The doom and gloom of Wednesday’s rain forecast is certainly an apt reflection of the Nets’ position, or rather, their tenuous hold on as the day of elimination approaches looms.
After the Nets’ 133-111 loss to the Pacers on every front on Monday night, combined with the Hawks’ win over the Bulls, the Nets’ elimination from the play-in postseason spot is a tragic 1. . .
Despite a brief winning streak in March, the victory came too late.
So back-to-back games against the Pacers, which begin Wednesday at Barclays Center, could determine their fate.
Asked Wednesday if there was more urgency, Mikal Bridges said, “Yes.” “But you can’t even see it. No matter how many games you have left, just play. … Just go out and play hard and give it your all. Keep competing. ”
If the Nets are eliminated from the play-in race, it would be the first time the team has missed the playoffs since the 2017-18 season under former head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Although the Nets struggled to find their rhythm in a season plagued by the long absence of Ben Simmons, their 28-54 record brought them very close to the team’s current standings (29-47).
“We have to win,” Trendon Watford said after Monday’s loss. “[We’re] I’m at home, so I’m trying to protect my home court.we just lost [Sunday] in the crib [to the Lakers.] We have to come out and fight. we have nothing to lose. Just get in there. ”
With only one travel day, the Nets will need to find a way to fix their transition defense quickly to have a chance against Indiana’s pace.
It was this statistic that dominated the postgame conversation on Monday, and for good reason.
The Nets trailed 23-6 on fast break points, but appeared caught off guard by the fast pace and failed to defend themselves in the half court as a result.
“We have to get back to the transition period. That’s the No. 1 key,” interim coach Kevin Ollie said.
The start of Monday’s game was a foreshadowing of what was to come, with the Nets scoring the first two baskets of the game before the Pacers took a 15-0 lead.
That was a day after the Lakers opened the season with a 17-0 win at Barclays Center on Sunday.
Dennis Schroder was left speechless by the slow start.
“I don’t know,” he said. “If we knew that, we could make a difference.”
Bridges, who scored 19 points, was more direct.
“I don’t think transition defense is our friend,” he said. “I don’t think we’re doing well, and maybe I’m confused, but we’re just not good at it. We’ve got to be better. Their mainstay is their transition offense. They play fast. It was just difficult.”
The confidence Oly has expressed over the 22 games he has managed has been hardly backed up by the team.
As for the transition play and late-game blunders that marred the season, I just hope that starts to stick.
“We have to fight back. Keep the gloves on and keep swinging,” Oley said. “We didn’t do that consistently this game and you can’t do that against a great team like them.
“They’re going to play at their pace, so you have to fight back by getting in the huddle, running, not turning the ball over and getting back in transition. And at the end of the day, you have to shoot … We had to play a great game to win the game. And we had to do it for 48 minutes.”
