Nets Discard Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, Secure First Win of Fernandez Era

Brooklyn picks up a much-needed victory in its home-opener.

Dec 27, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots the ball as Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) defends during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets finally got into the win column for the first time in the 2024-25 campaign in an impressive 115-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite a tightly contested affair for the majority of the contest, a fourth-quarter explosion sealed the win.

Head coach Jordi Fernandez rolled out the same starting five he has thus far, and the defense looked much improved from Brooklyn's first two displays. Outside of some ticky-tack foul calls from the officials, Ben Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith did a solid job guarding Milwaukee's frontcourt. Active hands by the Nets' wing defenders forced six Bucks turnovers, leading to easy transition buckets.

Still on a minutes restriction, Nic Claxton came off the bench and provided an instant boost to Brooklyn's offense. A highlight-reel coast-to-coast finish from the $100 million big man pushed the Nets ahead by six, but an eight-point quarter from Damian Lillard resulted in a 27-25 Brooklyn advantage at the end of the first stanza.

The second quarter played witness to much of the same. Milwaukee committed another four turnovers, sparking a 10-0 run generated by Dennis Schröder's back-to-back threes. There was an evident emphasis by the Nets to push virtually every opportunity they had, creating fast-break opportunities off of steals and missed shots in an attempt to wear down the Bucks' defense.

While the defense did appear much improved, rebounding still provided its issues. The Nets found themselves outrebounded by seven, including nine courtesy of Antetokoumnp, but it didn't reflect on the scoreboard. Despite another five points from Lillard, Brooklyn managed to hold onto a three-point lead at the halftime buzzer.

The Nets' defensive rotations continued to look great through the third quarter. Their suffocating display, compounded with Schröder's 22 points in 24 minutes, prevented Milwaukee from threatening Brooklyn's lead.

Unlike in its previous matchups, the Bucks' big man didn't hurt the Nets from the interior. It was the complete opposite, as Brook Lopez connected on multiple attempts from deep in his Barclays Center homecoming. Schröder and Cam Thomas' ability to put the ball in the hoop and get to the charity stripe sustained a five-point Brooklyn lead heading into the fourth.

Milwaukee completely unraveled in the final quarter. The Nets' lead got as high as 22 as Schröder and Thomas continued to gash the Bucks' defense sans Khris Middleton. The floodgates opened following a Pat Connaughton flagrant foul on Schröder, sending the veteran point guard to the line and pushing Brooklyn's advantage to 11.

The Nets closed out their first victory of the season and of the Fernandez era with the reserves on the floor, successfully defending homecourt against one of the league's top teams.

Brooklyn will play its second straight home game on Oct. 29 against the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at 7:30 p.m. EST.

To access the final box score from the Brooklyn Nets' win over the Milwaukee Bucks, click here.

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