What per week it was for Jordi Fernandez. Accidents started to pile up on Sunday in Sacramento, however his group remained assured within the wholesome gamers it did have. Brooklyn responded with three straight victories over the Kings, Warriors and Suns to finish their newest West Coast swing on a surprisingly excessive notice.
Whereas the season continues to be younger, an argument may be made that no NBA head coach has achieved extra with much less this season. The primary-year head coach has exceeded all expectations regardless of Brooklyn’s flawed state of affairs. As the youngsters say, he has been deep in his bag, and every participant on the roster has benefited from his management.
Nevertheless, the Nets‘ shorthanded sorcery was nullified in Friday’s 123-100 loss to the Orlando Magic at Barclays Heart. Brooklyn performed with out two of its major creators in Cam Thomas and Dennis Schröder. Whereas Orlando didn’t have the posh of a wholesome Paolo Banchero, their superior depth shined by means of.
One of many Nets’ worst losses of the season got here by the hands of this similar Magic crew on Oct. 25, 116-101.
Not having Thomas or Schröder within the lineup didn’t seem like a problem early on. Jalen Wilson, in his third begin of the season, began 3-of-3 from 3-point vary. The Web began 5-for-7 from deep as a crew, scoring was balanced throughout the board, and regardless of 13 first-quarter factors from Orlando’s Franz Wagner, they trailed by solely 4 factors getting into the second and had been taking pictures 63.2% from the sector. Ball motion and unselfish play continued to uplift them though their expertise was missing.
The sport was tied at 48 with 3:11 left within the first half, and that’s when the Nets suffered their first main chilly streak on offense, and it gave the Magic separation that it by no means relinquished. Orlando knocked down three 3-pointers in about two minutes, with a layup and a dunk combined in, and all of a sudden Brooklyn discovered itself down 15 factors with 53.4 seconds left within the second quarter. It trailed 61-49 at halftime.
Orlando opened the third quarter on a 13-5 run whereas taking pictures 4of-5 from 3 to open up a 20-point lead. It was a 25-point sport getting into the ultimate body, and there can be no frantic comeback this time, though Fernandez’s group continued to struggle till the top.
The Nets dedicated 20 turnovers, which gifted Orlando 34 factors.
Shake Milton, who performed 34 minutes with Thomas and Schröder out, scored a season-high 22 factors off the bench with 4 assists. Keon Johnson added 15 factors. Brooklyn used a distinct beginning lineup for the sixth straight sport on Friday and Tyrese Martin was a part of the most recent configuration. He completed with eight factors on 3-of-6 after pouring in 30 factors towards Phoenix on Wednesday.
Wagner led Orlando with 29 factors, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Nets noticed their season-best three-game win streak snapped with the loss and fell to 9/11. The Magic notched win No. 14 and prolonged their present win streak to 4 video games. Friday was additionally Brooklyn’s ultimate Emirates NBA Cup sport this season. It was mathematically eradicated from advancing to the knock-out rounds, ending with a 1-3 report in East Group A.
The Nets is not going to have to attend lengthy for a shot at revenge. They’ll face the Magic once more at Barclays Heart on Sunday within the first sport of a home-road back-to-back set.
Initially Printed: November 29, 2024 at 10:02 PM EST
