Thursday was fan appreciation evening at Barclays Middle. They didn’t have a lot to cheer about. The younger, shorthanded Nets struggled to maintain up with the Atlanta Hawks from begin to end, dropping 133-109 in a sport the place they by no means led and trailed by as many as 32 factors.
Jalen Wilson paced the Nets with 20 factors off the bench, and Drew Timmie added 13 factors, 11 rebounds and 6 assists in his seventh profession sport, turning into the one rookie within the NBA this season to put up a ten/10/5 sport as a reserve. Nonetheless, Brooklyn dedicated 19 turnovers, which gifted the Hawks 33 factors, and in addition allowed the guests to shoot 57.1% for the sport.
Cam Johnson (decrease again contusion), D’Angelo Russell (proper ankle sprain) and Day’Ron Sharpe (proper knee sprain) — two starters and a top quality reserve middle — didn’t play.
Brooklyn, which has the sixth-best NBA draft lottery odds with two video games left, fell to 26-54 with the loss. Simply forward of it within the lottery race are the Philadelphia 76ers, who’ve the fifth-best odds at 24-56. If Philadelphia wins its closing two video games in opposition to Atlanta and the Chicago Bulls, it should finish the season tied with the Nets for the fifth-best odds.
The fifth-worst report within the NBA has a 42.1% probability at a Prime 4 choose and a ten.5% on the No. 1 general choose, which is broadly projected to be Duke’s Cooper Flagg. The sixth-worst report within the league has a 37.2% probability at a Prime 4 choose and a 9% probability on the No. 1 general choose.
Rookie ahead Zaccharie Risacher, who was drafted No. 1 general by the Hawks final yr though the staff had solely a 3% probability of touchdown the No. 1 general choose, dropped 38 factors on 15-for-20 capturing (6-for-11 from 3-point vary) in 35 minutes.
Trae Younger added 24 factors and 12 assists in 31 minutes.
13 of Risacher’s factors got here within the first quarter, the place Atlanta jumped out to a 10-1 lead and took a 33-14 benefit into the second quarter. He had an environment friendly 23 factors by two quarters, which helped the Hawks to a 69-45 benefit at halftime.
The Hawks gained the third quarter 34-29 to take a commanding 103-74 lead into the ultimate body. Brooklyn gained the fourth quarter 35-30, however it didn’t matter an excessive amount of ultimately.
Atlanta completed with 66 factors within the paint and 32 factors in transition.
The Nets will play their closing highway sport of the season on Friday in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Goal Middle.
