Brooklyn Nets React to Cleveland Cavaliers Loss: ‘I Don’t Think It Should’ve Gotten Out of Hand'

Head coach Jordi Fernández and leading scorer Cam Johnson discussed the Nets' first game after the All-Star break.

Feb 12, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez talks to guard Tyrese Martin (13) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets’ return to action on Thursday night was marked by a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the best team in the Eastern Conference. 

Head coach Jordi Fernández pointed to the Nets’ second half and how his team lost the battle in terms of second chance and fast break points. He is now looking to Brooklyn’s next game, against the Philadelphia 76ers away from home on Saturday. 

“Our focus was not all the way through the game, and that's what we have to be better at,” Fernández said. “So finding ways now to help our team. Obviously we'll watch film, and we ought to be better. That's pretty simple.”

Cam Johnson led Brooklyn in scoring with 18 points in 29 minutes on 6-of-11 from the field. The 28-year-old wing was the only Net to participate in All-Star Weekend, being eliminated in the first round of the 3-point contest.

“There's some bounces here, some bounces there, and we're still competing for the loose balls,” Johnson said about the game. “It’s just [that] some of them didn’t go our way.”

D’Angelo Russell, who finished with nine points and five assists in 17 minutes, left the contest with a right ankle sprain suffered on a drive to the basket. Johnson lamented the veteran point guard’s absence, saying Russell “keeps things calm and centered.” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson showered the 28-year-old with praise before the game.

“For him to go down, that’s tough but I think we’ve got capable guys across the board,” Johnson said. “I don’t think it still should’ve gotten out of hand, but sometimes, it happens.”

Like Fernández, he also pointed to the team’s transition defense as a culprit for the Nets’ loss. Six-time all-star Donovan Mitchell gave the Nets a tough time in particular, only shooting 8-of-21, but getting to the free throw line ten times and still finishing with 26 points.

Johnson commented on Mitchell: “When we show shifts and we’re able to kind of slow him down, it was effective. When he operated with space, he was a lot more efficient.”

The Nets’ updated roster was also newsworthy coming out of the All-Star break. Killian Hayes, signed to a 10-day contract on Feb. 19 from Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, made his debut. The French guard played 21 minutes, scoring five points and distributing three assists. Bojan Bogdanovic, who will undergo season-ending foot surgery after not having played yet this season, was waived to make that happen. 

Tyrese Martin’s two-way contract was then converted to a standard deal. He had run out of NBA appearances on his previous deal. Martin scored seven points in about 16 minutes against Cleveland.

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