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[Brooklyn Nets]

How a struggling actor used a Brooklyn Nets job as a side gig

The struggling actor is a quintessential American hero, living and dying for his or her art and the art above all. He or she bounces from audition to audition, from rejection to rejection before the big moment arrives. They take different jobs to make do: as a waiter, a bartender, a dog-walker. Harrison Ford was a carpenter, Brad Pitt was a chicken restaurant mascot. Whoopy Goldberg was a beautician. Then they became stars.

And Forrest Weber was — and is — an equipment manager for the Brooklyn Nets. As Brian Lewis reports Tuesday, his big moment came recently in the Netflix hit series, “Black Rabbit,” a Jude Law/Justin Bateman vehicle centered on a hip New York restaurant.

The two stars play brothers, Jake and Vince Friedken. Law’s Jake is a rising star in the hospitality business and Bateman’s Vince a degenerate gambler. Weber’s Junior Mancuso plays a hitman who’s trying to get Bateman to pay off gambling debts he owes Mancuso’s mob boss father, played by Oscar winner Troy Kutser. It’s a star-studded cast and Laura Linney, Bateman’s co-star in “Ozarks,“ directed several of the episodes.

Despite that success and two subsequent movie roles, Weber is sticking around HSS Training Center and Barclays Center. He’s been in the NBA since joining the Spurs in his native San Antonio as a teenager. Indeed when his agent suggested he could now concentrate on acting, Weber said no. “I like my day job.”

“It’s been a juggling act for my whole career,” Weber told The Post in an exclusive interview. “Luckily for me, when I was hired by the Brooklyn Nets … and I was speaking to them about chasing these acting dreams and I said that’ll always come first for me — that that’s my main passion and drive in life — they were incredibly understanding.

That was 10 years ago.

“They’ve been malleable and flexible and supportive of my acting career,” Weber said of the ensuing decade. “So any time I’ve got a random gig that takes me to Chicago or Utah or South Dakota or any of the places I’ve filmed and I tell them I need a few weeks off, they’ve been very cool about it. I consider myself very lucky to be able to bounce back and forth between the two biggest passions in my life, sports and acting.”

Now, of course, things have changed. He has had small roles in “Law & Order,” “The Blacklist,” “Gotham” and “The Knick” and received New York Innovative Theatre Award nomination for his work in “Plan G.” But now, he’s established and “Black Rabbit” is garnering Emmy buzz.

“It’s definitely changed my day-to-day. ” Weber, 36, said. “A Celtics player (Josh Minott) asked for a photo with me on the court after the game. That’s been fun seeing the NBA players’ reactions as they come into town and piece it together. It’s been life-changing, for sure. It’s led to two feature films that I’ve filmed already that were only made because of ‘Black Rabbit.’ … I’m taking a few selfies every day with people on the street that recognize me from the show. So I’m definitely grateful.”

The “juggling,” as Weber describes it, has led to some interesting intersections between the jobs. For example, early in the series, Law’s character takes his son to Barclays Center for a game, his son dressed in a Nets’ jersey. He even says, “We love the Nets.” Casual viewers might have seen that and knowing Weber’s connection thought producers had chosen Barclays instead of, say, Madison Square Garden. Not so.

“When I saw what was happening, I told a few people at Barclays, ‘I hear there’s a show filming here Monday,’ and they were like, ‘Yeah. How do you know about that?’ I was like, ‘Well, I’m in the show,’” Weber told Lewis. “I don’t think anyone realized how big it was. They know I’ve done little things here and there. I don’t think anyone realized how crazy that moment was except for me.

“But yeah, in hindsight, now everyone’s been like, ‘Wow, that was crazy. What are the odds that you ended up filming at Barclays?’ Between that and the character knowing ASL (American Sign Language,) it was really one of those meant-to-be things.”

Weber’s big scene is when Junior Mancuso tries to convince his father to let him kill Vince Friedkin, Bateman’s character. Kotsur, the actor who plays the mob boss, is deaf as is his character. Weber, as it turns out, is fluent in sign language (ASL.) Weber’s sister Crystal uses it to communicate with family members and Weber’s mother uses ASL professionally. The sign language adds to the scene’s authenticity.

[Crystal] has been one of my biggest supporters from afar, for sure. It’s been really lovely,” Weber said. “Most of my family binged [the show] the night it came out. And both my mom, who is a sign language interpreter, as well as my sister were both very helpful any time I had a question in terms of ASL, dialect or tendencies.”

It was also one of those moments when Weber understood that, yes, he had arrived.

“Those scenes in that basement … That was super-special, just because of how full circle that moment felt getting to use ASL,” Weber said. “Acting with some of the biggest names in the industry, that was a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

And just as the Nets weren’t aware of his role, Bateman and Law didn’t know about his Nets connection until he told them. Nets fans in the know also enjoyed how Bateman’s character lost all that money betting on the Knicks. At one point, Law’s character realizes the extent of his brother’s gambling and exclaims “you all of Mom’s money on the Knicks,“ to which Bateman’s character notes with disgust and an expletive that it was Julius Randle’s fault. (Some Nets fans may have been able to stifle a laughing fit. Not this one.)

Weber also admitted to Lewis how he was able to get Nic Claxton some notoriety.

“When we are on set in the [Kotsur character’s basement] … obviously he’s running an illegal gambling operation,” Weber said. “There were player names up and down the board that our designers and production crew had decorated, and there weren’t any Nets players listed. So I said, ‘Hey, any chance we can slip a little Easter egg in here for my boy Nic Claxton and get his name on the board?’”

Weber is also not reluctant to express support for his team and his bosses, engaging in some back-and-forth with our Anthony Puccio a few months back, saying of the Knicks trade in June 2024, “[Sean] Marks ran a master class on the Bridges trade” and at another point noting, “Sean and Jordy are incredible leaders. I get what it looks like, but only time will tell, my friend.”

