The Brooklyn Nets took a big win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday to break their three-game losing streak. After taking back-to-back losses this past week against the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards, the Nets bounced back to grab a win to start the new year. The Nets stay at 13th place in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference this week with a tick on the win column, going 11-22.
Brooklyn Starts Their New Year Crashing
The Nets did not have a great start to the new year, losing 120 to 96 to the Houston Rockets. It was Kevin Durant’s double-double with 22 points and 11 assists, and Amen Thompson’s 23 points that took a toll on the Nets’ defense.
For Houston, Alperen Sengun had himself a night with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Tari Eason had 15 points and nine rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard both matched with 14 points each.
The Rockets started hot and did not look back, making their first seven shots, and starting the second half going 8 for 9. The Nets could not fire back as they lacked offensive firepower within their depth.
The Nets were without Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, and Terance Mann, which led Cam Thomas to take over the offense with 21 points. Ziaire Williams contributed 14 points, but it was not enough to get the win.
The Nets clearly lack a scorer other than Porter Jr. or Thomas in their lineup. The Nets have a good young core that can move the ball and play well when they get in a groove, but they don’t have an efficient scorer who isn’t one of their top players.
The Nets have some young guys like Danny Wolf and Drake Powell who can play well on either side of the ball, but cannot carry the team offensively. The team held its own against a top offensive team, but it shows the holes that the Nets can hopefully fix throughout their rebuild.
Nets Rookies’ Exposed With Lack Of Experience Against Wizards
The Brooklyn Nets got taken down in a 119 to 99 blowout loss to the Washington Wizards. It was Justin Champagnie’s season-high of 20 points that led Washington to victory and slapped Brooklyn with their third straight loss.
Behind him were Alex Sarr with 19 points and CJ McCollum with 17. The Wizards managed to keep Brooklyn cold on the perimeter, shooting only 6 of 29 from the three-pointer, their lowest this season.
Washington took advantage of turnovers, scoring 19 to 2 off them, and was hot coming out of halftime, creating an 18 to 4 scoring run. The Nets tried their best to create an opportunity to take the lead after cutting the deficit to nine early in the game, but could not get things going at the start of the third quarter. This allowed Washington to go on a large offensive run and cruise to victory. For Brooklyn, Day’Ron Sharpe, Mann, Williams, and Powell all had 14 points each on the board.
The Nets’ putting out their four rookies exposed their sloppy play and turnovers throughout the game. While it is expected for a lineup of mostly rookies to struggle to play well together at the NBA level, it should be noted that it did showcase some positives for the rookies as well. Powell proved he can get things going for the team and be aggressive. Demin showcased his readiness at the NBA level and showed he can play at that level consistently, even if he doesn’t shine on the stat sheet.
Brooklyn Take Down Denver To Break Losing Streak
Brooklyn broke their three-game losing streak in a 127 to 115 win over the Denver Nuggets. Porter Jr. continues to raise his value as a player in a 27-point game that led Brooklyn to the win. The Nuggets were without their All-Star Nikola Jokic, who is out with a hyperextended left knee. Despite Jokic’s absence, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun returned after missing games due to injury.
Jamal Murray did his best to carry without Denver’s star player, scoring a double-double with 27 points and a career-high of 16 assists, along with six rebounds. Gordon scored 20 points off the bench, his first game after missing 19 due to a strained hamstring. For the Nets, Porter Jr. was backed up offensively with Noah Clowney’s 22 points, and Thomas and Sharpe matched with 17 points.
The Nets started the second half hot from the perimeter, going 7 of 9 from 3-point range, and scoring a total of 41 points to go into the fourth quarter with a 100 to 84 lead. While Tim Hardaway Jr. had 24 points for the Nuggets and cut the deficit down to 10 points, the Nets fought back with a 12-0 offensive run led by Thomas’ seven points to secure the win.
The Nets played well on both sides of the ball, and Porter Jr. changes the whole dynamic of the Nets’ squad. His scoring ability and prowess separate him from the rest of the team, and he has essentially become the Nets’ All-Star player. The 27-year-old has a chance to move to a contender, or, for the Nets’ benefit, he could become a mainstay in this rebuild and be the All-Star that the Nets need for their future. Rather than relying on a potential draft pick, securing Michael Porter Jr. as a member of the Nets could make him a cornerstone in the Nets’ rebuild.
What’s Next For The Nets
While it has been said that Michael Porter Jr.’s performance this season has raised his trade stock to a player that can be moved for a potential top draft pick, the Nets could pivot and keep Porter Jr. He is only 27 years old and looks to be entering his offensive prime.
If the Nets can develop their rookies quickly enough and get a top pick in 2026, the Nets may not be too far away from being a playoff contender. It is too soon to predict that the Nets could sniff the playoffs, but at the rate that the rookies are performing, along with a season-best by Porter Jr., the Nets could be a dark horse playoff pick within the next few years.
