The Brooklyn Nets were handed their sixth straight loss after Sunday afternoon’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The battle between the two worst teams in the NBA started off promising for Brooklyn, but went flat and landed them with the devastating loss.
The Nets had an energetic first half of the game and were able to maintain an 11-point lead at halftime. It was clear that the promising first half of the game had ran out of momentum after the third quarter. During the third, the Nets had lost their vast lead and were behind by three. Brooklyn tried picking up the pieces in the fourth but it was too late. Philadelphia held a massive 15-point lead with just 1:57 left on the clock. Brooklyn was unable to come back from the deficit and took a 105-95 loss.
For Philadelphia, tonight was a big night. They were able to capture their tenth win of the season tonight, matching their winning record for all of last season.
Even though Philadelphia is stacked with rookies, Joel Embiid is bringing fans promise after recovering from a foot injury he suffered last season. He was able to do so by contributing 20-points, without reaching his 28-minute restriction.
While the 76ers left the court, fans chanted, “Trust the Process.” The chant was inspired by former GM Sam Hinkie’s rebuilding plan for the team. The idea was to stack Philadelphia with draft picks and within time, they will be rewarded with the victories.
For Brooklyn, it’s another ego crushing loss. Even though, the team’s defense is getting better they are unable to maintain the same level of playing energy throughout the game.
For Brooklyn’s head coach Kenny Atkinson he understands the team’s energy needs to be more consistent. Even though the Nets have been grinding throughout their difficult schedule, the entire team needs compete together rather then relying on certain players to carry the weight.
“I think they turned it up a little and I think we’re going to have to figure out how to turn it up as well.” Atkinson was referring to the third quarter collapse in offense and defense.
Even though tonight’s loss was a difficult one to handle, Atkinson was able to remain hopeful.
“It’s a good learning experience, despite our tough times right now.”
The Brooklyn Nets currently have the worst record in the NBA. They have suffered through 28 losses and managed to obtain only eight victories this season. The Brooklyn Nets might want to start exploring new options such as trading Brook Lopez for draft picks.
The 2017 season for Brooklyn Nets is not looking bright. General manager Sean Marks needs to start gearing up for the future rather then attempting to fix the current 2017 issues. Trades need to be made and rookies need to use the this season as a way to obtain more professional playing time experience.