For the moment, at least, Weber is still working with the equipment crew, happy to continue as a Nets employee AND an actor. He even notes that there have been moments where the two overlapped. The Nets may not have known about his “Black Rabbit” role but since he joined them in 2014, they’ve known about his acting jones.

He recalled how once they were shorthanded on a West Coast trip and Weber happened to be filming a pilot in Los Angeles so he pulled double duty going to then-Staples Center.

“There were definitely some crazy days where I was spending eight or 10 hours at one location filming, and then doing another eight or 10 at the arena,” Weber said. “It’s been a juggling act for sure.”

But better juggling than struggling.

• Meet the longtime Nets staffer who’s also stealing scenes as a Hollywood actor ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-feat...-actor-used-a-brooklyn-nets-job-as-a-side-gig

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Nets can’t capitalize on Noah Clowney’s career-night, lose to Knicks 113-100

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the Brooklyn Nets could use the time off. Tonight, they played their third game in four days, three cities, and two countries. That didn’t help them when they faced the New York Knicks, who’ve played just two in their last five days.

Jordi Fernández would be the last one to excuse a weak effort from his team on the account of burnout or fatigue. The day he does that is the Nets Twitter collectively agrees on Cam Thomas’ value.

But Fernández didn’t get that from his guys tonight. They didn’t lack drive or focus, just the talent to hang with their crosstown rival, and we’re all okay with that … at least until the NBA Draft Lottery six months from now.

Be that as it may, it was Brooklyn who led early in this second battle of the boroughs. The Knicks, supposedly now known for their offense, started the game just 3-of-11 from the field. The Nets came out switching, and all defenders were ready for every Jalen Brunson jab step and head fake in the opening minutes.

Brooklyn’s offense was no model of efficiency either, but it was one of resiliency, and good enough to have them up two after the end of the first. The Nets tallied seven second chance points in the quarter, surely benefitting from Mitchell Robinson’s absence. Fresh off his big game, Tyrese Martin was a big part of that, notching two first-quarter offensive boards to lead the team. Clowney led in the scoring department with eight, catching and stepping into a three right over Jordan Clarkson a few seconds before the horn. That wasn’t he last one he made either…

.@NoahClowney….YOU BET!

8 points in the 1Q for Stretch pic.twitter.com/HVPfxvUonm

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 25, 2025

Jalen Wilson and Drake Powell joined Martin as the sixth, seventh, and eighth men tonight. They stayed on the floor to begin the second as well, but even with those young lambs running around the perimeter, it was the bigs that New York targeted in the second.

Clowney’s already made notable strides this season by leveraging his size like a true big would, but defending larger centers backing him down against the basket might never be his forte. The Knicks sure thought that too, isolating Karl Anthony Towns on him a handful of times in the first half, even their first two possessions of the game. In fairness, KAT also took Day’Ron Sharpe and Nic Claxton the rack once or twice, but it all added up to 28 first half point in the paint for New York and a 51-48 halftime lead.

The Knicks led by as many as a dozen in the second period but struggled everywhere else outside of the paint, hitting just three mid-range shots and going 3-of-14 from deep in the first half. That was enough to mask Michael Porter Jr.’s rocky start to the game. While MPJ has a God-given talent for hitting jumpers nobody else can (or should) get off, in the first half, he just looked like a regular guy taking bad shots, shooting just 4-of-12 from the field. Regardless, his backup on the depth chart, Ziaire Williams, logged a DNP.

Fernández said that Williams had no injury concerns and that it was his decision to keep him vaulted.

“I wanted to challenge him with his defense,” he said. “Last year, he was elite at a lot of the things that we care about defensively, from ball pressure, to deflections, to being bigger on defense, to defending isolations, and he was huge. I haven’t felt that energy, and then I can go through the numbers, and they were not there. So, I challenged him to do it.

“I wasn’t all the way happy with the last two games, and I just gave the chance to JWil, who has always been ready. Whether I play him more or less, he’s always there for his teammates. It is not about me being right or wrong. It’s just about giving an opportunity to somebody else to refocus, to be ready for the next opportunity, and when it comes, take it, sustain it and be the best defensive player on the team.”

While not to the level of Ziaire’s, Dëmin also had a quiet first half. He put in just five points, but did get two off a steal from Mikal Bridges. For any Brooklyn fans still sour over his exit, please watch and enjoy…

Egor Dëmin steal → Egor Dëmin bucket pic.twitter.com/jEewWene24

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 25, 2025

New York got it back up to double digits roughly halfway through the third. Brunson and Towns operated individually for much of the first half, but brought in a few points together via their two-man game there. The Knicks also matched their 3-point output for the entire first half less than eight minutes into the third. You knew they would eventually start making them, and that’s exactly what happened, going 6-of-10 from deep in the frame. Powell may have gotten the last one, stepping back on Tyler Kolek to nail his second triple of the quarter at the buzzer, but the Nets still went into the fourth behind by an 89-75 score.

Clowney, however, blamed the swing on the slow pace they moved at when they came back out of the tunnel.

“I think immediately, when we came out, instead of trying to get the quick hits in transition and playing in the flow of the game, we immediately slowed down and went into half court sets instead of what we were doing to keep us in the game in the first place,” he said. “I think that’s been a common trend in a lot of games. You don’t really want to slow down with a team like that.”

Fernández went with Martin, Wilson, Clowney, Sharpe, and Powell to open the fourth, who got it back to a 10-point game with 10:24 to go. Powell continued to target Kolek and get good results in the process. He finished with 15 points and four assists, shooting 5-10 from the field and 2-6 from deep. Both the assists and points were career-high that he’ll surely surpass.

