BROOKLYN — Thursday night time was the second half of a back-to-back for the Nets and at instances it regarded prefer it. After a charged affair with the Philadelphia 76ers the night time earlier than, the Nets regarded gassed in Thursday’s 130-122 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Middle.
The game lacked any of the identical juice that the Nets had 24 hours earlier in the Metropolis of Brotherly Love and so they have now dropped their second consecutive game. Much more regarding is the truth that the Nets have misplaced 5 of their final seven video games, all of which have been performed with out celebrity Kevin Durant.
But when anybody was anticipating Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn to use the fast turnaround as an excuse, suppose once more.
“You know I’m not going to allow that to happen,” Vaughn mentioned. “There’s no excuses. All of us play the identical quantity of video games all through the course of the 12 months and the schedule dictates its personal self for every workforce. We gave effort in Philadelphia yesterday. And the expectations, what we at all times talked about was to win this basketball game. The individuals who suited up, the individuals who performed, the individuals who stepped on the ground had a chance to impression the basketball game for his or her teammates. And that’s the target each single time we step on the ground.
“We were expected to win tonight. … You do what’s necessary, whether that’s taking care of your body, the mental part of it, the work that goes on between days off, days off between games, game day, to get yourself in a position to win. That’s why we do this thing.”
The Nets struggled to knock down pictures and get the wanted stops, particularly in the second half. Within the third quarter alone Brooklyn was outscored 43-31, which modified the trajectory of the game, and was outscored in the paint 60-50.
Brooklyn additionally gave up 18 second-chance factors to the Pistons as nicely in a loss that appeared uglier than the ultimate rating indicated. Detroit had misplaced 4 straight video games coming into Thursday’s game and 7 of their final eight video games.
The Pistons hadn’t received in Brooklyn in practically 5 years as nicely.
It was Detroit that pushed what had been a three-point lead to 5 to begin the second half and grew it to a 101-90 benefit by the tip of the quarter.
“They came out very, very aggressive and you know when you’re going against teams in this league that have a tendency to come out in the third quarter and try to win that,” Kyrie Irving mentioned. “And tonight I just think we were unprepared. We came out and we were just flat. When you do that you’re reacting to everything, every possession and it makes it difficult. They had a rhythm and once Jacque called that timeout. … We were just caught flat-footed in the third quarter and that led to the rhythm in the fourth, so you gotta be better moving forward and we will no matter who’s in the lineup.”
So as to add insult to harm, the Nets noticed Ben Simmons and T.J. Warren depart the game early in the second half. Simmons exited the game with 6:40 remaining in the third and the workforce later introduced he wouldn’t return due to left knee soreness.
Warren left in the fourth and instantly went to the Nets’ locker room.
Kyrie Irving did all that he might to maintain the Nets in the game and Brooklyn even pulled inside six factors in the ultimate minute of the game. Irving completed the night time with 40 factors which was the second time this season he’s recorded not less than 40 in a single game.
Nic Claxton set a brand new profession greatest with 27 factors in the loss and shot 11-of-13 from the sector. Edmond Sumner had 24 factors off the bench whereas flattening each of his three-point makes an attempt.
The Pistons jumped to a fast 4-0 lead earlier than a Royce O’Neale three acquired the Nets on the board with 10:19 on the clock in the opening quarter and moments later a stepback shot from Irving had given Brooklyn a short 7-6 lead. The Pistons and Nets traded baskets with both facet not having the ability to get greater than a 3 earlier than Alec Burks knocked down a stepback three in the ultimate minute to put the Pistons up by six.
Markieff Morris hit a buzzer-beating three to minimize the Nets’ deficit to 30-27 on the finish of the primary.
Sumner managed to tie the game twice after Detroit had pushed their lead to 5 early in the second quarter and Brooklyn took a 42-38 lead off a putback layup from Joe Harris. The 2 sides traded baskets, and the lead, earlier than Brooklyn took a one-point lead into halftime.