The Nets dropped their last street recreation of the season, 117-91, to Minnesota earlier than a sellout crowd of 18,978 at Goal Heart on Friday evening.
This tanking marketing campaign is mercifully nearly over, with simply the finale Sunday towards the Knicks. Brooklyn (26-55) is sure for its worst marketing campaign since 2016-17, when it went simply 20-62.
The Nets trailed by 28 and bought dominated inside by Rudy Gobert.
“It’s actually arduous to win a basketball recreation whenever you shoot 37 p.c from the sector and 29 p.c from 3. You’re simply not going to win many video games, except your protection is near excellent, and our protection wasn’t near excellent,” Jordi Fernández stated.
“We didn’t win a single quarter, so I’ve increased expectations for the group and the way we need to deal with all these video games. I’m OK with shedding a recreation. I’m not OK with not preventing the correct means.”
Taking part in with out Nic Claxton, Day’Ron Sharpe, Noah Clowney and Ziaire Williams, the Nets had no solutions towards Gobert.
They put two on the ball with the pick-and-roll, however Gobert rolled arduous to the rim and had a career-high-tying 35 factors on 13-of-17 taking pictures with 11 boards.
“Yeah, no excuses. I don’t care if we don’t have two bigs,” stated Fernández,. “For a similar cause as a substitute of 41 we should always’ve shot 60 3s, and we didn’t. Should you’re not larger than them, then it’s a must to deliver physicality, be there early, take fees. We fouled, [but] mushy fouls and a few and-ones. These issues are issues that we’ve got to do higher.”
Keon Johnson led the Nets with 20 factors, six assists and 5 boards.
However they allowed 58 factors within the paint, shot simply 37.1 p.c and bought roughed up.
The Nets coughed up a 30-9 Timberwolves run that spanned from 4 minutes left within the first quarter till effectively into the second.
Then they noticed the sport get totally out of hand with one other run within the third. This time a 25-9 spurt blew it open.
They trailed 96-68 with 2:19 left within the third on a 3-pointer by former Knick Julius Randle, who scored 21.
Minnesota (48-33) has gained seven of eight, and eight of 10. It didn’t pull the starters till there have been simply three minutes remaining, up 110-88.
Cam Thomas, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Johnson have been additionally out for the Nets.
Brooklyn’s first 3 of the evening — by Jalen Wilson — was its team-record 1,090th of the season. Wilson’s 117 3s are fourth most of any first- or second-year Web.
“The best way they have been doubling pick-and-rolls, I used to be in a position to get a variety of alternatives within the half court docket and making an attempt to be aggressive,” Gobert stated.
