Brooklyn’s mistakes against the Mavericks were too much to overcome.

The Nets’ win streak has halted at eight after Dallas recorded a 115-98 victory at Barclays Center on Saturday. The loss is Brooklyn’s first in 18 days.

Brooklyn was shorthanded, but ultimately the team did not match up well against Dallas. The Mavericks had the clear size advantage as the Nets’ small-ball lineup did little to string together stops.

Beyond the mismatches, the Nets were their own biggest enemy. Their giveaways put them in a hole from the jump, as the Mavericks scored 32 points off Brooklyn’s 19 turnovers. 

That sloppy play made it difficult for Brooklyn to sustain momentum. The Nets had brief control in a game of runs, particularly during their 38-point second quarter, but the Mavericks went on to out-score Brooklyn 47-34 in the second half as they led by as many as 22 in the win.

The Nets were without Kyrie Irving (shoulder injury recovery) and Kevin Durant (hamstring strain), leaving James Harden as the player who would need to take on the bulk of the load. Though Harden had 25 points in the first half, the Mavericks did a good job of guarding him in the third quarter, limiting him to just four more points before sitting for a majority of the fourth quarter. 

Luka Doncic led the way for Dallas with 27 points and seven assists as six Mavericks notched double figures in scoring. Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points and four rebounds. 

The Nets have proven that their offense is not to be counted out, but they were not locked in on Saturday with an undermanned lineup. Brooklyn shot 40.7% from the field and an abysmal 14-of-44 from three as the Mavericks shot 52.3 and 14-of-36 from distance.

Brooklyn did end up out-rebounding Dallas 58-45 thanks to extended contributions from the bench, including 14 offensive boards. The Mavericks outscored the Nets in the paint, though, 50-36.  

Landry Shamet and Chris Chiozza deserve credit for positive performances off the bench, each tallying nine points. Andre Roberson also supplied good minutes with six points and eight rebounds. 

We knew a loss would come eventually, and the Mavericks happened to visit during their hottest stretch of the season. Would the Nets have had a chance if Irving played? Maybe, but the team was in an offensive rut overall, not even reaching the 100-point mark during a season they have averaged 120+. 

With some extended rest time for the starters, the team should be fresh against the Spurs on Monday. Onto the next one.