Nets fans are with you, Kenny.
When the Nets began turning the ball over at a high rate in the first half of the game, there was still a chance they would rebound and dominate the 0-3 Knicks. They’ve shown they could do it before.
But it never happened.
Thanks to a 30-point performance from Kristaps Porzingis and a Nets offense that never clicked, the Brooklyn Nets fell to the Knicks 107-86 Friday night at the Garden.
After tonight, the Nets showed averaging 115+ points per game is not something entirely feasible.
The only quarter where the Nets outscored the Knicks was the first, one that ended in a 28-23 lead. The Knicks used the second quarter to make their move, though, going on a 15-5 run.
Even though the Knicks applied the pressure, Brooklyn still stuck with them.
After the Knicks outscored the Nets 24-14 in the second quarter, Brooklyn was never able to get a leg up again.
In the first half, Brooklyn’s shooting percentage remained high, but the number of field goal attempts in the second half was almost equal to the number of turnovers.
The Knicks chose the right time to get hot from the field, shooting 44-98 (44.9 percent) on the night. Those 98 shot attempts say it all.
Once the game got to the fourth quarter, the Knicks had built a 20-point lead. Atkinson even emptied the bench, letting Tyler Zeller and Sean Kilpatrick get minutes.
The best Net on the court tonight was Spencer Dinwiddie, who posted a career-high 11 assists. He continues to play on a high level.
The two biggest problems for the Nets came down to not protecting the paint and not grabbing rebounds. The Knicks had a 50-26 advantage in the paint and a 31-6 advantage on second-chance points. The final tally on turnovers was 16, even though that seems low to anyone who watched the game.
Will the real Brooklyn Nets please stand up?
Some home-cooking on Sunday might be the trick.
D'Angelo Russell
D+
The stats: 15 PTS, 6-10 FG, 1-5 3FG, 2-2 FT, 2 REB, 1 AST, 2 TOV
While Russell was the Nets’ highest scorer of the night, he struggled to create offense in his 18 minutes played.
Coming off a few days rest from his sprained right knee, Russell was put back into the starting lineup tonight. Either he’s still hurting, or he’s trying to find his rhythm again. He had a hard time finding his teammates and getting his threes on line.
Some more rest might help.
Caris LeVert
C-
The stats: 7 PTS, 2-8 FG, 2-5 3PT, 1-4 FT, 3 REB, 2 AST, 4 TOV, 1 STL
Not only was Caris on the floor for some of Brooklyn’s roughest stretches, but he was also responsible for an amount of the sloppiness. His four turnovers lead the team and are good for a quarter of the team’s giveaways on the night.
Struggling with his shot, too, it wasn’t the best night for Caris. Or any Net.
Joe Harris
C
The stats: 6 PTS, 2-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 27 MIN
Joe has been getting trusted with more minutes since he’s been the hot hand, but he wasn’t able to bail the Nets out of their hole tonight. Six points off the bench from him isn’t enough to consider him a legitimate threat, yet. He’s been consistent, but the Nets need more.