The Nets didn’t have time to get well from Sunday evening’s 20 3-pointers in Chicago earlier than the identical drawback adopted them house. One evening later at Barclays Middle, Brooklyn watched the Phoenix Suns rain down 20 extra from deep in a 126-117 loss that dropped it to 12-29 on the season’s midway level.
Dillon Brooks led the way in which with 27 factors and 6 3-pointers, Devin Booker poured in 24 and Collin Gillespie added 22.
Michael Porter Jr. completed with 23 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists in Brooklyn’s loss.
“Right now, [we’re] not finishing possessions and not getting back,” head coach Jordi Fernández mentioned. “I mean, they made 3s in transition and they made 3s out of second chance… I think that every time we control the fast break or our transition defense is good and every time we rebound, we win games.”
Drake Powell tried to set a distinct tone early. The rookie returned to the beginning lineup and knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers on Brooklyn’s first few possessions, scoring six of the Nets’ first 9 factors and giving the constructing a fast carry.
However Phoenix didn’t blink. Brooks drilled his first two makes an attempt from deep. Gillespie hit his first, and the Suns saved tempo from the perimeter as Brooklyn struggled to string collectively stops. Porter went scoreless within the opening quarter in his return from a one-game absence, whereas Brooks and Booker mixed for 18 environment friendly factors as Phoenix shot 71.4% general and jumped out to a commanding lead after one.
The Nets didn’t discover their footing till they had been already gazing a 20-point gap. With 4:41 left within the first half, Brooklyn lastly flipped a change, tightening up defensively and turning Phoenix’s early rhythm right into a string of empty journeys. On the different finish, the Nets all of the sudden couldn’t miss, with Porter and Terance Mann sparking a surge that modified the complete really feel of the sport.
“I think when we were pushing it and having good runs, we were able to get organized earlier in the shot clock and get good, quality shots,” Mann mentioned. “And every time we did that, I think we were in the game at that point.”
Brooklyn turned that swing right into a 24-8 run to shut the half, slicing the deficit to 4 on the break and ending with Mann drilling a 25-footer off the dribble on the buzzer. The Nets went 8-for-14 from deep within the second quarter whereas Phoenix cooled to 4-for-13, as Porter scored 13 factors on 5-for-6 taking pictures after a gradual begin and Ziaire Williams added 10 off the bench in his return from an illness-related absence.
Brooklyn additionally received one other sturdy stretch from Nolan Traore, who continued his current run of regular play off the bench. The rookie guard scored 10 factors in his first 9 minutes on an ideal 3-for-3 begin, giving him his second profession half with at the very least 10 factors and offering one other carry for the Nets’ second unit.
Alongside along with his buzzer-beater, Mann additionally handed out seven assists within the first half, tied for his most in a recreation this season. He completed with eight, offering a serious playmaking increase with Egor Dëmin sidelined.
“I mean, they’re a great team, and when we went over the scout they told us they’re No. 1 in 3-point attempts in transition and we saw that real quick,” Williams mentioned. “So, they gave us the game plan. It just took us too long to really dial in and we dug ourselves in a little hole. But I’m proud of the guys for fighting, man.”
However the third quarter made it clear Brooklyn’s surge wasn’t going to hold over by itself. Phoenix pushed again arduous, piling up 90 factors and rebuilding a 13-point lead with 6:02 left within the interval. Porter went quiet once more, the Nets shot simply 36.8%, and the Suns stayed in management behind 10 factors from Booker, the one participant from both workforce to succeed in double figures within the quarter.
Phoenix went 4-for-8 from deep within the interval and carried a 103-89 lead into the ultimate body, leaving Brooklyn with another probability to chase down a recreation that had swung wildly earlier than settling again into the Suns’ arms.
Fernández’s workforce had another run in it and minimize it to 4 with 4:01 left, however Phoenix regained management with a closing burst that buried the Nets’ newest comeback try.
Brooklyn will likely be in Manhattan Wednesday for a matchup with the Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard.
