The Nets fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-91 Friday night time at Goal Middle, bringing their 2024-25 street slate to a merciful finish. They haven’t received in Minnesota for the reason that 2022-23 season. They’ll wrap up the common season Sunday afternoon when the Knicks go to Barclays Middle.
A win Friday night time would’ve been the Nets’ third straight on the street relationship again to March 29-31. It will’ve matched their longest street successful streak of the season. However Brooklyn was down a number of starters, the Timberwolves had been wholesome, and it was outgunned by Chris Finch’s squad for the second time this month.
So, Minnesota takes the season sequence 2-0, and Jordi Fernandez’s inaugural season in Brooklyn ends with a 14-27 document away from Barclays Middle. And with the Philadelphia 76ers’ loss to the Atlanta Hawks Friday night time, the franchise is formally locked into the sixth-best lottery odds with one sport left.
The Nets went 12-29 on the street final season underneath former head coach Jacque Vaughn and eventual interim head coach Kevin Ollie.
It wasn’t all unhealthy at Goal Middle Friday night time. Jalen Wilson hit the Nets’ 1,090th 3 of the season with 10:03 left within the first quarter, setting a brand new franchise document.
Dariq Whitehead went 2-for-4 and is now capturing 44.4% from deep this season, in order that’s encouraging to see given all he’s been via. And Keon Johnson set a profession excessive totally free throws made and tried in a sport (8-for-8) and completed with six assists, logging his second sport this season with greater than 5 dimes.
The identical could possibly be stated about Brooklyn’s street slate as an entire. Cam Thomas’ 43-point efficiency in opposition to the Knicks in November at Madison Sq. Backyard was enjoyable. As was the group’s four-game street journey that month, the place it received three straight video games in opposition to the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns when few thought it may.
Fernandez beat his mentor and former group in Sacramento. The Nets took down a perennial contender in Golden State. There was nonetheless loads of hope at that time within the season.
Whitehead was known as up from Lengthy Island and poured in a season-high 18 factors on 6-for-10 capturing from deep in Chicago on Dec. 2. Ziaire Williams punked his former group, and obtained the win, when Brooklyn visited Memphis on Oct. 30. The Nets went as much as Boston on Nov. 8 and took the defending NBA champions to additional time. And a 132-114 triumph in Portland on Jan. 14 was arguably the Nets’ most spectacular win of the season.
Brooklyn nonetheless had moments away from residence, even in a misplaced season. The hope going ahead is that these standout performances will translate to higher success in 2025-26 — particularly on the street.
