Nets Fall to Mavericks in Close Matchup

DALLAS — The Nets were defeated by the Mavericks, 119-111, in front of 19,032 fans at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. They struggled in the fourth quarter, missing several key shots and failing to find a second scorer.

In that final period, the Nets went just 6 for 21 overall and 2 for 9 from beyond the arc, trailing 29-19 as their offense faltered.

Currently, the Nets (6-18) sit at sixth in the lottery odds, trailing Oklahoma City (via the Clippers’ pick), Sacramento, and Indiana, who are tied for third place.

Michael Porter Jr. showcased his talent with a game-high 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-10 from three-point range. Despite the Nets’ disappointing performance affecting his chances for the All-Star Game, he has been playing exceptionally well since Cam Thomas left in early November.

This match marked Porter’s fourth consecutive game with a career-high of 33 points, a feat he shares with Kevin Durant and James Harden’s team record. Rookie Danny Wolf also made an impact off the bench, hitting 3-of-3 from deep, scoring 17 points along with seven rebounds.

Yet, that wasn’t enough to secure a win.

The Nets had difficulty containing Anthony Davis, particularly in the second half. He scored 20 of his 24 points after halftime, while Cooper Flagg, not looking like a rookie at all, tallied 22 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds.

For those tracking the standings closely, it was a tough night. Washington, Charlotte, and Indiana all held leads late in their games, but ultimately, Brooklyn couldn’t take advantage.

In fact, Davis assisted Max Christie for a 3-pointer with 28.7 seconds left in the first half, giving the Mavericks a 65-59 edge, but the Nets responded with a 19-8 run to close the half.

Noah Clowney knocked down a 3-pointer from Terrence Mann to give Brooklyn a 70-68 lead, and Porter capped the run with another three-pointer. His emerging partnership with Nick Claxton (14 points, 10 rebounds) was evident as Claxton set him up for a critical three with 7:49 left in the third, extending the lead to 78-73.

Even after leading multiple times, the Nets headed into the fourth with a slight advantage, 92-90, thanks to Clowney’s steal and layup just before the buzzer.

However, after Claxton’s free throw made it 101-99 with 7:44 remaining, four consecutive errors quickly shifted the momentum to Dallas, who then took a 7-0 run.

Brandon Williams’ finger roll pushed the Mavericks ahead 106-99 with 6:13 left, and from that point on, Brooklyn never regained the lead.

While the Nets cut it to within one point, 108-107, after Wolf’s layup with 3:49 remaining, they struggled to score at crucial moments and ultimately fell short.