The Nets usually don’t use the third quarter as a breakout frame, but after scoring just 43 points in the first half, they had no choice but to. 

A 36-point third quarter brought promise, led by Spencer Dinwiddie’s 14 straight to end the quarter. Brooklyn had momentum and an eight-point lead to use towards ending a three-game losing streak and four-game skid at home. 

But after that, everything fell flat.

Really, the Nets were flat for nearly the entire game, with Utah’s defense forcing Brooklyn into isolation plays, turnovers and squandered opportunities. It was a game largely up for grabs, and the Jazz had the players who got hot when it mattered.

To start the game, poor shooting was a theme for both teams. In a first quarter that saw just 33 combined points, the Nets could not buy a bucket while the Jazz could not hold onto the ball.

Turnovers were an issue for both teams, with Brooklyn tallying 20 on the evening, seven of those coming in the fourth quarter. The Jazz scored 14 points off those seven giveaways, which alone outscored Brooklyn in the frame, 14-13. 

While Dinwiddie came alive with an offensive burst in the third quarter, Donovan Mitchell stepped up and scored nine straight in the fourth quarter and 14 overall in the frame to give Utah a two-possession lead in the closing minutes. 

Free throws kept Brooklyn in this one when no one could make a shot. The Nets did not make their second field goal of the fourth quarter until there were two minutes left, and by that time, the Jazz had their plan figured out. 

Rudy Gobert was a monster for Utah, who gave his team a six-point lead in the final minute of the game after the Nets led by as many as 11 in the third. Gobert feasted inside, grabbing 16 rebounds and scoring 23 points. 

Utah’s physicality forced Brooklyn into mistakes and stopped ball movement, shown in Brooklyn’s mere 11 assists on 30 field goals. A Jared Dudley inbounds pass in the final minute that went over the Nets’ heads and out of bounds across the court was the icing on the cake. 

Dinwiddie tried to light the team on fire to end the third quarter, but no one else managed to contribute. The Jazz broke away enough for the Nets to not even be in reach in the final moments of the game. 

Now, Brooklyn may go 0-for-4 on their current homestand. Even with the Jazz defending tightly, the Nets still have a lot to figure out to finish fourth quarters.