Brooklyn Nets Fall to Clippers in Preseason Opener

The Brooklyn Nets faced off against the LA Clippers in their first preseason action.

Oct 8, 2024; Oceanside, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) passes the ball around Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) in the first half at Frontwave Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After officially starting its rebuild process in the offseason, the new-look Brooklyn Nets kicked off their preseason with a bout against LA Clippers in Tuesday’s late game.

The Clippers themselves featured a new look by subtraction, with star Paul George leaving for the greener pastures of Philadelphia. Regardless, the 76ers are still set to be more competitive than their Tuesday-night counterparts.

After four competitive quarters, the Clippers ultimately came out on top, winning 114-104 behind James Harden's 14-point performance.

Soon-to-be star Cam Thomas picked up right where he left off last season, scoring a quick 12 points in 17 minutes. After averaging 22 points per game last season, Thomas shot 60% from the field, 50% from three and 100% from the free throw line in tonight’s contest.

All 15 Nets played, with every single player coming away with points. Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder, Ziare Williams, Keon Johnson and Jaylen Martin all finished in double-digit scoring.

Despite the good, there were some not-so-pretty aspects to the game.

For all the offseason talk of Ben Simmons’ return to All-Star form, he finished with just two points on 1-for-5 shooting. He did fill the stat sheet in other ways in his 13 minutes, but didn’t impress in the scoring department.

The Nets next take on No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and the Washington Wizards at 6:30 p.m CT on Monday, Oct. 14. The team will open up its 2024-25 regular season against top pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 23.

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