“I consider him a very, very good defender with a really high ceiling defensively, and I’m going to keep challenging to be better,” Fernández said of the UNC product. “Then, offensively, he saw the ball go in tonight. He’s got to keep trusting the shot…He’s got to be comfortable shooting it a little faster. This is just going to come to time and work, which I think will be okay, but I’m happy with how he looked out there. Ended up shooting six threes. Could have shot a few more, but I like the way he played. He looked free out there.”

Another tough make from Drake Powell. He's picking on Kolek here in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/AL7LBfcsVL

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) November 25, 2025

Not long after, KAT finished and-one. He took a tough fall in the process though, and after hitting the free throw, Ariel Hukporti got up off the bench, assumedly ready to come in for New York’s best player all night.

But what seemed like a faint opportunity for the Nets to come back quickly revealed itself to be anything but. Without a dead ball to bring him out, Towns stayed in and hit a deep three a few plays later. That propelled New York on a 7-2 jolt that put the Nets behind 19 with 6:37 to play.

That essentially pushed the game beyond Brooklyn’s reach, but they still poked and clawed at it, and got Clowney a career-night in the process. After knocking in three more triples in the fourth, he reached career-bests in scoring (31 PTS) and threes made (7) for a game.

Towns was the only one to score more than him tonight, reaching 37 points by the end of the evening. Still, Clowney had dueled a guy known by many as the best shooting center of all-time, using his favorite weapon against him in the process. That’s a win for him, even if he didn’t recognize it.

“I didn’t look at it that way,” Clowney said of going toe-to-toe with KAT. “I looked at it as a team game and their team beat our team, to be honest.”

For these Nets, that’s also a win, even if he and the standings don’t recognize that either.

Final: New York Knicks 113, Brooklyn Nets 100

Rodney Rogers honored​

The Barclays Center held a moment of silence for New Jersey Net and Wake Forest legend Rodney Rogers before tonight’s game. He passed away last week at age 54. Rogers was a major part of New Jersey’s deep postseason runs in 2003 and 2004.

The Nets held a moment of silence at Barclays Center before tonight's game for Rodney Rogers pic.twitter.com/U2iWOOSavd

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) November 25, 2025

Milestone Watch​

• In his career-high scoring night, Noah Clowney also joined Michael Porter Jr. (five times) and Cam Thomas (twice) as the only Nets with 30+ points in a game this season.
• Drake Powell reached 15 points, tying his career high that he set on November 9 at MSG, also against the Knicks. They are the first two games of his career with 10+ points. He also has a career-best four assists tonight.
• Prior to the game, Jordi Fernandez also had positive things to say about 19th pick Nolan Traore’s 28-point G League outburst this weekend:
  “Very good performance. [I’m] very happy. I texted [Nolan]. I watched the game,” Fernandez said on Monday. “We want to play a competitive and winning game of basketball. It starts with the habits. I know he saw the ball go in, which are things you can’t always control. But you can control taking the right shots, make the right play. I think he had a 9-3 assist-to-turnover ratio, which is very good, so all those things are positive. Same with Danny [Wolf]. You know, those consistent steps and we want to see this group competing at a high level, too.”

Next Up​

After a three-day holiday pause, Nets will host the Philadelphia 76ers at home on Black Friday at 7:30 p.m. Philly smoked Brooklyn by 20+ point earlier this month. They’ve since cooled off, sitting at 9-7 in slotted into a Play-In position at the time of writing. They’ll probably view this contest as a “get right” game — the Nets will do their best to make it anything but.

• Boxscore: New York Knicks 113, Brooklyn Nets 100 – NBA
• Game Highlights: New York Knicks 113, Brooklyn Nets 100 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernández after 113-100 loss to the Knicks (Video) – YES Network
• Noah Clowney on the Nets loss (Video) – YES Network
• Drake Powell after 113-100 loss to the Knicks (Video) – YES Network
• Isola previews the upcoming schedule (Video) – Frank Isola & Nancy Newman – YES Network
• Knicks beat Nets 113-100 for 12th straight win over Brooklyn – AP
• Karl Anthony-Towns leads Knicks to 12th straight win over Nets – Reuters
• Knicks extend dominance over Nets to historic level as Karl-Anthony Towns pours in 37 points – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Mitchell Robinson’s agent playing role in Knicks center’s load management plan – Stefan Bondy – New York Post
• Karl-Anthony Towns dominates as Knicks top Nets despite Noah Clowney’s career night ($) – Kristian Winfield – New York Daily News
• Kristian Winfield: Karl-Anthony Towns’ 37-point night right on time for Knicks’ struggling star ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Tyrese Martin is making his case with the Nets ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets rookie Nolan Traore earns Jordi Fernandez praise after 28-point performance in G League – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
• Nets’ Jordi Fernandez explains Ziaire Williams not playing vs. Knicks – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...nicks-113-100-noah-clowney-karl-anthony-towns

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Drake Powell, no longer a reach, showing two-way upside for Brooklyn Nets

Drake Powell entered the NBA with a label he didn’t ask for.

After being selected, No. 22 overall in June’s NBA draft, the UNC product was tagged by some executives as the draft’s biggest “reach” in ESPN’s overall draft survey that polled over 20 anonymous NBA executives and scouts, asking for their thoughts on the incoming rookie class for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Sure, he had been projected a lot higher coming out of high school when the worldwide leader had him as the No. 14 college recruit and other recruiting services had him at No. 9 and 11 nationally. But the word was his freshman year at North Carolina was deemed a disappointment. So he dropped, thus the “reach” tag.

In ESPN’s final mock draft, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo had Powell, then 19, projected as an early second round pick, at No. 32, to be specific. But Nets scouts and the front office thought more highly of him, taking him 10 spots earlier. Thus the “reach.”

But the early returns tell a completely different story. In the middle of a rough 3-14 start for the Nets, Powell’s flashes have stood out as one of Brooklyn’s few genuine bright spots.

