© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Brooklyn loses a close game to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 94-96
The Brooklyn Nets performed well against the Western Conference’s top team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, but lost 94 to 96. However, Brooklyn needed a complete game to beat an elite defensive team like Chris Finch's squad.
Coach Jacque Vaughn and his Nets squad fought all game with Cameron Thomas as their biggest star. The 22-year-old guard scored 25 points to lead Brooklyn, but it was not enough to overcome Karl-Anthony Towns' 27-point night.
“The second quarter was the biggest difference in the game. There was a stretch where Towns ended up going off a little bit when they went with him and Naz. We had a few breakdowns defensively in communication with some of our switching,” Coach Vaughn said regarding the Nets’ biggest issue from the game.
“Luckily, we had a half to acknowledge that, look at it on film, correct it, and that’s the best part of this team. These guys kept fighting.”
Missed opportunities yet again
Brooklyn was perfect on free throws for most of the game, as they shot 14/16 from the charity stripe. Mikal Bridges planned on hitting the first free throw late, then intentionally missing the second to get another possession. That did not work out for Mikal as he missed the first, ending their chances for overtime.
It was mostly a back-and-forth matchup, but the Nets’ inefficiency from beyond the three-point line was also a big reason they lost. While both teams hit ten shots from beyond the arc, the Timberwolves only shot 21 times, and the Nets had 33 attempts. Minnesota focused on dominating the paint with 46 points within the painted area compared to Brooklyn’s 38.
KAT dominated with his scoring, as Coach JV’s team didn’t have defenders against his size. Coach Vaughn threw multiple coverages at him, but they weren’t enough to stop Towns in the fourth quarter.
A Ben Simmons return is what the team needs
With reports of Ben Simmons returning soon, the Nets should be optimistic about his impact. Brooklyn was one of the most exciting teams when he was active early in the season, so his return should spark some interest and hype for the team.
It will be an adjustment period for Ben and his teammates, but having him back means the Nets have another good defender to put alongside Nic Claxton while getting the team’s best playmaker back on the court.
