Nets' Comeback Bid Falls Short Against Pacers in Game of Runs

Brooklyn finds itself losers of two straight.

Jan 6, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) brings the ball up court against Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) and guard Tyrese Martin (13) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Heading into the Brooklyn Nets' 113-99 loss to the Indiana Pacers, the lack of Cam Johnson, Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons and D'Angelo Russell might lead one to assume the hosts' offense would struggle early.

They'd have been wrong.

Brooklyn wasn't highly efficient. It only shot 3-of-9 from three (9-of-26 overall) while brandishing the likes of Reece Beekman and Tosan Evbuomwan just minutes into the action. But the Nets seemed to be putting in far more effort than their Eastern Conference counterparts, especially on the boards.

Jan 6, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant (3) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

As Ziaire Williams and Keon Johnson were flying around on the defensive end, the rest of Jordi Fernandez's crew grabbed seven offensive rebounds, four courtesy of Day'Ron Sharpe.

Despite the high energy, an 8-0 Pacers run in the second quarter, fueled by Jarace Walker and Pascal Siakam, gave Indiana a slight lead. Benedict Mathurin then added nine straight points to help extend and preserve the advantage.Along with Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, he contributed to a combined 31 points, fueling a 9-0 run that capitalized on eight Brooklyn turnovers, allowing them to build a 55-39 lead heading into halftime.

After ending the opening 24 minutes hot, the Pacers picked up right where they left off in the third quarter.

Fernandez burned an early timeout just seconds out of the break, but things had already gotten out of hand. His guys were down 24 points and seemingly on the brink of another blowout loss at home. That was until the Nets showed reason for optimism, highlighted by two game-changing runs late in the third.

Jan 6, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The first was a 7-0 swing led by Noah Clowney, cutting Brooklyn's deficit to 14. After the Pacers responded with seven straight of their own, they'd be forced into a five-minute scoring drought, allowing Brooklyn to generate another 12-0 run capped off by a Sharpe alley-oop.

Through the flurry of back-and-forth action, the Nets trailed by just eight heading into the final 12 minutes.

Unfortunately, the rally wouldn't be enough.

With under five minutes to play in regulation, the score differential had grown back to 22 points, signaling a second-straight blowout at the Barclays Center at the hands of a conference rival. Although Brooklyn fell in lopsided fashion yet again, the all-around efforts were commendable. Five players finished with double digits in the scoring column, showcasing the potential of the Nets' depth despite the outcome.

Now 13-23, the Nets shift focus to Wednesday night's clash with the Detroit Pistons before heading on a six-game West Coast road trip starting with a Friday night contest against the Denver Nuggets.

To access the final box score from the Nets' win/loss to/over the Pacers, click here.

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