His upside was on full display Monday night at the Barclays Center as Brooklyn hosted their crosstown rivals, the New York Knicks.

Coming off the bench, Powell tied his career-high in points with 15, coupled with four assists and a steal on 64% true shooting throughout 24 minutes.

Drake Powell tonight:

15 Points
4 Assists
1 Steal
64 TS%

Baller pic.twitter.com/fguerEbLjz

— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) November 25, 2025

Coming off the bench, the 20-year-old has played at least 14 minutes in nine straight games, as Sharif Phillips-Keaton noted. In seven of the nine, he’s played 20 or more.

“Just out there playing basketball, trying to be aggressive, and just trusting myself, my teammates, and my coaches,” Powell said of his stellar performance Monday night. “Versatility is a big thing for me, and I do my best to make the right basketball play.”

Drake Powell finished with 15 points off the bench against the Knicks. The guard discusses the game with @Meghan_Triplett and the rest of the media. #NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/Benb0DHQRG

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) November 25, 2025

“As we go, he’s gonna continue to understand the league [and] the schemes, especially defensively,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernández said of Powell, per Brian Lewis. “I consider him a very, very good defender with a really high ceiling defensively, and I’m gonna keep challenging him to be better.”

After nine games back on the floor, following his recovery from an ankle injury that he suffered during Brooklyn’s season-opening 136-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Powell continues to look more confident and poised in each outing, which is evident on the stat sheet and in the eyes of his head coach.

“I’m happy with how he looked out there,” Fernández said. “He looked free out there, having fun [and] playing really hard. We’ve got to continue taking really positive steps with him.”

Offensively, he has been efficient, converting 50.9% of his field goal attempts while knocking down 38.1% of his opportunities from beyond the arc across 11 games. Going into the Nets Black Friday game vs. the 76ers, he’s averaging 6.9 points in 18.9 minutes.

“He’s got to keep trusting his shot,’’ Fernández said. “He’s got to be comfortable shooting a little bit faster. That just comes with time and work. I think he’ll be OK.”

On the defensive end, his impact is already easy to feel. The Durham, N.C., native ranks second on the team in steal rate at 2.4%. His jaw-dropping 43” max vertical and 7-foot wingspan gives him the tools to keep piling up takeaways, particularly on the perimeter. He’s already disrupting passing lanes, switching across matchups, and holding his own against multiple positions, which are signs of a highly athletic defender who’s only beginning to scratch the surface of what he can be, as Fernandez noted.

Watch Drake Powell on this defensive possession. pic.twitter.com/mIcOAKGXDN

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 15, 2025

Moreover, he’s no longer pigeon-holed as a 3-and-D (and mostly D) as he was at North Carolina. Fernandez has him playing backup point behind Egor Demin. That’s ironic considering when draftniks analyzed the Nets five first rounders, they noted that Powell was the only one of the Flatbush 5 to not play the point!

His teammates believe they’ve seen a different Powell in recent weeks.

“We’ve seen him throughout the summer, so we knew what he was capable of,” Noah Clowney said. “Toward the end of the summer, we started putting him in different positions where he was handling it a lot more. So, yeah, most of it we’ve seen before. He’s just showing y’all all that now.”

Where he’ll wind up is yet to be determined but as Powell noted, he likes to be versatile. He credits Nets assistant Corey Vinson who specializes in player development for guiding him.

“It’s been great. My player development coach, Corey Vinson, he’s been great,” Powell said. “We have multiple film meetings, and those are very important to me. I want to continue to buy into those because I think that’ll help translate onto the floor.”

At the moment, he’s playing the second most minutes of the five rookies and will likely continue pile up time on the court. That’s less of a reach.

• Drake Powell is showing the Nets just a tantalizing hint of what he can bring – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ Drake Powell discusses growing confidence in offensive game – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY
• Nets are unlocking a new Drake Powell ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...each-showing-two-way-upside-for-brooklyn-nets

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Blessings and Turkeys: ProfessorB’s Thanksgiving Review

The Nets have reached the Thanksgiving break with a 3-14 record, 6 games out of the play-in (and 1.5 games
out of the cellar, for those who celebrate). Their schedule so far has been a couple points tougher than
average, but even taking that into account, they are half a dozen points worse than the Eastern Conference’s
worst play-in teams. With 20% of the season complete, it’s a good time for some reflections. In the spirit of the
season, let’s alternate some blessings with the more obvious turkeys.

Blessing: Defensive improvement. In the first 8 games of the season, the Nets gave up an embarrassing 125.1
points per 100 possessions. Since then, they’ve held opponents to just 120.4. We’ve seen fewer players looking
lost, blowing assignments, and trotting back on defense.
Turkey: Need for defensive improvement. While 120.4 is better than 125.1, it is still worse than any NBA
defense has done over an entire season in the past 30 years. Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, and Cam
Thomas are all among the very worst defenders in the league. The team’s best defenders, Tyrese Martin and
Day’Ron Sharpe, are only a little better than league average. Defensive schemes can only take you so far.

Blessing: Rookies showing flashes. Egor Demin and Drake Powell are both getting consistent minutes and
looking increasingly comfortable on the court. Demin is 11th in the 2025 draft class in minutes played, 11th in
points, 9th in rebounds, and 4th in assists. Powell is 15th in minutes, 16th in points, 22nd in rebounds, and
13th in assists. Two long-term pieces?
Turkey: Rookies exiled to Long Island. Ben Saraf started the first five games of the season, but has played just
6 minutes since. He is 27th in the 2025 draft class in minutes played; Nolan Traore is 39th and Danny
Wolf—the oldest of the Nets’ rookies—is 42nd, with just 8 minutes of garbage time. At what point does
“bringing them along slowly” become “maybe next year”?

