BOSTON — Turning Losses into Wins
Jordi Fernandez, the Nets coach, emphasized that the rebuilding team shouldn’t let their losing streak define them. The recent victories they’ve achieved have left them eager for more.
On Friday, the Nets pulled off a surprising 113-105 win against the Celtics in front of a packed crowd of 19,156 at TD Garden, many wearing green.
Michael Porter Jr. shone, scoring 16 of his game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter. Nick Claxton notched his first triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. Rookie Egor Demin added 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
The Nets (3-12) not only avoided elimination in the NBA Cup but also celebrated a significant win against a strong opponent. Their previous victories were against teams like Indiana and Washington, whom they’re competing with for lottery positions.
So, how does a team in a rebuilding phase, which has developed five first-round rookies, push through losses and growing pains to build a winning mindset?
Fernandez noted, “It’s something you have to live every day. It’s not just a one-day conversation. At the start of the season, we didn’t show our competitiveness in certain games. We’ve stressed fundamentals like ball pressure and defensive deflections, but those elements were missing. However, in the last four games, we’ve seen improvements. Our players are growing together, and individually, they’re becoming better.”
“There’s a clear distinction between losing and being a loser. Losing is about not getting the results; being a loser is when you don’t care about it or aren’t willing to put in the effort to improve,” he explained.
“Sometimes, despite all efforts, you lose. But if you keep at it, you’ll improve. Our team is starting to embrace this idea. The challenge lies in maintaining it, which isn’t easy. When results are disappointing, it’s easy to feel down. Still, our wins reignited our motivation to analyze, watch film, and keep working.”
And on Friday, their efforts began to pay off.
An 11-2 run in the second quarter secured the Nets a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, even though the Celtics (8-8) had opportunities to retaliate.
A 3-pointer by Derek White tied the game at 51, but Brooklyn responded with an 11-2 rally. Demin contributed significantly during this stretch, hitting a turnaround shot and assisting on Porter’s three-pointer, which helped them enter halftime up 62-53. Their defense, previously porous, kept Boston to 42.6 percent shooting in the first half.
Clowney drew a critical foul on Jaylen Brown early in the second half. Brooklyn maintained a narrow 71-68 lead when Anfernee Simons hit a pull-up jumper. The Nets then tightened their defense and unleashed a 16-2 run.
Claxton kickstarted it by passing to Tyrese Martin for an easy layup, and the Celtics struggled with just 1-of-8 shooting, which included two turnovers. One resulted in rookie Drake Powell stealing a pass and setting up Giare Williams for a breakaway dunk.
This slam gave the Nets their largest lead of the night at 90-72. With Boston narrowing the gap to 96-94, Demin responded with a crucial three-pointer.
As Brooklyn clung to a slender 99-95 lead, Porter made decisive contributions, leading a 7-2 run that helped establish a 106-97 cushion. His emphatic dunk and subsequent jumper pushed the advantage to double digits, culminating in a layup that made it 112-98 with just over a minute remaining.
