The Nets responded to Saturday’s brutal loss well on Sunday, but not well enough to notch a win. And so it goes.
On Sunday the Brooklyn Nets flew south to take on the San Antonio Spurs in Austin, the largest American city without a Big 4 pro sports team. The game was the final stop in a six-game road-trip for Brooklyn, the second half of a back-to-back that began with a bitter loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
For those that have remained on the Nets bandwagon nearly into April, lowering their expectations from a playoff berth to a winning record to decent vibes to, now, a Play-In berth, it felt like the final stop. It was a winnable game until it wasn’t, another terrible loss that prompted a players-only meeting, per YES Network.
“We’ve got to look at ourselves, look at the film. Get better. I’m tired of keep talking about the same thing. We’ve just got to do it and win some games,” said Dennis Schröder, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
While there was no video attached to Schröder’s pragmatic comments, you can still hear the defeat in his voice. Let’s just win some games. Let’s make this last month of the season just a little less painful.
So, as the Nets sauntered into Austin to face Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on the second night of a back-to-back, that was the hope, as it will be down the stretch. A little less pain. Some fun basketball. Even some wins, if it’s not too much to ask.
But Brooklyn made such rational detachment impossible with their play early on Sunday, surviving an onslaught of highlight plays from Wemby…
…to build an early 11-point lead.
The Nets were responding in all the ways a professional — truly professional — ball-club should after their loss in Indy. They limited turnovers, their undoing on Saturday night, and persisted toward the paint as their 3-pointers refused to drop, even with Wembanyama racking up blocks.
That meant this was a game for Cam Thomas to shine, and that he did. Thomas scored eight points before the first media timeout, on his way to a team-high 31, five dimes, and no turnovers. Of course he hit his usual array of mid-range pull-ups and step-backs, but he complemented those buckets with strong, aggressive takes to the rim. Tall Frenchman or not, Thomas was bullheaded in all the right ways on Sunday night…
Still, Brooklyn took just a 1-point lead into the halftime break, crippled by their inability to hit from deep. Mikal Bridges was once again ineffective, Cam Johnson cooled off, while San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson went on a shot-taking bonanza in the second quarter, hitting four 3-pointers to cut the hosts’ deficit to 56-55.
Unsurprisingly, Brooklyn’s solid first half resulting in such a slim lead didn’t bode well for the remainder of the game, which turned into a back-and-forth battle. Bridges hit a couple shots, but finished with just 14/7/5 on 5-of-16 shooting, another disappointing game in a disappointing month for the ex-Sun.
As such, the Nets turned to Dennis Schröder and the bench for offensive support of Thomas. Schröder consistently got into the paint, as he’s been doing in Brooklyn, and while his mid-range shot was off, he poured in 19 points and seven assists as the leading ball-handler in the second half.
Dennis Smith Jr. and Day’Ron Sharpe (15 points) showcased their partnership to the Austin crowd as well, including this pell-mell highlight…
Thanks to another collective effort, including an 11/14 double-double for Nic Claxton, the Nets took a 103-93 lead into the final minutes of the night, poised to notch a decent win that, if nothing else, could grant Brooklyn fans a smile on a Sunday night.
The Spurs had other ideas, namely Wembanyama, who pushed Claxton to his limits all night long. The 2023 #1 overall draft pick checked back in and immediately registered an assist, a 3-pointer, and two finishes at the rim. After Keldon Johnson hit his fifth 3-pointer of the night, not only was Brooklyn’s lead gone, but they were down 110-107 with just second to play.
And while Schröder temporarily saved his squad…
…it wasn’t enough.
The Spurs would win the overtime period by seven, with Wembamayma once again taking over, blocking a critical Schröder layup to seal the deal. Bridges hit a 3-point prayer to start the scoring in the final five, but Brooklyn’s offense cratered from there. They had reeled us back in, only to disappoint again.
Cam Johnson, who finished with a dozen points, was the recipient of the game’s final play-call, and missed a tough-but-makeable game-tying three, while Thomas curiously sat on the bench…
“I guess they felt that was the best way to get a three off so, you know,” said Thomas of his exclusion from the plan. “It was a good look, he just missed it. But I guess they felt it was the best lineup to get the three off. I mean, it is what it is. If he made it, we wouldn’t be here right now talking about how I was in the game or not.
It was indeed a good look, about as good as you can ask for in that situation, but Head Coach Kevin Ollie didn’t play naive about his decision-making: “That one play didn’t call for [Thomas] being in in that situation, but that’s definitely something that we’ll look at going down the stretch again…”
Ollie also credited his team’s fight, and while it may induce eye-rolls, the praise had some merit. Dorian Finney-Smith was everywhere in OT, ripping the ball from both Wembanyama and Devin Vassell in the period, on his way to eight points, seven boards, four steals, and countless hustle plays…
\ “I guess they felt that was the best way to get a three off so, you know,” said Thomas of his exclusion from the plan. “It was a good look, he just missed it. But I guess they felt it was the best lineup to get the three off. I mean, it is what it is. If he made it, we wouldn’t be here right now talking about how I was in the game or not.
It was indeed a good look, about as good as you can ask for in that situation, but Head Coach Kevin Ollie didn’t play naive about his decision-making: “That one play didn’t call for [Thomas] being in in that situation, but that’s definitely something that we’ll look at going down the stretch again…”
Ollie also credited his team’s fight, and while it may induce eye-rolls, the praise had some merit. Dorian Finney-Smith was everywhere in OT, ripping the ball from both Wembanyama and Devin Vassell in the period, on his way to eight points, seven boards, four steals, and countless hustle plays…
It just didn’t result in a win, not even with governor Joe Tsai in attendance for the first time in some time.
“We fight like that, we’ll win our share of games down the stretch in these last 14,” said Ollie.
Brooklyn, as many other teams have and many other teams will, simply got Wemby’d…
Of course the Nets weren’t a helpless victim on Sunday night. They shot just 26% from three, and a poor 13-of-19 from the free-throw line. Cam Thomas missed the only shot he took in overtime. Really, their half-court offense was dreadful all night, but was partly resuscitated by the 13 steals the Nets accumulated on the night, boosting their transition offense.
In a word, Brooklyn was fine, particularly considering the back-to-back and travel circumstances, but Brooklyn doesn’t have room to be just fine, no matter who they play. They’ve now lost to each of the super-tanking six worst teams in the NBA this season, including multiple losses to the Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets.
There won’t be a players-only meeting after this loss. Why would there be? Reality hasn’t just set in, it’s gotten old: The Brooklyn Nets are not a very good basketball team; the time for anger has passed, only sadness remains.
The Play-In Tournament is almost irrelevant at this point, though the mediocrity of the Atlanta Hawks keeps hopes alive. The real goal, however, is just making it to the end of the season. Please.
Final Score: San Antonio Spurs 122, Brooklyn Nets 115
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