Nets Allow Another Fourth Quarter To Disappear In Loss
Coming off one of their most heartbreaking losses of the season on Sunday to the Philadelphia 76ers, it was DeJa Vu in a way in Brooklyn’s return back to the court.
The Brooklyn Nets once again couldn’t hang onto a fourth quarter lead in a bitter 101-91 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points while snagging five rebounds and four steals while Rudy Gobert finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks as the two dominated this game late for Utah.
Holding a 78-70 lead to begin the fourth quarter, the Nets offense couldn’t keep the pressure on while a desperate and hungry Jazz team in the midst of a funk fought to tie the game midway through the period.
With it being anyone’s game tied at 82-82, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert helped rally the Jazz to victory. Mitchell and Gobert combined to score Utah’s final 17 points of the game.
Brooklyn’s offense was idle in the fourth quarter, finishing the period with just two field goals while being outscored 31-13 in a humbling final quarter of basketball.
The Brooklyn Nets had one of their worst offensive performances of the season, shooting 34.9 percent from the field while committing 20 costly turnovers in what was their fourth consecutive loss.
It was a low scoring affair in the first half with the Utah Jazz holding a 43-42 lead at the half over the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn would be held to 34 percent shooting in the first half while committing eight turnovers.
A credit to Kenny Atkinson and his coaching staff’s ability to make halftime adjustments, Brooklyn came out with a improved plan to attack Utah’s defense.
Spencer Dinwiddie would have the hot hand late in the third for the Nets as he would score the team’s final 14 points off the bench. They went on to outscore the Utah Jazz 36-27 in the third quarter.
He finished the game with a team-high 18 points.
D’Angelo Russell — who was coming off a 38-point masterpiece on Sunday vs the 76ers — could not find the iron on Wednesday night as he finished the night 6-for-25 with 14 points. He would add seven assists to his game.
One area where Kenny Atkinson will look for improvement from his team on Friday vs a defensive minded team is pace of play.
The Brooklyn Nets (8-14) played the kind of game a limited offensive team like the Utah Jazz wanted to play. Looking at the final box numbers, Brooklyn’s defense allowed Utah to shoot 47.6 percent from the field. That number indicates Brooklyn was fighting a losing battle in the first half of the game before ramping it up in the third quarter, only to fizzle out in the fourth once more.
The Brooklyn Nets host the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night as they look to end their four-game losing streak.