Battered Nets Stumble Again, Fall to Magic as Injuries Pile Up

Brooklyn loses its third straight to Orlando this season.

Dec 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) drives to the basket while being defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) and Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Following the Brooklyn Nets' lopsided loss to the Orlando Magic last Friday, Head Coach Jordi Fernandez addressed his squad's shortcomings.

“We were like a step slow with our physicality, a step slow with our rotations, with our communications, and you pay for it,” Fernández said. “We were right there at half-time, and we just couldn't sustain.”

In Sunday afternoon's 100-92 loss, the Nets corrected nearly every critique from their lead man.

The "Brooklyn grit" was on full display from the opening tip. Led by Ziaire Williams' efforts, Orlando was forced into turnover after turnover leading to easy offense on the other end.

After being gashed by Franz Wagner in the contest's predecessor, the Nets held the rising star to just nine first-half points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was held to just three, but Goga Bitadze and Jalen Suggs benefitted by being thrust into larger offensive roles.

Luckily for Brooklyn, Cam Johnson and Trendon Watford made up for an early lackluster return from Dennis Schröder. The duo combined for 25 points through the opening two frames, but an exchange of runs late in the second quarter resulted in an even score at the halftime buzzer.

But the teams wouldn't remain knotted for long. As Caldwell-Pope began to find his stroke, the Magic orchestrated a 10-2 run out of the break, generating its largest lead to that point. The Nets did respond, primarily behind the continued offensive excellence of Johnson, but never cut Orlando's lead below four.

With Ben Simmons and Jalen Wilson sitting at five fouls each, Brooklyn became even more shorthanded than they were due to injuries. The officiating crew called 60 total fouls throughout regulation, slowing down the pace and preventing the Nets from finding their up-tempo flow.

Schröder, who's started to earn a reputation as "Mr. Fourth Quarter," began the final frame far better than the previous three. He connected on a baseline jumper, and-one lay-in and a step-back three-pointer to lift Brooklyn ahead by one, but it wouldn't last.

Brooklyn added Simmons and Williams, both dealing with knee issues, to its already extensive list of setbacks, further compounding the team's challenges.

That wasn't the end of the host's injury-riddled performance, though. With under a minute to play, Johnson appeared to pull his hamstring but remained in the contest despite being in evident pain.

His toughness, while admirable, didn't affect the final score.

The Nets showed much more fight than Friday's loss but ultimately suffered the same result. For now the third time this season and the second in as many days, the Magic defeated its Atlantic Division counterpart.

Now 9-12, Brooklyn heads to Chicago to take on the Bulls tomorrow in an attempt to recover from the disappointing weekend courtesy of Orlando.

To access the final box score from the Brooklyn Nets' loss to the Orlando Magic, click here.

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