his first sport in over a month, checked in with 4:48 left within the first quarter and picked up proper the place he left off, ending with a game-high 25 factors on 6-for-18 capturing. He added six rebounds and 6 assists in 25 minutes, turning into the primary Internet all-time to submit 25/5/5 off the bench with no less than 10 free throws made.
After struggling a sequence of poor offensive performances with out the providers of Thomas and Schröder, the Nets discovered early scoring success towards Orlando, as they shot 68.8% within the first quarter and 50% within the second to take a commanding 61-43 lead into halftime.
Noah Clowney scored 11 of his 13 factors within the first half to assist create early separation. The Nets additionally made 9 of their 13 3-pointers via two quarters of motion. Brooklyn led the Magic 83-68 via three quarters, its greatest lead via three quarters this season and the fewest factors it has allowed via three quarters this season.
The Magic outscored Brooklyn 34-18 within the last body. After a Jalen Wilson 3-pointer put the Nets up 17 factors with 7:16 left, they went 0-for-7 from the sphere with 5 turnovers. Their final 4 factors of the sport got here from Wilson on the free throw line.
Thomas’ 3-pointer from the left nook fell quick as time expired.
“We just needed one more grown up to bring the guys together and calm everybody down and execute a defensive end and win the game,” Fernandez stated. “And it didn’t happen. So, I put that on all the guys on our team that are over 23 years old.”
Tristan da Silva paced Orlando with 21 factors, six rebounds and 7 assists. Johnson didn’t play within the fourth quarter due to hip soreness.
The Nets will return to motion on Wednesday towards the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Area.
Initially Revealed: December 29, 2024 at 7:09 PM EST
