The Brooklyn Nets had an opportunity to avenge final night time’s heartbreaking 108-104 additional time loss to the Boston Celtics, however suffered an identical destiny in opposition to the NBA’s greatest staff. They fought onerous, however the Nets fell to their former head coach Kenny Atkinson and the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-100 on the highway.
The primary quarter belonged to Cleveland and Donovan Mitchell. Regardless of Brooklyn’s disruptive protection, it did not appear to matter because the Cavaliers delivered their taking pictures from past the arc with ease. 4 of Cleveland’s six three-pointers got here from Mitchell, however the Nets’ well timed responses stored the competition shut.
Practically each Cavaliers three-ball was answered by Brooklyn, though at a decrease charge. Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith added two every, and Shake Milton scored one off the bench. Though unable to comprise the offensive juggernaut that’s Cleveland, the Nets managed to flee the primary half with a rating of 34-28.
Brooklyn’s second quarter efficiency meant two issues. First, the Nets offense is exponentially higher when Ben Simmons is on the ground. With the two-time All-Star lacking the second half of a back-to-back recreation, Brooklyn sorely missed Simmons’ elite animation. Second, this staff has a lot braveness.
Even after discovering themselves down 15 in an 11-2 loss to the NBA’s greatest staff, the Nets did not hand over. They acquired proper again to work when Cam Thomas lastly acquired concerned, tallying seven factors within the quarter. Brooklyn held the Cavaliers scoreless for greater than three minutes, orchestrating a 12-0 run of their very own and practically tying the rating. As soon as down, the Nets trailed by simply two at halftime.
To say Brooklyn constructed on a robust end to the primary half could be an understatement. On the primary possession of the third quarter, Thomas tied the rating inside. Then he was fouled and gave the Nets a two-point lead within the charity recreation. That sequence supplied the idea for a monstrous 9-0 run within the first two minutes, and after a 3 from Schröder, capped a 33-5 Brooklyn run relationship again to 5 minutes of the second quarter.
From that time on, issues acquired even uglier for Cleveland. The Nets pressured the Cavaliers into one other three-minute drought, forcing the undefeated staff to take their heels. Not like earlier matchups, Brooklyn was firing on all cylinders within the third and held an 82-70 benefit with 12 minutes left.
Sadly, the Nets’ typical third-quarter collapse solely carried over into the fourth quarter. Due to a masterful efficiency from Evan Mobley, Cleveland orchestrated runs of 6-0, 7-0 and 8-0 to regain its first lead for the reason that second quarter. Johnson, Schröder and Thomas did their greatest, however the Kenny Atkinson-led Cavaliers are only a machine. It doesn’t matter what is thrown at them, they’ve triumphed within the first 11 video games of the 2024-25 marketing campaign.
On the last buzzer, Brooklyn allowed 56 factors from the within, together with 23 due to Mobley, and have become the newest sufferer of Cleveland’s early season tear.
Now at 4-6, the Nets look to finish their two-game dropping streak Monday night time in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans within the highway journey finale in Brooklyn.
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