With the postseason rearing itself nearer as it gets closer to April, the Brooklyn Nets have recently been successful in tanking the second half of the season. The Nets have lost six straight this past week, extending their losing streak to 10 games. Brooklyn is now closer than ever to having the highest odds of receiving the number one draft pick.
The Nets are tied with the Indiana Pacers with a 14% chance of getting the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, according to Tankathon. The Nets hold a 17-57 record in the Eastern Conference, only behind the Pacers, who are 16-58 as of this writing.
Knicks Take It To Brooklyn to Win 14th Straight Rival Matchup
It was a heated matchup in the rivalry between the two boroughs, in a 92 to 91 win for the New York Knicks against the Brooklyn Nets. According to ESPN, it was the Knicks’ 14th straight victory over the Brooklyn Nets in their rivalry over the past few years.
Things got heated in the one-sided rivalry when Nolan Traore suffered a hard fall after an attempted block of Mitchell Robinson’s dunk that turned into a foul. The Nets players aggressively approached Robinson, where both Robinson and Nets’ Ziaire Williams received technical fouls.
Later in the game, the Knicks’ OG Anunoby shoved Nic Claxton after a turnover in the third quarter, where both players received technical fouls after the incident.
The Nets took control of the game for the first half, holding the Knicks to only 14 points in the first quarter. Brooklyn led by eight heading into halftime, where the Nets were able to turn things around and take the lead. The Knicks created a 14-point lead that Brooklyn was able to scrub away after a 17-to-0 offensive run.
The Nets had a chance to win the game in the final moments, where a Traore 3-pointer put Brooklyn within one point of regaining the lead. A pair of missed free throws by Karl-Anthony Towns put Brooklyn in position to win, but Ben Saraf failed to get the win after missing his shot.
For the Knicks, Towns had a double-double with 26 points and 15 rebounds, and behind him were Jalen Brunson with 17 points and Anunoby with 16 points.
For the Nets, Josh Minott had 22 points, and Williams had 17 points.
While the game was a fun watch for Nets’ fans, the loss was necessary for the long term, and a win over a rival would have been meaningless. The game showed the grit and energy the Nets had against a tough opponent like their rival Knicks, and that they weren’t willing to give up despite being outmatched. While the close game loss was a tough pill to swallow, it increased Brooklyn’s draft chances.
Nets Extend Losing Streak Thanks to Sacramento and Malik Monk
The Brooklyn Nets lost another close game in a 126 to 122 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Malik Monk showed out for Sacramento with a 32-point performance, with 10 of his points coming in the final five minutes of the game. He went nine-for-nine from the field and helped snap a two-game losing streak for the Kings.
Behind Monk was Maxime Raynaud with a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Precious Achiuwa with a double-double scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan had 10 points. Devin Carter scored 16 points, with a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the game that helped secure the victory for Sacramento.
The Nets made a crucial mistake when Traore stepped out of bounds and turned the ball over during their final possession. For Brooklyn, Ben Saraf had 22 points, Williams had 18 points, and Traore had 17 points.
The close game was another entertaining loss for the Nets, as they kept the game competitive to the very end. It was rough to see Traore make a simple but crucial mistake that could have cost the Nets the potential win, but the loss was more important for the Nets.
The losses continue to pile up, but the Nets’ level of play has remained competitive, a silver lining amid them.
Toumani Camara Makes it Rain in Portland Against Nets
The Brooklyn Nets took yet another loss in a 134 to 99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. It was a career day for Portland’s Toumani Camara, who scored 35 points and had a career high of nine 3-pointers that contributed to the blowout win over Brooklyn.
Behind Camara was Deni Avdija with 18 points, Scoot Henderson with 13 points and four steals, and Donovan Clingan had seven points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks.
For Brooklyn, Tyson Etienne had 18 points, Williams had 16 points, and Minott had 15 points. The Nets were competitive in the early game despite a 10-point deficit in the first quarter. The Nets erased the large deficit and cut the lead to 3 after a pair of free throws by Saraf.
The Trail Blazers answered back with scoring 11 of the first 12 points of the second quarter, regaining the lead and leading by at least nine for the entirety of the game.
The losses look to be taking a toll on the Nets, and they are just looking forward to the offseason. While it is nice to see the young guys give great performances, it was a better highlight for Portland than for Brooklyn. On a positive note, Brooklyn slides up and increased their chances at a top pick in this year’s draft.
Nets Add Another Close Game Loss to Their Resume Against Golden State
The Brooklyn Nets could not hold their lead in a 109 to 106 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were without their All-Star Steph Curry, but it did not stop them from coming back and taking away the win from Brooklyn. The Nets took control for nearly the entire game despite struggling to make their shots early.
The Nets found a rhythm and maintained their lead. leading for the rest of the game until the final quarter. The Nets struggled to keep momentum, shooting only 8 of 20 from the field, and could not keep up against Golden State’s rising momentum.
For the Warriors, Gui Santos had a career high of 31 points, Brandin Podziemski had 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 17 points, and De’Anthony Melton had 14 points. The Warriors did not let their chances at the line go to waste, making their free throws and winning a game that came down to the wire. With the win, the Warriors clinched a play-in spot.
For Brooklyn, Williams had 19 points, Jalen Wilson had 15 points, and Ben Saraf had 14 points and seven rebounds.
It was a great game for Saraf and Williams, with Saraf steadily improving as the season nears a close. The game was hard-fought, and the Nets looked to have wanted a win after losing for nearly the entire month of March. The loss was significant, as the Washington Wizards won on the other side of the ledger, further increasing Brooklyn’s draft odds.
Luka Doncic Scores 40 Against Brooklyn
The Nets fought hard, but it was not enough against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers in a 116 to 99 loss on Friday. It was Doncic’s 41 points and eight rebounds that helped bring Los Angeles to victory.
The Lakers were able to pull away with the lead late in the fourth quarter thanks to Austin Reaves’ 15 points in the fourth quarter. Reaves ended the night with a total of 26 points that night. LeBron James scored 14 points and added eight assists.
The Nets were able to beat down a weakened Lakers team that returned from a 5-1 road trip and could not take a lead until the fourth quarter. Things got heated between Los Angeles and Brooklyn in the third quarter when Williams was celebrating an offensive foul called towards Doncic.
Williams screamed at Doncic, and Doncic shoved Williams to get some space. Williams swiped back at Doncic as retaliation, prompting double technical fouls for both players.
For Brooklyn, Minott had 18 points, Claxton and Williams had 16 points each.
The loss makes it Brooklyn’s tenth loss in a row, pulling them up to the tank standings to second place, and now they have a 14% chance of a top draft pick.
What’s Next For The Nets?
The tanking continues, and it has been going very well for Brooklyn. The losses continue to pile up, and while they also tank team morale, the franchise knows its direction is towards the future rather than the present. The 10-game losing streak has now led to a potential top 3 pick for Brooklyn, and the first step can be taken towards a new future for the Nets’ franchise.
Fans can hope the losing streak continues into April and that the offseason is productive and successful, creating a positive step toward a team that can compete in the playoffs in the near future.
