The Nets spent their first night after Christmas playing catchup to the San Antonio Spurs. While Brooklyn struggled while shooting from the get-go, a 22-6 run following a tie game in the third quarter put the Nets in a rut they would not get out of, falling to the Spurs 109-97 Tuesday.

With the first half being more competitive than the second, and with Brooklyn’s starters combining for 50 points, the bench played a part in the team’s attempts to cut into San Antonio’s lead. Brooklyn held a 47-35 advantage in bench points, led by Caris LeVert (18 points).

Texas native Allen thrived in his homecoming with his family in the stands, as he matched his career-high in points (12) and added nine rebounds. His past two games of 5+ offensive rebounds are the first achieved by a Nets rookie since Brook Lopez in 2008-09, according to Nets PR. 

Are we saying Allen is the next Lopez? Of course not. But hey, not bad from the rook.

Starting the game with a 16-point first quarter, it became clear the Nets were not going to have a strong shooting night. Throughout the second half of the game, the Spurs steadily held a lead around (and above) 10 points. San Antonio ended up with six players in double digits, led by Kawhi Leonard’s 21 points. 

The Nets got their shooting stroke working, but San Antonio’s never stopped.

Another Texas native, Quincy Acy, also had a good game, scoring eight points and grabbing a season-high 10 rebounds. At the end of the game, Milton Doyle also made his NBA debut that lasted less than two minutes. In his time, he drew a foul and made his two foul shots. Way to go, Doyle!

Allen Crabbe, who has been in a rut recently from three, used the game to break out of his cold streak, shooting 4-for-7 from distance and recording 15 points overall.

Brooklyn had its scoring spurts, but once the game was tied at 54 in the third quarter, San Antonio had enough to break ahead and stay there. The Nets will have to wait until next season to try to get a win in San Antonio.

Next up? Brooklyn finishes its back-to-back with a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.