The Brooklyn Nets’ throwaway season continues, taking two losses this week, but they grabbed a road win against Washington. The victory was short-lived as they lost their next game against their NBA Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Celtics. The Nets are in last place in Group B of the East in the 2025 NBA Cup. A few bright spots amid these losses are that rookies Drake Powell and Egor Demin are getting more minutes, and Michael Porter Jr. is playing at an All-Star level. Porter Jr. has averaged 24.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season.
The Nets look to be slowly building something despite the losses, and it will take time for the development to turn into wins. For now, fans can only look forward to their rookies’ progression as the losses pile up. The Nets hold a 2-12 record in the Eastern Conference.
Nets Let a Win Slip Away in NBA Cup Group Stage Loss To Orlando Magic
The Nets looked to even their NBA Cup standing record against Orlando, but could not stop a comeback in a 105-98 loss on Friday. Franz Wagner and Tristan De Silva led Orlando’s offense as Wagner put up 25 points, with De Silva behind with 22 points and nine rebounds. The Nets tried to fire back with some offensive power of their own as Michael Porter Jr. had a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds, but it was not enough. Brooklyn’s defense could not stop the late-game offensive spurt led by Wagner to put the Magic up and finish the game strong.
The Nets started the first half hot, scoring 59 percent from the field and leading by as much as 16 points midway through the second quarter. The Nets, however, could not hold on to their lead as Orlando bounced back and outscored the Nets 25-5 in the third. The Nets cooled off after a hot first half, failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, and lost to Orlando. The loss landed Brooklyn at 0-2 in the NBA Cup standings for their bracket.
Ziaire Williams played well and was the driving force in the second half, scoring 15 off the bench. While the Nets slipped up on defense in the first half, they woke up in the second half and put up a better effort. The defense led to a much closer game than the first half was shaping up to be for Brooklyn. The inconsistency of Egor Demin’s minutes has been a head scratcher, and it’s a wonder when the Nets will fully let the kid play and develop, especially in a season like this.
Nets Take Win On The Road Against Washington
The Nets aren’t the only team tanking this season, as they added the 11th straight loss for the Washington Wizards in a 129-106 win on Sunday. The Nets were led by Porter Jr. and his 34 points, with Tyrese Martin behind with 20 points for the night. Kyshawn George’s 29 points, CJ McCollum’s 17 points, and Khris Middleton’s 14 points weren’t enough to break their double-digit losing streak. The Nets broke their four-game losing streak against the Wizards, with the win over Indiana also coming on the road.
The Nets could not gain firm control of the ball, recording 11 turnovers in the first half, but their scoring output balanced them out, and they led by 10 at halftime. The Wizards managed to cut down Brooklyn’s lead by outscoring the Nets, 31 to 22, to close out the gap. It was Martin’s seven points in the fourth quarter that helped secure the win for Brooklyn and add another loss for Washington.
While the win was meaningless for Brooklyn, it may have been a good morale boost for the locker room. Adding to the fact that both Washington and Brooklyn have the same draft odds, it likely feels good for the Nets to have grabbed the win. Demin looked shaky; the rest of the guys picked it up offensively and grabbed the win. It was also an excellent game for both Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney, both putting up double-digit points on the box score.
Boston Celtics Climb Up Standings in Win Over Brooklyn
It was Jaylen Brown who led the Celtics’ offense to a win with 29 points, with Payton Pritchard behind him, recording a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The victory over Brooklyn put the Celtics above .500 this season after starting 0-3 in their first week of play. The Nets were led once again by Porter Jr., who put up 25 points, and Day’Ron Sharpe, with 16 points.
While the Nets were fighting back and cutting down Boston’s lead throughout the game, their defense was not enough to withstand the Celtics’ offensive spurts. The Celtics, led by Brown, put up a couple of three-pointers to give them a cushion. When Brooklyn came close to taking a lead, Brown was right there to answer back to help extend the lead for Boston. A three-pointer by Brown late in the fourth helped cap an 18-3 scoring run and secure the win for the Celtics.
Brooklyn has not been playing well this season, especially on defense, but head coach Jordi Fernandez gave more minutes to Demin and Powell on Tuesday night. Demin played well with a 12-point performance and four-of-seven from the three-point line. The losses for Brooklyn do not matter at this point, and their bright spots in the Boston game were the performances of Porter Jr. and Demin. Powell played well, hustling hard throughout the game, and is a potential draft steal if he continues to improve at a fast pace.
What’s Next For The Nets?
The tanking season continues for Brooklyn, and the results of the games should not matter to the fans. What should matter is how the team is playing and how their young guys are looking. On a positive note, Demin and Powell are looking to be cornerstones in Brooklyn’s future. Demin’s confidence is shaky at times, but the talent is there. Powell has been great and plays well, giving it his 100 percent every game. Porter Jr’s value only rises with each game, and veterans like Terance Mann have looked like great leaders and motivators for the young guys. The losses pile up, but there are a few silver linings in this throwaway season for Brooklyn.