Blessing: Getting to the line. The Nets are 5th in the league in free throw attempts, with 27.1 per 100
possessions (up from 21.3 last season). That’s especially impressive with Thomas, a good foul-drawer, having
missed half the games so far. Nic Claxton, Sharpe, Porter, and Clowney are all shooting 8.7 to 6.7 free throws
per 100.
Turkey: Sending opponents to the line. The Nets are dead last in the league with 21.3 personal fouls per 100
possessions. Sharpe is the team “leader” in this regard, as he has been throughout his career; but Terance
Mann, Powell, and Ziaire Williams are all committing more than 5 fouls per 100.

Blessing: Michael Porter Jr.’s offense. Porter has been on a tear, averaging 36.7 points per 100 possessions on
efficient .607 true-shooting despite a career-high 29.2% usage rate. His offensive EPM rating is +3.4 points per
100 possessions, 18th best in the league. Welcome to the Nets!

Turkey: Michael Porter Jr.’s defense. Porter gives back most of that offensive contribution on the other end of
the floor. His defensive EPM rating is -2.1, 4th worst in the entire NBA. This is why the Nuggets chose to dump
Porter and pay Aaron Gordon (+3.1 offensive EPM, +1.2 defensive EPM).
Blessing: Shot selection. The Nets are taking 48% of their shots from behind the arc, the third-highest 3PA rate
in the league. So far, they are only connecting on 33.5% of those attempts, well below the league average of
35.8% (and far below the 39.5% they are giving up). But the looks are there—80% of those 3PAs have been
“open” or “wide open” (no defender within 4 feet).
Turkey: Transition offense. The Nets are 28th in pace, 27th in points off turnovers, and dead last in fast break
points—almost 5 points per 100 possessions behind average NBA teams. If easy points seem few and far
between, that’s why. Their 27th-ranked fast break defense feels even worse than it is due to the contrast.

Blessing: 17 games closer to the draft lottery. Each of the three worst teams gets a 40% chance of a top-three
pick. We hear there might be some promising talent there.
Turkey: 65 more to go. Is the novelty of losing wearing off yet?

Blessing: Turkey. And gravy. Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-analysis/102191/blessings-and-turkeys-professorbs-thanksgiving-review

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Danny Wolf’s double-double, Nolan Traore’s 17 points power Long Island past College Park

What started as an ugly game all around turned into one of the most dominant wins for Long Island of the season Wednesday night vs. the College Park Skyhawks in suburban Atlanta. Behind Danny Wolf’s double-double and Nolan Traore’s 17 points, Long Island walked out of Georgia with the dominant, 125-101 victory.

Wolf continued to play electric basketball. He connected on seven of his 15 shot attempts and finished with 15 points. Wolf continued to be a double-double machine as he hauled in another double-digit rebound game, finishing with 10. The way Wolf has been playing, the question is how soon he’ll get reps in Brooklyn.

Double-Double Danny strikes again pic.twitter.com/UDMaxBLBEl

— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) November 27, 2025

Most impressively about Wolf’s game was his ability to haul in offensive rebounds. He grabbed six offensive rebounds on Wednesday, which not only led the team but also led the game, rather comfortably. David Muoka brought in three rebounds offensively. Last season, before trading for Drew Timme, Long Island didn’t have that walking rebounder. This year, Wolf has filled that gap in more ways than one.

Season-high 24 points for Malachi Smith tonight at @CPSkyhawks pic.twitter.com/4dze9rfucF

— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) November 27, 2025

Wolf also finished with three assists and two steals. One of the biggest positives for Wolf in this game didn’t have to do with his points or rebounding. It was the fact that Wolf protected the ball so much better. Last game, Wolf had eight turnovers. Fast forward to Wednesday, and he only had one. However, not everything was perfect.

Wolf did have one of his worst games shooting from beyond the arc. He connected on just one of his seven shot attempts. This was by far the worst on the team from deep, and one of his worst performances from beyond the arc in the early going of the Tip-Off Tournament. Nonetheless, a positive performance from Wolf.

From one part of the Flatbush 5 to another, Nolan Traore had a much quieter game than he did on Monday, connecting on six of his 15 shot attempts, including going 3-of-9 from deep, to finish with 17 points. He also picked up four rebounds and three assists in Long Island’s victory.

Traore, who was trending in the right direction protecting the ball, upped his turnover total in this one, finishing with five.

The Long Island bench played a pivotal role in this game, with their top point scorer coming from the bench. Malachi Smith, the 6’4” 25-year-old shooting guard, finished the game with 24 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Smith was averaging roughly 5.0 ppg coming into this one.

Season-high 24 points for Malachi Smith tonight at @CPSkyhawks pic.twitter.com/4dze9rfucF

— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) November 27, 2025

Nate Williams, who the Nets got in return for Timme, continued his solid play in this one, finishing second on the team in points with 21. The 6’5” 25-year-old guard connected on five of his 11 shots, including three-of-seven from deep. He also had four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, continuing to be a ball hawk for Long Island.

“I’ve always been a good defender,” Williams told NetsDaily earlier this week. “Especially on the ball. So, it’s no surprise to me. I’ve guarded some of the best guys in the world, and did a good job on them. So, this, in the G League, doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Should Williams continue his positive play, could he be in the running for the third and final two-way spot? More on that coming soon…

Trevon Scott, Long Island’s power forward, finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, securing a double-double. Perhaps even more impressively for Scott’s game, he matched his career-high in three-pointers with four. Scott went 4-for-6 from deep and connected on seven of his 13 overall.

Tre Scott put up 18 points with 10 rebounds and matched his NBA G League career high with 4 three-pointers pic.twitter.com/PrHmLt37xC

— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) November 27, 2025

Overall, there were many positive developments from this game, especially with Wolf and Traore. Six of Long Island’s players, four starters and two bench pieces, scored in the double digits. Two of the six, Smith and Williams, got over twenty. This was a very positive all-around win for the team, and Brooklyn fans have to be happy with how Wolf and Traore have looked as of late in the G League.

