標籤: shortcomings

There are conflicts at the end of the game, and then a complete meltdown. The Brooklyn Nets fell into the latter category during Sunday’s 115-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Jordi Fernandez’s team looked in control after taking a 102-91 lead with eight minutes remaining. The Hawks defeated the Nets 24–2 to end the game during their worst collapse of the season.

Brooklyn shot 1 of 15 from the field with five turnovers during the decisive period of the game.

“Unacceptable,” Fernandez said. “We played well, a very good brand of basketball, staying connected, defending, taking the lead as a team with the first and second groups… but we have to find a better way to close out games. I have confidence in the starters. I know how good they are, and that’s not what I want from them. We played a very good game until 5:30, and then it goes away. So, it’s tough because wins matter in the NBA. You have to compete and play to win. “It happens, and it didn’t happen.”

After a solid start, Brooklyn’s rookie backcourt of Nolan Traore and Egor Demin has struggled. However, Sunday’s collapse highlighted the late-game shortcomings of Michael Porter Jr. as the Nets’ No. 1 option.

Michael Porter Jr. disappeared during Nets vs. Hawks horror collapse

Porter posted 18 points on 8 of 16 shooting with six assists and two turnovers in three quarters. However, he was invisible in the final frame, going scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting with no assists as rookies Demin and Traoré handled most of Brooklyn’s on-ball responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Hawks star Jalen Johnson took the lead down the stretch, scoring 14 of his 26 points in the final frame on 6-of-8 shooting.

While Porter has long fueled the Nets’ offense, he has struggled as a closer. In 65 clutch minutes this season, the star forward has shot 12-of-38 (31.6 percent) from the field and 4-of-24 (16.7 percent) with two assists and four turnovers.

Porter’s limitations as a ball-handler and self-creator have been most apparent during tight games, when defenses are most busy and primarily switching. Without a high-level shot creator behind them, Brooklyn’s offense has fallen short when it matters most.

The Nets have posted the league’s worst clutch record (5-19) and second-worst clutch offensive rating (96.0).

After encouraging early performances, Traore and Demin also lost on Sunday. Over the course of three quarters, Traoré scored 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting with five assists and two turnovers. Demin had 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with four assists and zero turnovers.

However, the rookie duo shot 0 of 7 while committing four turnovers in the final frame.

“You go through experience, and you learn,” Fernandez said of Traore and Demin’s late struggles. “Some rushed shots and turnovers… you’ve got to learn how to stay composed. You’ve got to learn how to get everybody involved [the right] Locations, how to take good shots, and we didn’t do that. So that’s the next game.”

While Sunday’s loss undoubtedly stung Brooklyn’s locker room, it continued the team’s lead in a tightly contested tank race. After four consecutive losses, the Nets have regained sole possession of third place in the draft lottery standings. They are tied in the win column and two games behind the Indiana Pacers in the loss column, who are in second place.

If the season ended today, Brooklyn would have a 14.0 percent chance of finishing No. 1, a 52.1 percent chance of finishing in the top four, and a 93.0 percent chance of finishing in the top six. The third lottery slot cannot fall below the seventh pick.