Nets Face Off Against Heat in Preseason Finale

Nets coach Jordi Fernández mentioned that, while preseason games might not have the same stakes as regular season ones, they’re still significant. These games are less about the actual scoreboard and more about playing hard and showing good performance.

The final preseason game for the Nets resulted in their first loss, falling 144-128 to Miami in front of a packed crowd of 19,600 at Kaseya Center.

Regardless of the outcome, there were several highlights, setbacks, and lingering questions from the game.

The positives? Well, Michael Porter Jr. led the scoring with a game-high 27 points, hitting four three-pointers. There were also notable contributions from some newcomers, like rookie Mikel Brown Jr. who scored 15 points in his debut, and second-year players Egor Dëmin with 17 points and three assists, and Nolan Traore, who tallied 12 points and five assists.

The negatives? All-Star Julius Randle had a rough outing, shooting just 4-for-13 and finishing with a game-worst plus-minus of minus-19. Veteran Moritz Wagner wasn’t much better, with a minus-13 in his 22 minutes of play—Porter’s single rebound also raised some eyebrows.

And then there were the more serious issues.

The Nets struggled defensively, particularly inside the paint, failing to protect the rim effectively. Fernández acknowledged the team’s defensive shortcomings, pointing out that giving up 70 points in a half—69 in the first and 75 in the second—is really not acceptable. If they want to compete, better defense is a must.

Finishing the preseason with a record of 3-1, the Nets were outscored 62-38 in the paint, allowing the Heat to shoot an impressive 31-for-40. Much of this was due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s commanding performance and Day’Ron Sharpe’s early foul trouble.

Speaking of Giannis, he ended the game with 20 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, and three blocks in just 23 minutes, clearly influencing the game’s outcome.

The Nets attempted to press into the paint early, especially since Miami’s Bam Adebayo was sidelined, but their defense left a lot to be desired. Sharpe got into foul trouble fast, picking up three fouls within less than five minutes of the first quarter, allowing Antetokounmpo to dominate and pushing Brooklyn into an early deficit.

By halftime, the Nets were trailing 69-66, watching Antetokounmpo already accumulate 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Porter was on fire throughout, and Dëmin’s hot streak even helped the Nets momentarily grab a lead in the third quarter. But that lead was short-lived.

Dëmin’s assist to Sharpe briefly put the Nets ahead at 76-75, and a 3-pointer from him gave them an 84-83 edge with about 7:12 left in the third. Unfortunately, the Nets quickly gave up 10 straight points and never managed to catch up again.

In related news, Davion Mitchell required six stitches for a cut on his face after a collision with Sharpe’s knee to kick off the third quarter.