Bad, Awful, Saddening
Kenny Atkinson said that the Brooklyn Nets has a great film session following a disappointing loss at home on Wednesday to the Utah Jazz.
Facing a Memphis Grizzlies team that, more so than Utah, wants to play at a slower pace, Brooklyn’s return back to the hardwood on Friday night was a chance to correct their miscues and missed opportunities.
The Memphis Grizzlies rallied to top the Brooklyn Nets 131-125 in double overtime on Friday night at the Barclays Center to extend Brooklyn’s losing streak to five games.
Brooklyn collapsed once again in the fourth quarter, blowing a seven-point lead in the final 33 seconds of the fourth quarter.
Fouling on a 3-point shot attempt, turning the ball over on a inbounds pass, allowing another 3-pointer and then not getting a shot attempt to end regulation haunted the Nets, who over their past three games have blown comfortable leads.
After being unable to get stops at the end of regulation, Kenny Atkinson’s team were unable to get them in overtime as well.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had a phenomenal performance for the Memphis Grizzlies, finishing with a career-high 36 points to go along with eight rebounds.
While the rookie forward had a special night, it was Mike Conley steering Memphis in the overtime periods. He finished with 37 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
Jackson was the hero at the end of regulation, hitting the two 3-pointers to help tie the game. He also was the reason for Brooklyn’s turnover on the inbounds play.
Conley tied the game with a uncontested floater in the lane at the end of the first overtime period to help send the game into a second overtime period and at the end of regulation, shutdown Spencer Dinwiddie on a drive to the basket, keeping Brooklyn from getting a shot attempt.
D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 26 points and eight assists, but he struggled with his shot on the night, hitting only 10 of his 27 shot attempts.
Brooklyn as a team shot 44.7 percent from the field. Memphis shot 49.5 from the field.
The Brooklyn Nets (9-15) fell to 0-6 at home vs Western Conference teams after tonight’s gut-wrenching defeat.
The loss drops them to 3-8 at home this season, something that comes as a huge disappointment for the team to begin the 2018-19 season.
The Nets were without starting forward Joe Harris, who missed the game with a hip injury. Spencer Dinwiddie, who had a team-high 18 points on Wednesday night, made the start for Harris.
A common theme in all three of Brooklyn’s losses is that the defense was particularly poor when it counted, and the lack of fundamentally sound offense further fueled the other team’s rallies.
Kenny Atkinson knows what team he has here, and unfortunately, as close as they’ve been in much of their games this season, a good team wins these games.
Brooklyn simply isn’t.
The Brooklyn Nets will visit the Nation’s Capitol to take on the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
What were your takeaways from Brooklyn’s tough loss on Friday night? Leave your comments below!