Next Up​

The Long Island Nets (3-4) return to the court to try and get themselves back to .500 on Saturday night as they return home to face off with old friend AJ Lawson and the undefeated Toronto Raptors 905. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on RokuTV and the Gotham Sports app.

• Boxscore: Long Island Nets 125, College Park Skyhawks 101 – G League

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/longislan...17-points-power-long-island-past-college-park

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers preview: post-turkey

Hoping all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families.

After the short holiday break, the Nets are now back in business, as the fan base hopes that all the turkey and mac and cheese can give the players some needed energy to push through the season as we enter the last month of 2025.

Tonight in some NBA Cup action , Brooklyn will be taking on the Philadelphia 76ers (9-8), who are coming off a disastrous 41-point loss to the Orlando Magic. Core NBA fans know that if the 76ers can be fully healthy, they would be a force to be reckoned with. But until then, the Nets (who have some injuries themselves), will look to take advantage for the I-95 classic.

Where to Watch

Catch the action at 7:30 p.m. ET on both NBA League Pass and the YES Network, as well as streaming on the Gotham Sports App.

Injuries

MPJ (low back tightness), Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), and Haywood Highsmith (knee) will all be out. Ben Saraf (ankle) is available after missing two weeks to an ankle injury. Danny Wolf who was called up Friday morning, is also available. No word on the seriousness of Porter Jr.’s back issue.

For the 76ers, Joel Embiid (knee), high-flying rookie V.J. Edgecombe (calf), former Net Trendon Watford (adductor), Adem Bona (ankle), and Kelly Oubre (knee) will all be oit. Paul George is questionable due to his ankle.

The Game

In the last matchup on November 2, the 76ers toyed with the Nets throughout the entirety of the game as they cruised to a 129-105 win at Barclays. Since then, the Nets have been playing decidedly better and Philly is even more injury-riddled that normal. Of course, Brooklyn is missing key players as well.

For the Nets, they will be without the two stars who are responsible for creating some type of offense for the team. Now, it is one thing to be without Cam Thomas, since he’s been gone for 10 games and three weeks to this point. But now, the injury bug has hit Michael Porter Jr. who is quietly putting up the best numbers of his career at 24.3 points on 48/36/83 shooting splits. There have even been games where he has been the Nets’ main playmaker. With that being said, Egor Demin will have to play more minutes and be more effective on the offensive end with limited options. After a career-high 31 points vs. New York, Noah Clowney will need to have another career game as more looks will be coming his way with MPJ and Thomas out. Another thing to watch: how many minutes Zaire Williams gets after being DNP’d by Jordi Fernandez vs. the Knicks. No guarantees. The head coach needs more from Williams.

“It’s a very abstract question because I just talked to him and didn’t play him last game,” Fernández told The Post. “So if — whenever he has the next opportunity to play — he consistently does it, then we will see if I was successful or not. If not, it’s not on him; it’s on me to try to find ways for him to perform consistently.”

Making things a bit more difficult for the Brooklyns is the NBA schedule makers’ cruelty. Just last week, the Nets played three games in four days before getting a three-day rest. Well, Friday’s game begins yet another stretch of three games in four days, including a back-to-back this weekend. This time, however, there will be no three-day reward. The Nets will play another three games in four days starting next Wednesday!

Philly has one of the best young backcourts in the league with Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, V.J. Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes who is a pure scorer (averaging 16 points on 45/38/85 on the year). Without Edgecombe, the trio of Maxey, Grimes, and McCain will have to lead their offense in all facets if they want to close out a win.

There are not a lot of games that will be like this, but if there is a game where the Nets have a legit shot at winning, it’s this one.

Player To Watch: Jared McCain

With two nagging injuries after a great rookie season, Jared McCain is slowly becoming himself once again after going down with a meniscus tear last December then a UCL tear in his right thumb during just before training camp. Although he’s still only averaging 5.4 points for the season, over the last three games, McCain has averaged 12.6 points along with more minutes. This so many teammates, including Edgecombe out, expect him to continue this streak as he gets more comfortable as the games go on.

“I think the biggest thing is the 3-balls for me,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said after Sunday’s loss talking about McCain’s need to step up. “I know I keep saying that, but we do need that production from him, and he found some of those as well. I think it’s great that he gets up to 25. I mean, especially with VJ (Edgecombe) not playing, we definitely needed to fill those minutes.”

From the Vault

Tyrese Maxey is leading the NBA in minutes, filling the box score and leading his team. And as if he needed more challenges, NBC Sports had a new and different one on Thanksgiving Day. Maxey, a known lover of dogs and quite familiar with agility, hosted the National Dog Show’s canine agility challenge.

Best in show indeed!

More reading: Liberty Ballers, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Philadelphia 76ers Game Notes – Philadelphia 76ers
• 76ers visit Nets Friday in NBA Cup group stage – AP
• Jordi Fernandez benched Nets’ Ziaire Williams in hopes of sparking his defensive potential – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Young Nets team rife with question marks around veteran leaders – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Inside Noah Clowney’s rise from prospect to Nets starter ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets rookie first-round pick nearing return from extended injury absence – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-game...ets-vs-philadelphia-76ers-preview-post-turkey

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Nets struggle without Porter, lose to 76ers 115-103 as Demin scores 23

The Philadelphia 76ers were not in a giving mood this Black Friday. Having already squandered their 6-1 start to the season by going 3-7 since, Philly entered the Barclays Center as desperate as a shopper sleeping outside a store ahead this retail-related national “holiday.”And the Nets, like many unfortunate bystanders before online shopping took over, got trampled.

Brooklyn had to handle Philly without their leading scorer as well. Michael Porter Jr sat out his first game of the season tonight. He was the one with back tightness, but it was the Nets on the floor who looked stiff.

