The Brooklyn Nets took a win in one out of their three games since returning from the NBA Cup Break. Defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets move up a spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Brooklyn Nets are now 13th in the Eastern Conference, holding a 7-19 record after this past week of games.
The Nets Could Not Handle AD and Cooper Flagg
The Dallas Mavericks surged to a 119 to 111 win over the Brooklyn Nets thanks to Anthony Davis. Davis scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, including 14 rebounds and three blocks, and rookie sensation Cooper Flagg had 22 points and eight assists to help Dallas take down Brooklyn.
Michael Porter Jr. had 34 points to lead the Nets, with Danny Wolf behind with 17 points, and Nic Claxton with 14 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Wolf scored 12 of his 17 in the second half. Placing Davis at center was a pivot move after missing Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford due to injury, but it proved beneficial for Dallas. The Nets shot their best percentage of the season from the 3-point line with 43.6 percent, but it wasn’t enough for the win. The Nets shot 17 of their 39 attempted three-pointers. The Nets were outscored 29-19 in the fourth and shot only 28.6 percent from the field.
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The Nets opted to use more vets than rookies in this game, which was an understandable move in a close match. While it is great to focus on the win rather than purposefully trying to lose, it may be a better move to try to get the win with the young core.
This gives them experience and an opportunity to prove themselves against a team like Dallas. Using the veterans is the easier option, but having the rookies on the court to try to get the win may be the more beneficial move for their development and team chemistry.
Brooklyn Ties Franchise Record In Win Against Milwaukee Bucks
The Brooklyn Nets took down the Milwaukee Bucks in dominant fashion in a 127 to 82 win. Egor Demin had 17 points, and Noah Clowney had 16 to help lead the Nets to victory. For the Bucks, Gary Trent Jr had 20 points, and Kyle Kuzma had 13 points. Without their perennial All-Star, the Bucks were lost on the court. The Nets looked good, with the rookies playing well on the court. The Nets won by a 45-point margin, tying the franchise’s largest lead since January 9, 1993, against the Washington Wizards (formerly the Washington Bullets).
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Nine Nets were in double-digit scoring for the night in a dominant win. Despite the win being a morale boost, the Nets fanbase feels conflicted about it. While it is good to see that the rookies have played well, and a destructive win looks good on paper, it feels like a waste in terms of what the Nets are trying to accomplish with their future. The Nets’ faithful believe in tanking and losing as they strive for a top draft pick in 2026. The rookie lineup was nice to see and offered a glimpse of how the Nets are aiming to look in the coming years. It was an unnecessary win for the Nets, but a good showcasing of the Nets’ talents as a squad.
Miami Breaks The Streak Against Brooklyn
The Miami Heat broke their five-game losing streak after a 106 to 95 win over the Nets. A 24-point performance by Norman Powell, along with a double-double by Kel’el Ware with 22 points and 12 rebounds, helped get Miami out of their rut. Ware also added four blocks for the night. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 19 points, and Bam Adebayo crashed the boards with 17 rebounds. The Heat had gone into the game winless for the past month, entering December with 13 wins and having lost every game until Thursday.
Porter Jr. had 28 points for the Nets, and Claxton had a double-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. The Nets were down by four points with five minutes remaining in the game. It was a 3-pointer by Ware that set things off for Miami, and they went on an offensive barrage, leading 93-82 within a minute. The Nets missed 10 of their 13 3-point attempts, going cold from beyond the arc and failing to give the Heat their sixth straight loss.
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The game looked winnable despite the Nets’ awful shooting night. Porter Jr. put up another outstanding offensive performance, but his efforts could not lift Brooklyn to a win. While a win would have been great for Brooklyn, the fanbase understood that the goal wasn’t to win. The team showed they can go toe-to-toe with a great team like Miami, despite them currently slumping. The Nets had an off-night from the field, but the defense and shot-contesting were there. It was a mixture of bad luck and a great shooting night by Miami that led to the loss.
What’s Next For The Nets
The tanking continues for Brooklyn despite a blowout win against Milwaukee. The Nets’ coaching staff should focus more on giving the rookies more playing time and minutes rather than the vets. While a win is excellent on paper, as stated many times before, it is useless. A victory for the team that can boost locker room morale, but it is futile in the grand scheme of Brooklyn’s future. Wins here and there are great, but in a season where multiple teams are vying for a top pick, losing should be Brooklyn’s priority.
