The Brooklyn Nets added a handful of wins for themselves after defeating the Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Pelicans, thanks to some outstanding offensive performances by Michael Porter Jr. His stock continues to rise throughout this season, potentially leading to an All-Star selection come next year. The Nets’ wins brought them to 6-17 in the Eastern Conference Standings, now in 13th place.
Brooklyn Adds Two In A Row After Win Over Chicago Bulls
The Brooklyn Nets took a 113 to 103 win on Wednesday to defeat the Chicago Bulls and bump up their win column. It was Michael Porter Jr.’s double-double with 33 points and 10 rebounds that helped lead the way to victory for Brooklyn. Behind him was Noah Clowney with 20 points, 18 of which were scored in the second half, and Nic Claxton with 14 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.
For the Chicago Bulls, it was Josh Giddey and his triple-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, but it wasn’t enough for the Chicago Bulls to take down Brooklyn. Behind him was Nikola Vucevic’s double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmu had 16 points as well for Chicago.
It was the trio of Porter Jr., Clowney, and Claxton that helped lead the way for the win against Chicago. Clowney looked unstoppable on the offensive end during the second half of the game, and he nearly could not miss a shot. Claxton was everywhere from both sides of the ball, and it showed both on the floor and on the statsheet.
Porter Jr. was also having himself a night once again, proving to be a player that can be an All-Star when given the chance. The rookies had their moments, but the rookie trio of Danny Wolf, Egor Demin, and Ben Saraf combined for 13 turnovers. Chalk it up to rookie mistakes; it’s something that should be cleaned up soon before becoming a problem for years to come.
Nets Let Win Slip Away Against Utah Jazz After Bad Defense In Fourth Quarter
The Utah Jazz defeated the Brooklyn Nets in a 123 to 110 win, thanks to a fourth-quarter surge by Utah. The Jazz had a monstrous fourth quarter, outscoring the Nets 42 to 20 in the fourth quarter. The Nets managed to hold onto a nine-point lead for most of the game, but slipped defensively in the fourth.
It was Lauri Markkanen’s 30 points, and Keyonte George’s 29 points, along with Kyle Filipowski’s 15 points, and Walter Clayton Jr.’s 13 points that helped lead Utah to victory. Clowney had 29 points, and Ziaire Williams had 23 points off the bench for Brooklyn. The Jazz went on a three-point barrage throughout the fourth quarter after being tied at 98, with Brooklyn unable to answer back after sitting Porter Jr. before the game due to injury management.
The Nets nearly increased their win total to three in a row, but had this game slip away from them. Jordi Fernandez’s team proved they can play without their star player, Michael Porter Jr., with Clowney being the standout offensive player. Both Saraf and Wolf have great chemistry together, and their potential as a duo looks promising if they continue to play well.
The Nets’ defense looked non-existent, unable to guard the three-ball that helped lead the Jazz to the win. While it would have been nice for Brooklyn to get the win, the loss contributed to their tanking season. The defense was an eyesore for a game in which Brooklyn led throughout three of the four quarters.
Nets Get Back On Winning Side With Win Over New Orleans
The Nets put themselves back in the win column after a 119 to 101 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Porter Jr.’s 35 points, and Claxton’s triple-double of 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists brought Brooklyn to another victory this past week. According to ESPN, this triple-double will make Claxton the first Nets player with multiple triple-doubles in a season since James Harden’s nine and Kevin Durant’s four during the 2021-2022 season. It will also make Claxton the second Nets center since Shawn Bradley to have multiple career triple-doubles, where Bradley had five from 1995 to 1997.
Day’Ron Sharpe had 16 points on 7 of 8 from the field. For the Pelicans, Trey Murphy III had 23 points, Saddiq Bey had 18 points, and Bryce McGowens had 16 points. The Nets shot well from everywhere, shooting 63.6% from the field in the first quarter, and leading by nearly 20 points by halftime. The Nets continued to increase their lead in the second half, reaching as much as 28 points.
Rookies Wolf and Saraf showed great moments of playing well off each other, relying on one another to save the ball in the fourth quarter, and helped the team reset in awkward situations. Demin had a slow night with eight points and looked lackluster on the floor. Demin’s offensive performance did not bode well for him, and he lacked in other aspects of the game that he should improve on.
What’s Next For The Nets?
The Nets show great promise in their rookies, especially now with the duo of Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf. Porter Jr. again is further raising his value as a player, increasing the odds for a higher draft pick as a trade option for Brooklyn should they decide to trade Porter Jr. by the All-Star Break. The Nets added a couple of wins to their belt, which could improve morale throughout the locker room and give the young guys confidence.
The wins and losses don’t matter for Brooklyn, but the performances from the entire group this past week have been a good sign for Brooklyn. Fans can hope that the performances of their guys, especially the rookies, can improve, and that significant improvement over the coming years can lead to a young team with great playoff potential.
