The Nets didn't just lose the game. they lost the battle.
Brooklyn earned its first victory under new coach Jordi Fernandez, defeating the Celtics 139-114 in front of a packed Barclays Center crowd of 18,112.
And Fernandes was making no excuses for their efforts. Because that was unforgivable.
It happened on November 13, 2024, when the Nets lost to the Celtics 139-114. Jason Zenz writes for the New York Post
“It's okay to lose, but it's not okay to not fight at some point in the game,” Fernandez said. “We can never quit or look defeated under any circumstances. We have to keep doing things the right way and one night we can't see another team being better than us. If there is, we must respect that. But this is a sign that we are not doing the right thing and is not at all what we want to be.
“And we haven't done that yet. It's easy on adversity. Whatever you want to call 'adversity,' to me it's all an excuse. NBA, that's what it is. We're all dealing with things, but we don't want to find excuses. There are plenty better than this. To me, it's plain and simple. ”
Wednesday wasn't a heartbreak after losing in overtime to the Jaylen Brown-less Celtics after blowing a fourth-quarter lead against TD Garden last Friday. It was more of a reminder that the Nets have to play hard and what will happen if they don't.
Jayson Tatum had a game-high 36 points and 10 assists, and Brown had 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The Nets were unable to get past screens, and their league-leading 3-point defense was torn to shreds.
“Things we can control, we couldn't control tonight. That's why we cheered,” said Giare Williams, who started in place of injured Dorian Finney-Smith and scored a team-high 23 points. said. And he supported Fernandes' criticism.
“I agree, dude. We're just letting them stomp on our necks. They definitely put up more of a fight. … They just wanted it more than us.” Yes, hey.
The Nets allowed the fewest 3-pointers in the NBA and forced opponents off the line.
They tormented the Celtics last Friday, missing 39 3-pointers, and on Wednesday they missed 22 of 45 from deep.
“Yeah. That's something we can control. We just have to focus on the game plan, everything the coaches are asking us to do. We just went down in the second half. We didn't do that the whole game.” said Nick Claxton.
Asked about Fernandez's postgame message, Claxton replied, “St.” He was mostly focused on business. We need to play hard. That's not how you lose. Of course, we can't afford to lose the match. But that doesn't mean you'll lose. We didn't fight to the end. ”
Cam Thomas hit 17 for the Nets, but the Nets were succumbed to strength.
Williams gave the Nets an early 19-8 lead with a layup.
Kam Johnson's 3-pointer made it 26-13.
Even with Dennis Schroder (16 points) making a free throw with 3:21 left in the first half, it was still 58-55.
However, the Nets allowed eight unanswered players to take the lead and never regained the lead.
Peyton Pritchard (23 points, eight assists, six rebounds) made a 3-pointer and the Nets trailed 63-56 with 1:45 left in the first half.
The Nets still trailed by four points, but another 8-0 run effectively ended the game.
Schroder hit another 3-pointer from Williams to make it 72-68 with 9:18 left in the third, but the Celtics scored eight scoreless points over the next two minutes to kill the Nets.
Jrue Holiday's 3-run run extended the lead to 13-2 and led the Nets 85-70.
By the end of the fourth inning, the difference had ballooned to 30 points.
“Like everyone else in the NBA, they set a moving screen, but if you want that screen called, you can't stop and complain,” Fernandez said. “All you have to do is run through someone's body, and if they're moving, there's a collision and you have to call something. That's how you get officials to call. They don't give it to you just by hugging the screen and saying he's moving. I mean, we're not there yet.”
