Nets’ Historic Struggles Continue

The Nets’ first half was, well, historic—not in a good way. On Wednesday night, they faced a tough defeat at home against Oklahoma City, losing 121-92 in front of a packed Barclays Center crowd of 17,548. This game is considered one of the darkest in NBA history.

BROOKLYN trailed at halftime, 60-24, marking the lowest scoring first half in franchise history. It’s worth noting that in 2016, Phoenix came perilously close to matching the lowest first-half score in the 22-team NBA shot clock era.

This game marks a turning point. The Nets are now under 100 points for four straight games—their worst stretch of the season—breaking a previously questionable streak with teams like Milwaukee and Sacramento.

Currently, the Nets (17-52) have lost five straight games and 15 of their last 17, a record that’s hard to overlook. Yet, oddly enough, they still stand third in the lottery standings, just a couple of games behind Indiana and slightly trailing Washington.

Meanwhile, the Pacers and Wizards are fully committed to tanking, with 14 and 13 losses in a row, respectively. The Nets have significantly contributed to this trend, trailing by a staggering 60 points during halftime in their last two matchups, showcasing their poor performances and lack of depth.

Michael Porter Jr. has missed the last four games. Jalen Wilson stepped up with a team-high 15 points, while rookie point guard Nolan Traore contributed 13 points during a brief resurgence. Sadly, Egor Demin and Dayron Sharpe are done for the season.

In the midst of all this, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached the 20-point mark for the 130th consecutive game, and Jared McCain, recently acquired from Philadelphia, led the Thunder with 26 points off the bench. Notably, Luguentz Dort did not participate.

The Thunder are on a roll, securing their position at the top of the Western Conference with an impressive streak of 10 consecutive wins.