The Nets had been shut for some time. Other than a tough stretch early within the third quarter and a late fade within the fourth, Brooklyn delivered one among its most full performances of the season, pushing a disciplined Minnesota Timberwolves workforce with out All-Star Anthony Edwards to the wire.
However as soon as once more, head coach Jordi Fernández’s group couldn’t end, falling to 0-7 after a 125-109 loss Monday night time at Barclays Middle. The trouble’s bettering, however the outcomes stay the identical.
Relying on Tuesday’s outcome between New Orleans and Charlotte, Brooklyn may finish the night time because the NBA’s lone winless workforce.
“I thought you saw really positive steps tonight,” Fernández stated. “Allowing less than 30 points in two quarters, that’s a win for us right now… These things don’t change overnight. It’s a process.”
With ahead Michael Porter Jr. out for private causes, Noah Clowney stepped into the beginning lineup and offered an on the spot spark for a gaggle determined for defensive vitality.
The Nets’ effort on that finish was noticeably sharper than in current video games, with lively arms producing a number of deflections and Clowney setting the tone by diving for free balls. Brooklyn pressured three fast turnovers to open the sport, two of them created by the third-year ahead.
It added as much as the form of begin Fernández had been pleading for. Brooklyn held Minnesota to twenty-eight factors within the first quarter and compelled eight turnovers, whereas Cam Thomas discovered an early rhythm offensively. The Timberwolves shot 61.1% from the sphere and the sport was tied heading into the second, however for this Brooklyn workforce, that also counted as a small victory.
“Obviously everyone wants to start off hot, start off on a good note early, but I think [Noah] responded well tonight,” Thomas stated of Clowney, who completed with 15 factors and 6 rebounds in just below 32 minutes. “He got the start; he had a lot of energy and I’m definitely really proud of him… His energy tonight from the get-go was amazing, so kudos to him.”
The Nets’ protection slipped a bit within the second quarter, surrendering 35 factors, however they stayed inside attain due to balanced scoring and an ideal 4-for-4 interval from Thomas. Brooklyn trailed 63-59 at halftime, with Thomas main all scorers with 19 factors on 8-of-13 capturing.
For a second, the sport seemed prefer it would possibly get away from Brooklyn sooner than it did. The Timberwolves opened the third quarter on a 13-5 run and constructed a 12-point lead with 9:08 left within the interval, however coming off a 24-point loss to Philadelphia the night time earlier than, the Nets punched again.
Brooklyn answered with a burst of its personal, punctuated by a Ziaire Williams four-point play that put the Nets again in entrance with 1:57 remaining within the quarter, they usually entered the fourth down simply three.
However followers know the way this story goes by now. With 4:35 remaining, the Nets had been all of the sudden down by 19. A minute later, with 3:33 left, Fernández emptied his bench as Danny Wolf made his NBA debut alongside Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf, E.J. Liddell and Day’Ron Sharpe to shut out the sport.
Brooklyn shot simply 23.1% within the fourth quarter whereas permitting Minnesota to hit 52.9%, getting outscored 34-21 within the interval. Thomas and Donte DiVincenzo every completed with a game-high 25 factors to guide their respective groups.
The Nets will head to Indiana on Wednesday to face the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“I think we played hard. I think in the fourth they made shots and we didn’t, that’s the reality,” Clowney stated. “And a lot of transition stuff we could’ve avoided, but I think we played a lot better. We looked like a team today, I think.”
