Nets Show Resilience but Fall Short Against Celtics

After enduring a crushing loss, Jordi Fernandez urged the Nets to exhibit more fight.

Brooklyn faced off against the Celtics on Friday night in front of a full house at Barclays Center, claiming a narrow victory of 130-126 after not just one, but two overtimes.

The Nets (12-31) have hit a rough patch, losing 12 of their last 14 games, including a dismal 120-66 defeat to the Knicks. This marked the second-largest margin of defeat in the team’s history, with their lowest point total since a 90-65 loss to Miami back in March 2005. It was clear that the team needed to bounce back.

“Yes, the key is how I respond. I really don’t want to look foolish,” Fernandez admitted. “But, being in this together, the best thing we can do is watch film, have some discussions, and just put in the work again this morning. We need to come together and respond as one. … How you react is really what matters.”

And respond they did, though victory eluded them.

Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 30 points and eight rebounds, shaking off a disappointing performance from their previous game at the Garden. Rookie Nolan Traore, stepping in for Egor Demmin, scored a career-high 21 points but will surely remember a missed free throw during the first overtime that allowed the Celtics to regain momentum.

Entering the second overtime down by a point, Sam Hauser’s 3-pointer put the Nets in a 128-124 dilemma. Porter did manage to trim the deficit, but Peyton Pritchard, receiving a pass from Jaylen Brown, sealed the deal with a basket with seconds to spare.

Boston was driven by Pritchard’s 32 points and Brown’s 27 points.

Porter struggled with his shooting at the Garden, making just 12 points on a 4-of-14 shooting night. He admitted his energy was lacking and shouldered some of the blame for the earlier loss. On Friday, he came out fired up.

Near the end of the first quarter, he hit a three to give Brooklyn a 21-19 edge, followed closely by a powerful dunk.

“I told the team, it was on me,” Porter reflected. “We need that energy, no matter who is on the floor. We know we can compete with anyone.”

“Let’s return to our competitive spirit. We outplayed Boston on their turf and had our chances everywhere. So, it’s about going back to basics,” he stated confidently.

Most of the night saw the Nets in the lead.

After trailing 36-35, they went on a decisive 18-6 run. Porter was pivotal, connecting on a 3-pointer via Nick Claxton’s assist to carve out a 53-42 advantage.

Throughout the third quarter, Brooklyn aimed to keep Boston at bay.

Porter’s 3-pointer put the Nets ahead 91-90 with just over six minutes left in regulation, but they couldn’t hold on. Boston rallied with an 11-0 run, highlighted by Pritchard’s three, to pull ahead.

It took a dunk from Claxton, following a Porter misstep, to force overtime.

In the first extra period, after a score from Hugo Gonzalez, the Nets trailed 112-108.

Brooklyn surged ahead with a 9-0 run, taking a 117-112 lead thanks to a free throw from Ziare Williams but couldn’t maintain it. Gonzalez hit a corner three just before time expired, sending the game into a second overtime.

Ultimately, fatigue caught up with the Nets.

Currently, they sit in fifth place in the lottery race, trailing fourth-place Sacramento by 1.5 games and two games behind sixth-place Utah.