Feb 10, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whityeside (21) goes up for a shot over Brooklyn Nets forward Trevor Booker (35) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets finish the week winless again after falling short to the Miami Heat.
Ah… what does winning feel like again? If you’re a Brooklyn Nets fan, you haven’t been able to experience the sweet smell of victory since January 20.
Want your voice heard? Join the Nothin' But Nets team!
When a team with the current highest winning streak faces the team with the current highest losing streak, it’s almost no question who would come out on top. Still, like most of their contests, the Nets remained competitive throughout much of three quarters before completely faltering in the final period.
Plus, the Heat were without opponent-killer Dion Waiters, so a win seemed within reach. Unfortunately, the Nets couldn’t capitalize.
MUST READ: Nets Would Benefit From Acquiring Brandon Knight
Brook Lopez got off to a hot start for the Nets, scoring 11 of their first 13 points, with the other two points coming from two Rondae Hollis-Jefferson free throws. Thanks largely to Lopez, Brooklyn was able to bounce back from an early 11-5 deficit. This sparked a 10-0 run that helped the Nets take a 15-11 lead. The score remained close for the rest of the first quarter, and Brooklyn led by just two points, 22-20, after one.
The Nets began pulling away in the second quarter, extending their lead to 31-24 in the first two minutes, and holding that sizable lead for much of the period. However, in Nets-esque fashion, they began to melt in the final minutes of the half. Led by Goran Dragic, the Heat got within one point, 48-47, with 2:09 remaining. Luckily, the Nets did not give up the lead during the remaining time, but they only held a 53-49 advantage heading back to the locker room.
More from Nothin' But Nets
The third quarter followed a similar pattern as the second, with the Nets able to extend their lead and maintain it until the final minute. Brooklyn led by as much as 11 in the third, but faltered yet again to close the period. Miami outscored Brooklyn 25-19 in the third and had their first lead since the first quarter, 74-72, with one quarter of action to go.
What ensued in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. However, with 7:11 remaining, the Heat went on a 7-0 run to take a 91-84 lead, and the Nets were unable to come out of this gap. Miami went on to take their 13th consecutive win, 108-99, while Brooklyn lost its 12th straight game.
Takeaways
1) When will the turnovers stop?
It was almost embarrassing to watch the Nets commit turnover after turnover in this game. Brooklyn turned the ball over 22 times last night, which is the most they’ve committed in a game during their losing streak. For god’s sake, they even turned it over in the final 21 seconds while trailing by nine points. Kenny Atkinson did not look happy with the team all night, and I wouldn’t be either if my team was committing an average of 5.5 turnovers per quarter in the game. But with Brooklyn finishing with double-digit turnovers for the 40th consecutive game (seventh consecutive for 15+ turnovers), it’s clear that they’re far from finding a solution. That’s fair, considering their lack of a competent playmaker, but it’s nonetheless frustrating to watch. And it’s not going to be pretty as we continue to desperately wait for Jeremy Lin to return.
RELATED STORY: Improved Facilitator Would Help Nets’ Second Half Production
2) Defense, especially in transition, has yet to flourish
According to a tweet recently made by NBA Math, Brooklyn’s defense has actually improved within the 2016-17 campaign. This has certainly become evident in the Nets’ more recent games. In its last seven contests, the Nets have limited their opponents to less than (or equal to) their average of how many points they give up (114). The problem is, while they’ve certainly allowed their opponents to score less points, they haven’t been able to get over the tide to win by finishing with more points than their opponents.
Last night, on numerous occasions, the Heat were given fairly easy opportunities to score, and this became even more evident when Miami was out in transition. The Heat had 21 fast break points, triple the amount the Nets had. The Nets certainly haven’t figured everything out offensively, but they haven’t defensively either. And as we’ve already learned from the previous 53 games, defense is quite important to winning games.
MUST READ: Examining the Pelican Trade Brief For Brook Lopez
3) Brook Lopez’s solid play kept the Nets in the game
Despite the Nets’ turnovers and defensive issues, as usual, to keep it tight in a game, the team depended largely on offensive production. Most of it came from Brook Lopez, who was one of the few high points of last night’s loss. Lopez finished with a game-high 30 points and was a solid contributor for Brooklyn throughout much of the game. Without him, the Nets would’ve easily fallen into a hole that was far too big to climb out of, with everything else that was going wrong for them, from turnovers to lack of defense. Luckily (or unluckily), their turnovers and poor defense didn’t catch up to them until the end of the third quarter, and we can credit this timeliness to Lopez’s production.
Feb 10, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets Miami Heat during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Player of the Game
Brook Lopez
C, Brooklyn Nets
B+Brook Lopez continues to be the most dominant force on the Nets, even in all the team’s struggles. The big man posted a game-high 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. Moreover, Lopez showed more effectiveness in his ability to draw fouls, as he shot 12 free throws and knocked down nine of them. To accompany this production, Lopez also had eight rebounds and two blocks. Another solid night for the starting center.
MUST READ: Injuries on the Wing Sapping the Nets’ Strength
Wildcard
Randy Foye
SG, Brooklyn Nets
C+What… “the Vet” finally makes an appearance on Grades and it’s not for “Up Your Game, Please?” Randy Foye was quite effective last night, scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and knocking down all of his free throws. With the Nets keeping him in the starting lineup, we can only hope for him to continue his increased production like this. Foye has started in the Nets’ last 11 games and only scored in double figures on one other occasion during that timeframe.
Up Your Game, Please
Sean Kilpatrick
SG, Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are now 9-15 on the season. They host the Memphis Grizzlies at the Barclays Center on Monday.
