Nets Collapse Against Hawks in Overtime
This one was quite something, much like a previous disappointing game.
The Nets had a solid lead going into the final quarter but ultimately fell to the Hawks, 115-104, in overtime, in front of a packed crowd of 17,121 at State Farm Arena.
Brooklyn was ahead 102-91 with just over six minutes left. Then, they inexplicably let Atlanta go on a 24-2 run to seal their fate.
In those last five minutes, they didn’t score at all. Turnovers piled up, and it seemed like they’d secured the win, but, well, you know how that went.
Honestly, looking back, maybe a win would have just come at too high a cost.
In the grander scheme of things, this result might actually benefit them in their pursuit of a better draft position.
The Nets currently sit at 15-41, third in the lottery standings, just half a game back from second-place Indiana—at least until the Pacers face off against Dallas. They’re also a point ahead of New Orleans and Atlanta, who stand at 16-42.
It’s been a rough patch; they’ve lost four straight and 14 out of the last 15 games away from home.
Michael Porter Jr. stood out, leading six of his teammates in double-digit scoring with 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Yet, his shooting woes were evident—just 1-for-8 from beyond the arc and 8-for-49 overall in recent outings.
On the other side, Jalen Johnson had a solid game for the Hawks, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Atlanta has struggled recently but found their rhythm against Brooklyn.
At one point in the first half, the Nets went on a stretch with 13 unanswered points, leading 49-44. They kept their momentum and were up 83-79 after a free throw by Drake Powell. But, unpredictably, they lost that lead, allowing a 10-2 run and heading into the last quarter down 89-85.
Coach Jordi Fernandez called a timeout after CJ McCollum’s shot to regroup the team. They managed to string together 10 points without a response from Atlanta.
That’s when rookie Nolan Traore, with 11 points and five assists, made a notable play, setting up Dayron Sharpe’s missed shot for a putback, giving the Nets a 95-89 lead.
Things looked decent, even after Danny Wolf nailed a 3-pointer off Terrence Mann’s assist, extending their lead to 102-91.
However, the Nets couldn’t close it out. They missed six consecutive shots and let several turnovers slip away, leading to a sudden 6-0 run for the Hawks that trimmed the lead down to five.
From there, it fell apart.
In fact, Atlanta scored 24 of the final 26 points. Johnson’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:28 left pushed the Nets into a deeper hole, and an and-one play by him sealed the deal at 108-104.
