Winning matters, but so does learning how not to lose.
For a young Nets team still figuring out how to close games, Friday’s 119-111 loss to the Dallas Mavericks felt familiar. The flashes, however, continue
to feel real.
“I liked their fight all the way through,” said Jordi Fernandez. “I think the team competed well.”
Even in a loss, Brooklyn continues to play with a level of energy and competitiveness that separates them from most teams buried in the league’s bottom tier.
They didn’t lack fight, they just lacked polish.
The game slipped away in moments where their inexperience showed, both physically and mentally, but it’s not enough to take away the sense that something exciting is taking shape.
Twenty-four games into the season, Michael Porter Jr. has already exceeded expectations, leading both teams with 34 points.
Once the No. 1 prospect in the country, Porter spent his Denver years as a spacing weapon, asked to punish defenses with his outside shooting as a third option. Injuries reshaped his trajectory, but in Brooklyn, he’s emerged as a primary scorer who also leans on craft and timing to generate offense.
Porter Continues To Step Forward
When the Nets traded for Porter, the expectation was simple: provide offense for a roster short on proven, consistent scorers.
He’s already exceeded expectations. Porter currently ranks among the league’s top 15 scorers (25.8) , and among that list, only Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic average more rebounds than him (7.6).
It wasn’t the kind of shot-chucking often seen from veterans on rebuilding teams. the 27-year-old picked his spots and scored from all three levels which kept the defense honest, shooting 60% from the field and 60% from three.
Late in the game, Porter felt the weight of responsibility after a miscommunication from Noah Clowney led to a late-game turnover.
On the next possession he took matters into his own hands, forcing a tough shot and giving the ball back before turning it over less than a minute later.
“We kept looking at Mike instead of using him, and others taking the shot,” Fernandez said.
Still, Porter has consistently shown a willingness to trust teammates rather than hunt numbers, and that should be more effective once Brooklyn’s young core becomes more reliable.
Mistakes Tell The Story
As Fernandez stated, the game came down to being out-rebounded in the fourth quarter, when Dallas finished with 10 second-chance points.
“That’s how you lose games,” Fernandez stated.
The Nets also finished with 17 turnovers, compared to 14 for Dallas and passing their season average of 14.8 turnovers.
Turning promising possessions into empty ones was the difference in a close game
Even while shooting better from three and the free-throw line and staying close in overall field-goal percentage, Brooklyn saw its margin for error disappear with every turnover.
Growing Pains
Rookie point guard Egor Demin was the only starter who didn’t reach double figures, finishing with one of his toughest outings of the season.
He forced a few difficult attempts in traffic, appearing to search for contact over clean looks.
Still, there was some progress beneath the struggles. Early in the year, Demin avoided the paint altogether. Now he’s attacking it.
Noah Clowney continued to show clearly physical and offensive development, scoring 13 points and finishing through contact multiple times.
But several decision-making lapses led to three turnovers, and his confidence wavered late as the mistakes built up.
Neither Clowney nor Demin is over 21 years old, and both have shown enough promise to earn patience through nights like this.
After flashing signs of momentum with a 23-point performance against Utah last week, Ziaire Williams was held to three points in 25 minutes, shooting 25 percent from the field.
Fernandez also seemed to send off a wake-up call to rookie Drake Powell, who played just three minutes. When asked him Powell’s lack of minutes were due to Nolan Traore taking them, he promptly confirmed it.
“These young guys need to understand how important every minute you play is,” Fernandez said. “If the intentions are there, I’m completely fine. But if the mistakes are from easing into the game, that’s not how we do it here.”
And for Demin, a warning.
“He’s gotta be better, otherwise the minutes are gonna go down, and somebody else will take advantage of them.”
A steady presence off the bench
Danny Wolf once again made the most of his opportunity.
Wolf led Brooklyn’s bench with 17 points and seven rebounds, shooting 60 percent from the floor and also playing reliable defense. His impact didn’t go unnoticed, earning praise throughout the broadcast.
At this stage of the season, Wolf is making a strong case as one of the draft’s better value selections. The No. 27 overall pick has scored at least 15 points in three of his last six games and is averaging 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
For a Nets team auditioning its rookies, Wolf continues to separate himself.
Milestone Watch
- This was Porter Jr.’s fourth consecutive game with at least 30 points, the longest streak of his career.
- Nic Claxton still sits at No.5 on the Nets’ all-time blocks list, but is just 33 blocks away from sliding into Mike Gminski’s No.4 slot
What’s Next?
Sunday, the Nets will return to Barclays Center to face the Milwaukee Bucks at 6:00 p.m. ET.
The two team’s last played on November 29, when Brooklyn fell to Milwaukee 116-99. Will we hear more on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors? The day before the unofficial opening of trade season? Bet on it.
Milwaukee has gotten off to a slow start this season, currently sitting at 9-12, but won their most recent game against the Boston Celtics 116-101.