As we all know by now, MPJ carries a rare skillset which often allows him to turn possessions going nowhere into two or three points. It’s been useful so far this year considering the limited offensive firepower the Nets have rostered, but tonight, without he or Cam Thomas, driving down the floor became like driving down a dead-end road.

Brooklyn did its best to avoid getting in those situations early on. Even with a healthy MPJ or CT out there, it’s not like Jordi Fernández wants every possession to end with a desperation heave, but the Nets seemed to make an even stronger effort to avoid those situations tonight, playing an aggressive brand of offense, unafraid to let it fly early in the shot clock.

It was a chess move that made sense, but didn’t render an advantage. The Nets started the game 1-of-10 from deep, 8-of-22 from the field, and fell behind the 76ers 31-23 after the first. Their lack of shooting, spacing and ball-handling also caught up to them down the stretch of the frame, where the Nets committed five turnovers.

Egor Dëmin, forced to face Philly’s tight ball-pressure, was among the many who struggled early, giving away one possession and starting 0-of-3 from the field. In fact, at the end of the first half, the scoreboard showed a goose egg. He also faced matchup nightmares at the other end dealing with the far more athletic Quentin Grimes and Tyrese Maxey, who combined for 41 points tonight.

“They’re really good players, which is not an excuse for myself or any body else, definitely, and I think that’s my next step where I have to really get on the next level to guard players like that, who are really quick, really aggressive, physical, and they’ve been in the league for a while,” Demin said. “That’s kind of a goal for myself.”

Dëmin would have more to say on the court later on, but things got worse before that. Brooklyn’s weak start was enough to make Philly comfortable starting Kyle Lowry to begin the second quarter, who has played a total of three minutes all season so far for Philly. He didn’t do a whole lot out there, but his teammates quickly pushed the contest into blowout territory.

You all know Paul George, who added six in the period. But Brooklyn also got beat by Adem Bona in the second, who contributed six points and outscored each still struggling Net minus Nic Claxton and Tyrese Martin. This made it one of Brooklyn’s more frustrating quarters after putting together several promising ones over the past few weeks, even if they were outscored in them.

“I think the biggest challenge is to ask the team to play hard and play focused, and we’re back to square one,” Jordi Fernández said. “And it happens…But when you are asking to play really hard and stay focused, you’re not coaching. Right now, that’s a little of what we have. The last three games there was maybe some sort of like, we felt good because we were better in that five game stretch, and the Boston game was the beginning of that five game stretch. Then, we started a new one, and go to Toronto, not ready, come back with the Knicks, the energy level’s not all the way through, and tonight we start. We have to just be responsible, all of us, on how we approach games and all that stuff.”

Roughly halfway through the second, Terance Mann didn’t crash the class with enough urgency, allowing Bona to swoop in, push him aside, and grab a rebound that he then flushed to give the 76ers a 13-point lead around the eight minute mark of the third. Terance Mann did redeem himself a few minutes later, snatching and offensive rebound off a missed free throw to help his team put together as gritty of a 3-point play as you’ll find.

However, the Sixer advantage ballooned to as many as 20 in the period. The Philly offense benefitted significantly from Brooklyn’s poor shooting, rebounding and running to pull in 13 fast break points in the second. They reached 31 by the end of the game. The Philly guards continued to generate easy offense in the half court as well, taking turns blowing by Mann, Dëmin, and even Drake Powell, who’s received high praise for his two-way capabilities this season. No matter. The Net offense mustered .385/.211 splits in the first half and went into the break down 63-48.

Also of note, Danny Wolf checked in the first non-garbage time minutes of his career in period two, coming off the bench around the six minute mark of it. He played alongside Claxton and Clowney, likely making that Brooklyn’s biggest lineup of the season. He played even more in the second half, eventually logging 12 minutes, five points, five rebounds, and two assists.

“I thought he looked super confident, and I really liked the way he got on the court, just really confident, like he’s been there before,” Dëmin said of his fellow rookie. “He’s been playing basketball for a while and he’d been in college for a couple of years so he knows how it is. I thought he was ready and he had some impact, for sure.”

Wolf said after the game that no one had told him he’d be playing his first extended NBA minutes only hours following his call-up from Long Island where he had averaged 20 and 10 over seven games.

“I was just waiting, and they say be ready, but you don’t really know what that entails,” he told the media. “My feet were under me better in the 2nd half. Towards the end, I finally felt like myself.”

Our closest resemblance of a competitive contest came in the third, where the Nets enjoyed an extended 11-2 run in the heart of the period. Brooklyn matched its total output of threes in the entire first half (4) roughly seven minutes into the third.

Ziaire Williams was a big part of that run. He got his first start of the season after Jordi Fernández neglected to play him at all last time out.

“I wanted to challenge him with his defense,” Fernández said Monday. “Last year, he was elite at a lot of the things that we care about defensively, from ball pressure, to deflections, to being bigger on defense, to defending isolations, and he was huge. I haven’t felt that energy, and then I can go through the numbers, and they were not there. So, I challenged him to do it…It is not about me being right or wrong. It’s just about giving an opportunity to somebody else to refocus, to be ready for the next opportunity, and when it comes, take it, sustain it and be the best defensive player on the team.”

Jordi Fernández’s couldn’t speak postgame on how satisfied he was with Williams’ redemption efforts tonight, noting that he needs to go back and watch the film first, but that shot from him had Barclays Center at its loudest Friday night.

Low bar, but Nets offense looking it's best here in the third. BKN cuts it to 10. We may get a game after all. pic.twitter.com/NbfaNSKQjs

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) November 29, 2025

Well, not counting the ovation for Queen Latifah. Yeah, it’s just that kind of a season.

