Nets Fall to Hawks Despite Late Comeback Attempt

Jordi Fernandez called for increased effort from the Nets, who experienced a rough start to the season with four consecutive losses.

He showed passion, rallied the team, but unfortunately, the result didn’t change: another loss.

On Wednesday night, the Nets managed to erase a double-digit deficit in the final minute, coming close to tying the game, but ultimately fell 117-112 to the Hawks at Barclays Center.

Nick Claxton had a standout performance, tallying 18 points and 12 rebounds, but he squandered two key opportunities late in the game. This continued the Nets’ winless streak, bringing their record to 0 wins and 5 losses.

Brooklyn held a 113-103 lead with just over four minutes left, thanks to a three-pointer by Nickell Alexander-Walker. However, the team couldn’t maintain the momentum for long.

Michael Porter Jr., who led all scorers with 32 points, made two free throws that narrowed the gap to 115-112 with 1:28 remaining. The Nets had one final chance, but couldn’t capitalize.

In a crucial moment, Cam Thomas, who finished with 19 points, drove to the basket and passed to Claxton. Yet, Claxton missed a layup from only a few feet away with just 29 seconds left.

Claxton retrieved his own miss but couldn’t convert the putback, allowing Dyson Daniels to secure the rebound for Atlanta.

After scoring the first 12 points of the game, the Nets quickly lost their advantage, allowing a drastic turnaround.

They had initially gone on a 12-0 run before the Hawks called a timeout, but their strong start evaporated.

During a rough overtime period, Brooklyn fell behind, with Kristaps Porzingis scoring a chip dunk that pushed the Hawks’ lead to 39-27.

Poor shooting from the Nets continued, with Porzingis hitting a three-point shot that widened their lead to 58-41 as the half drew to a close. Despite their attempts to rally in the second half, they couldn’t make the necessary adjustments.

In the third quarter, Brooklyn came out strong, scoring the first nine points unanswered. However, with Egor Demin struggling, Fernandez opted for forward Terrence Mann to help facilitate the offense.

Porter’s pull-up three-pointer brought the Nets closer at 70-64, but they struggled to maintain pressure on Atlanta.

Even when Trae Young, who had been averaging 20.8 points and 9.5 assists, left the game in the first quarter with a sprained knee, the Nets couldn’t capitalize fully. Young had managed only six points before his exit.

His injury occurred during an inbounds play, leading to a situation where Claxton inadvertently collided with an Atlanta player, causing Young to fall awkwardly and leave the game with 1:52 left in the first quarter.