Considering how they lost each of their first three games by double digits against some of the NBA’s best teams, you’d think the Nets would relish an opportunity to play a team like the Milwaukee Bucks, which is without four key rotation players due to injury. Like the Nets, entering into Monday’s matchup at Barclays Center, the Bucks were 0-3 and needing a win in the worst way.
However, Brooklyn wasn’t suffering from any injuries and had its entire complement of — admittedly — below-average players available to go on Monday. Still, that didn’t matter, as incredibly poor execution on both ends of the floor at the end of the game led to yet another brutal Nets loss as they fell to the Bucks by a score of 103-96. In a bright sign, it was the Nets’ first defeat of less than 10 points this season. They have yet to win a game in the 2015-16 season.
Milwaukee completely owned the entire first half, especially the second quarter in which Jason Kidd’s team outscored Brooklyn 26-15. The game was tied at 33 after the first quarter as neither team could figure out how to defend the other, but could both score at will. The most glaring defensive issue was the Nets’ perimeter defense, which was as bad as it has been in the first three games of the season and allowed Jerryd Bayless to go off (he finished with 26 points on 15 shots).
Then, in the second quarter, the Nets continued to not play much defense while turning the ball over in copious amounts (18 turnovers for 25 Milwaukee points) and generally allowing Bayless, Greg Monroe (23 points, 13 rebounds) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (21 points, eight rebounds) to have free looks at the hoop. Khris Middleton (17 points) also was wide open in the mid-range game and took advantage of the space he was given. This led the Bucks to take a commanding 59-48 lead at the half that seemed insurmountable.
Surprisingly, the Nets came out with energy after the intermission and realized just how effective their offense can be when it’s predicated on building off Brook Lopez in the post and moving outward instead of the opposite. They established Brook down on the block which drew double-teams from the Bucks and allowed Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Johnson to get good looks from three. Also, Brooklyn was able to turn the table on Milwaukee in the turnover game and force some extra possessions. Thanks to a shocking three-point play from Andrea Bargnani at the end of the frame, the Nets were able to tie the game at 80 heading into the fourth.
Milwaukee took a quick lead in the fourth and the Nets spent much of the quarter hanging around with the Bucks trying to tie or take the lead. Eventually, at the 4:58 mark on a Brook Lopez split of free throws, the Nets were able to even the score at 92. Just a minute and a half later, they would gain the advantage on a pair of Bogdanovic free throws but gave the lead right back on a Monroe score that was helped by Lopez being out of the game due to foul trouble. Then, Shane Larkin answered with a short jumper with 2:45 that would give the Nets a 96-94 lead.
That would happen to be Brooklyn’s last score of the game as the Bucks rolled off 11 unanswered points to finish the game. The Nets had a chance to regain the lead when Bojan stole the ball from Monroe but he would lose it a few seconds later after a chase down from Michael Carter-Williams. Middleton knocked down a tough jumper to put Milwaukee up two before a Johnson three just rimmed out, essentially sealing Brooklyn’s chances.
Then, down three with less than 30 seconds to go, instead of going to Joe or Lopez (or even Bojan) for a quick two or three, the Nets looked to Jarrett Jack for some god forsaken reason. Of course, he took and missed a contested layup which was rebounded by the Bucks. The next time down the floor, he did the same thing and was blocked by Antetokounmpo, which ended the game. Tough to see much worse late-game execution from a professional basketball team.
Some other thoughts from the game: Is Lionel Hollins watching the same game as the rest of us? Brook Lopez committed his fifth foul in the middle of the fourth quarter and wasn’t put back in the game until there was less than a minute to play and the damage was already done. Lopez has to come out in that situation but putting Thomas Robinson and then Andrea Bargnani in for him is just asking for trouble. Also, when the game is on the line and the Nets are losing, the ball has to go to either Brook, Joe or Bojan, not Jarrett Jack….The Nets actually weren’t killed on the boards and made a good percentage of their free throws, but once again were terrible from three (6-for-19, which equates to 32 percent) and committed an absurd amount of turnovers (18 to Milwaukee’s 14). Multiple times the Nets had wide open three-point attempts — from Joe and Wayne Ellington — which could have swung the momentum in their favor but instead missed harmlessly off the rim. Professional players should make a decent amunt of their uncontested shots, but those players are not on this team….After showing promise in the first three losses, rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson only played four minutes in this game, which is inexplicable considering his defensive prowess on a night the Nets allowed 52 percent shooting from the field. It makes no sense why he wouldn’t play at least 15 minutes to guard Middleton or help out on Bayless. Speaking of playing time, Bargnani played 16 minutes, compiled a team-worst -15 rating and missed seven of his eight shots. There is nothing Bargnani brings to the table if he isn’t scoring so playing him on another off night offensively is not smart at all….Thaddeus Young scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and notched five assists. He also wasn’t in foul trouble and only played 25 minutes tonight. He posted a team-high +14 rating. Why is he playing just nine minutes more than Bargnani? Thad is a good matchup for Middleton, Giannis and even Monroe (from an athletic standpoint) but he was barely used in the fourth quarter. Lionel Hollins’ lineups once again make no sense.
Onto the next one: Wednesday night in Atlanta against the Hawks
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