The Nets fought hard but Gordon Hayward prove to be too much for them, as the Utah Jazz began a five game road trip , with a 101-89 victory over the Nets. With the loss, the Nets snapped their four-year streak of winning the first game of the New Year.
Hayward led the game in scoring with 30 points on 9 for 18 shooting. The Jazz’s Rudy Gobert cleaned up the glass, pulling down 7 offensive rebounds and 9 defensive rebounds.
The Nets scored their second-lowest number of points (89) on their second-lowest number of made three-pointers (6) of the season. Their lowest came back on Halloween against Chicago, in which they scored 88 points and made 5 threes. This was the third straight game that the Jazz held a team to under 90 points.
The Nets came out with more energy against a very tough Utah Jazz team. The first half was all Trevor Booker – a former Utah Jazz looking to make a statement and help lead his new team in Brooklyn. He had a double double in the opening half with 11 points and 10 rebounds, as the Nets led 52-50. Booker finished the night with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Kenny Atkinson described it as “typical Trevor” after the game.
The game was tied 70-70 after three quarters, but Utah’s Joe Ingles and Raul Neto opened the fourth with consecutive buckets and the Jazz never trailed again. They extended their lead to 89-78 on Hood’s layup with 6:11 left, but the Nets pulled to 91-86 on Lopez’s dunk with 3:11 remaining. Utah countered with a 9-1 run and took a game-high 13 point lead on Mack’s jumper with 1:09 left.
“The start of the fourth turned it around for us as a team,” Hayward said. “We got a little bit of a lead and by the time I got back in there we were up eight or ten. Makes it a lot easier.”
Brook Lopez finished the game with 14 points and only 6 rebounds. After the game , Lopez addressed displeasure on his performance.
“I just got to say I’m very disappointed in myself,” Lopez said. “I didn’t play at the level that I think I needed to, & I think I hurt the team.”
The Nets will look to get their first win of 2017 , Thursday night, when they travel to Indianapolis to battle the Pacers.
Jeremy Lin Addressed The Media
Lin spoke to the media before the Nets faced the Utah Jazz on Monday night at Barclays Center. It was his first public comment since he was re injured Dec. 26 against the Charlotte Hornets. He offered no timetable for his return, calling it “hard to predict,” and said it’s a matter of passing each step of his rehab protocol.
Nets Salute Joe Johnson Before The Game
Prior to the game, the Brooklyn Nets gave Joe Johnson a video tribute for his three and a half seasons with the team. Johnson made his first appearance at Barclays Center since the Nets waived him on February 25.