Brooklyn Nets vs. New Orleans Pelicans Takeaways and Grades
The Brooklyn Nets looked to snap their seven-game losing streak vs. the New Orleans Pelicans, who were without Anthony Davis on Thursday.
The Brooklyn Nets needed to get off to a fast start offensively if they were going prevent their losing streak from reaching eight games. The Nets came out firing on all cylinders, as Brooklyn scored 31 points in the first quarter, led by Bojan Bogdanovic with eight and Sean Kilpatrick with six off the bench.
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Unfortunately, the Nets’ defense was sparse in the first quarter. Even without Anthony Davis, New Orleans put up 35 points in the first quarter, led by Jrue Holiday with 10 points.
The Pelicans’ offense went cold in the second quarter, which allowed the Nets to jump out to a 47-43 lead midway through the quarter. With Brook Lopez heating up, the Nets pushed their lead to seven — their largest of the game at that point — with just over a minute remaining in the half.
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Brooklyn, which struggled in the second quarter versus Atlanta on Tuesday, outscored the Pelicans by 10 in the second quarter on Thursday. Brook Lopez led the Nets with 11, while Bogdanovic scored 10 in the first half. The Nets’ bench also produced, as Kilpatrick scored nine and Caris LeVert added eight. The Nets outscored New Orleans 26-16 in the second quarter, to take a 57-51 lead into halftime.
At times, assists have been a problem for the Nets this season, as they rank 24th in the NBA with 20.9 per game. But the Nets dished out 12 assists in the first half, as the ball was moving freely on offense.
The Pelicans began the third quarter on a 5-0 run, cutting Brooklyn’s lead to just one. But the Nets quickly answered back with a 4-0 run of their own.
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Brooklyn has had several problems with point guards this season, and just when their offense was getting in sync, Isaiah Whitehead injured his left knee. Whitehead left the floor and went directly into Brooklyn’s locker room. In Whitehead’s absence, the Nets relied on Spencer Dinwiddie to fill in.
The Pelicans, with a 7-0 run led by Terrance Jones, then took a 68-67 lead in the third quarter, but to the Nets’ credit, they responded well. Brooklyn then went on a 10-2 run of their own to take a 77-70 lead. The Nets closed the quarter with a 79-73 lead.
New Orleans opened the fourth quarter on an 11-5 run to tie the game at 84. Despite being without Davis, the Pelicans showed plenty of fight. If the Nets were going to snap their losing streak, Brooklyn would have to battle.
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Kilpatrick, with the game tied at 89, made a huge three to give the Nets a 92-89 lead. After trading buckets, the Pelicans began to pull away by going on an 10-0 run. New Orleans led 101-94 in the final minute.
The Pelicans lead proved to be insurmountable, as Brooklyn simply could not hold onto the ball. The Nets turned the ball over seven times in the fourth quarter alone, and 16 times overall.
Brooklyn ultimately fell to New Orleans, 104-95, dropping their eighth straight game.
Takeaways
1. The Nets struggled from beyond the arc
The Nets shooting plenty of three-pointers is not new. Not anymore. By now, it’s to be expected, seeing as Brooklyn attempts 32.5 per game on average, which ranks third in the NBA, trailing just the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers. But Brooklyn hoisted 42 three pointers against the Pelicans, and made just nine. That equates to 21 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Brook Lopez was 1-of-6. Joe Harris was 2-of-6. Bojan Bogdanovic was 2-of-7. And that’s just the starters.
Justin Hamilton and Spencer Dinwiddie were each 0-of-4 from beyond the arc off the bench, and Caris LeVert was 1-of-5. The Nets have proven that they can get on a roll from beyond the arc, but that wasn’t the case Thursday. On many possessions, the Nets shot quick three pointers early in the shot clock, many of which were contested. With so many Nets struggling from three-point range, there was no reason to have such a high volume of attempts.
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2. Joe Harris started — and made an impact
It’s been tough sledding for Joe Harris lately. He’s gotten a chance to start, but prior to Thursday, hadn’t exactly taken advantage of the opportunity. Harris broke out of his slump against the Pelicans. Harris played 27 minutes, and shot 60 percent from the field on his way to 15 points. Sean Kilpatrick played well off the bench in his own right, but Harris was able to put together a performance worthy of a starting spot.
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3. Turnovers hurt the Nets in crunch time
When the Nets had a chance to hold their lead and close out the game, they could not maintain control of the ball. Seven turnovers in the fourth quarter gave New Orleans extra opportunities, which they capitalized on. Tyreke Evans had a big fourth quarter, as the Pelicans were able to distance themselves from the Nets, and hand Brooklyn their eighth straight loss in the process. Lopez and Kilpatrick struggled with turnovers in particular, as Lopez turned the ball over six times, and Kilpatrick had four.
Player of the Game:
Brook Lopez
C, Brooklyn Nets
Wildcard:
Sean Kilpatrick
SG, Brooklyn Nets
Up your game, please…
Justin Hamilton
C, Brooklyn Nets
With the loss to New Orleans, the Nets have now dropped 13 of their last 14 games, falling to 8-30. Brooklyn’s losing streak is now at eight games. The road won’t get any easier for the Nets, as this was the front end of a back-to-back. Brooklyn travels to Toronto to take on the Raptors on Friday at 7:30 PM EST.
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