Inside The Nets

The Brooklyn Nets lose to the Blazers on a last-second game-winner

The Nets lose to the Blazers for the second time in ten days.

Peter Sunjic

© Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
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The Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers had another competitive game, but the team from the Pacific Northwest came away with another win. Brooklyn played well most of the contest as the team kept trading blows with their opponents.

With just a few seconds left on the clock, the score was tied at 103, but Portland had possession. This was when Anfernee Simons took control and scored a last-second floater to lift the Trail Blazers to the victory, 103-105.

“I told the guys, it’s just never one play that sums up the game. It’s an accumulation of plays; they were able to get our rim 36 times, 16 second-chance points, so it’s the plays that happened in the first, second, third, and fourth quarter,” Coach JV said about the Simons game-winner. “We were gonna double Grant or Simons, give him credit, good move to get to the rim and finish.”

The Nets had a decent performance

Despite the unfortunate result, Vaguhn's men had some solid performances, Mikal Bridges led Brooklyn in scoring with 21 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie had a strong bounceback with 19 points and seven assists.

Nic Claxton remained solid with 12 points and rebounds, showcasing his ability to defend on switches. He managed to limit Simons' impact on drives in the paint for the first three quarters until the Portland guard took over in the fourth with 13 points in the final period.

Jerami Grant was the thorn in the Nets’ side for most of the game, scoring 30 points and grabbing eight rebounds. He was making shots from all three levels, especially thriving in high-post-ups.

Another losing streak for Brooklyn

This loss marks the fourth straight for the Nets, dating back to their previous game against the Blazers on January 7. Brooklyn has only had one win since December 26. They are in a bad rut, and climbing out of it will be challenging because they have a tough schedule for the rest of January.

The Nets’ next two games will be against the two Los Angeles teams, who are both packed with superstars. Brooklyn must do their best to end this cold streak because this season will be a disaster if they don’t make it to the Playoffs because they don’t own their draft picks for 2024 and 2025. 

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Peter Sunjic
PETER SUNJIC

Peter's journey with basketball commenced in the first grade, and it has since evolved into an integral part of his life. Standing on the brink of a potential professional playing career, Peter ultimately chose to pursue a degree in Political Science and Journalism in Zagreb, Croatia. Despite this academic pursuit, his deep-rooted love for the game of basketball endured, undiminished. Now, as a writer and editor, Peter finds an avenue to channel his unwavering passion for basketball-related news and analysis. Whether it's deciphering the latest happenings or delving into the lore of old-school basketball, he covers every corner of the NBA world.

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