Brooklyn’s recent game without Michael Porter Jr. highlighted their struggles as a young team still learning how to secure wins. They faced off against Memphis on Sunday, ultimately losing 103-98, with their late-game efforts collapsing before a crowd of 15,578 at FedExForum.
This defeat marked the Nets’ seventh in a row when Porter is absent. His absence was keenly felt, especially as his scoring ability and experience could have shifted the game’s momentum during critical moments.
The team got off to a shaky start for the second consecutive game. Despite trailing by 16 points, they managed to rally back and take an 98-90 lead with just three minutes left on the clock.
However, the final moments were a disaster for Brooklyn. They failed to score, allowing the Grizzlies—who were without their star guard Ja Morant—to go on a 13-0 run.
Noah Clowney and Tyrese Martin were the standout scorers for the Nets, both finishing with 17 points, but Clowney’s shooting was particularly poor—he made only 4 of 17 attempts and only 4 of 15 from three-point range. Danny Wolfe, starting in place of Porter, contributed 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Currently, Brooklyn sits at 11-25, fifth in the crucial lottery standings. They’re 1.5 games behind the fourth-place Wizards but still ahead of teams like Utah and others eager to climb out of the bottom.
The start of the season was rocky, as they fell quickly in their opener against the Clippers and faced another tough loss just before this game. It’s evident they still haven’t grasped the lessons they need to learn.
Ending their three-game road trip with this particular loss was not what the Nets had envisioned. Memphis secured the win despite Cedric Coward’s 21-point performance and Jaren Jackson Jr. only managing 14 points on a less-than-stellar shooting night.
Brooklyn’s first quarter was shaky; they quickly found themselves in a 16-point deficit. After a brief lead, a rough shooting performance saw them lag by as much as 27-11 at one point. They worked tirelessly, managing to tie the game at various points, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.
As the fourth quarter progressed, they even took a brief lead after some strong plays. However, that lead vanished as they went cold in the last few minutes, surrendering the game without a fight.