The next three came off Dëmin’s fingertips and briefly brought the Philly lead back to single digits, but the Sixers then swung back with a 5-0 jolt. They pushed it back up to as many as 19 in the period and 15 with only a few seconds left in the quarter. However, that was enough time for Tyrese Martin to get off a heave at the buzzer, which make it an 87-75 game entering the final frame.

Speed.
Pace.
Skill.

Tyrese Martin (16 PTS) beats the 3Q buzzer!

PHI-BKN • East Group B@emirates NBA Cup on NBA League Pass pic.twitter.com/XBbEJ6Hrxx

— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2025

Martin hit another one at the top of the key to begin the fourth which again made it a 10-point contest, but the Sixers did the same thing the last time Brooklyn got close — stiff-arming their comeback attempts until they reached the goal line.

In the time to spare, Fernández went the pro-rebuild route at first…

Danny Wolf and Drake Powell running the break. pic.twitter.com/xdDe5K3TKm

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 29, 2025

But even after putting back the starters back in, Fernández found a way to get the best of both worlds, as the final minutes were Dëmin’s best of the game. He scored 15 points in the fourth, sneaking his way into a career-high 23 points for the night after shooting 8-of-18 from the field and 5-of-14 from deep. He also mixed in five assists and nine rebounds.

It wasn’t enough to challenge for a win, but enough salvage an otherwise rough night for a team prioritizing the future above all else. While they didn’t get a bargain, they didn’t walk away empty-handed.

Final: Philadelphia 76ers 115, Brooklyn Nets 103

Injury Report​

Michael Porter Jr. missed his first game of the season tonight with low back tightness. While both the Nets and MPJ have a rough history with injuries of that sort, Fernández downplayed it pregame.

“Obviously we’re never gonna rush him,“ he said. ”His health, body, is the number one priority. We’re not concerned. You know, tightness, we’ll see how he feels, and then we’ll give an update after the game.“

Milestone Watch​

• At the end of the third quarter against Philadelphia, Nic Claxton blocked a shot in the third quarter giving him 14 straight games with a block, the longest streak in the NBA this season and tied as the second longest in his career (17 in 2022-23, 14 in 2023-24).
• Terance Mann finished with six assists, his seventh game this season with at least five assists (18 games played), tied as the second most in a season in his career (10 in 81 games with LAC in 2021-22). His season high is seven assists on 11/18 vs BOS.
• Egor Dëmin reached season highs in points (23) and rebounds (nine) to go along with five assists. He is the first Nets rookie with such minimums in a game since Terrence Williams on April 12, 2010 (21 points, 13 rebounds, six assists).
• Dëmin also made five 3-pointers made, tied as the third most by a rookie in franchise history. The record is six, shared by Bojan Bogdanovic April 12, 2015 and Kerry Kittles February 17, 1997.
• Demin’s 23 second half points tied Nets rookie record set by Marcus Williams in 2006-07.
• On a negative note, the Nets are now 0-9 at home for the first time in franchise history. Despite that, the Nets continue to draw big crowds to Barclays Center. On Friday night, the Nets-76ers drew 18,011 fans, meaning nearly 500 had bought standing room only tickets.

Next Up​

The Nets will play the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time this season tomorrow evening at Fiserv Forum. At the time of writing, the Bucks are 8-11, having lost six straight. Uncoincidentally, Giannis Antetokounmpo missed of those with an abductor strain. The Greek Freak did play in MSG Friday night though, so unless the Bucks want to hold him out of back-to-backs right out of the gates, expect him to be there. The game tips off at 8:00 p.m. EST.

• Boxscore: Philadelphia 76ers 115, Brooklyn Nets 103 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Philadelphia 76ers 115, Brooklyn Nets 103 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernàndez discusses Nets’ loss to Sixers (Video) – YES Network
• Egor Dёmin on his impressive performance vs. 76ers (Video) – YES Network
• Frank Isola recaps the Nets’ loss to the 76ers (Video) – Frank Isola & Chris Shearn – YES Network
• Tyrese Maxey scores 22 points, 76ers beat Nets 115-103 – Adry Torres – AP
• Tyrese Maxey fills voids, carries 76ers past Nets – Reuters
• Nets struggle without Michael Porter Jr. during ugly NBA Cup loss to 76ers – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ Egor Demin reacts to 23-point NBA Cup performance against 76ers – Sharif Phillips-Keaton

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scores-results/102298/nets-76ers-115-103-egor-demin-tyrese-martin

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Nets vs. Bucks preview: Milwaukee seeks to avoid historic loss

Still nothing at home. The Brooklyn Nets are still the only team to not win a home game yet this season after they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers last night.

The opponent tonight is battling through some things, but they remain a threat to capture the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks are under .500 at 8-12, but that can be explained due to injuries. They’re closer to full strength, but lost to the New York Knicks at MSG last night, their seventh straight. One more and they tie a franchise record. Will Giannis Antetokounmpo play?

Where to follow the game​

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 8:00 p.m. ET.

Injuries​

No Cam Thomas or Haywood Highsmith. As far as when Cam will be back, check back in week four. Night two of a back-to-back, so we’ll see if anyone else is out. Nolan Traore remains with Long Island who play tonight as well vs. the Raptors 905.

No Kevin Porter Jr or Taurean Prince. And similar to the Nets, this is night two of a back-to-back so we’ll keep an eye out to see if there are any late additions to the injury report. Giannis said after the Bucks loss to the Knicks that he “knows what the protocol is,” coming off a groin injury, but he added, “I know one thing for sure: Tomorrow, I will play more minutes, and I’m going to try to help the team win.”

The game​

As long as the Bucks have one of the five best players in the NBA, they’ll always have a chance. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play at a Hall of Fame level and is the key to their season. As he’s just getting back to action, he won’t have a heavy workload on his shoulders. Even at less than strength, he’s still good for 30/15/8 a game while being hell on wheels going to the basket. Assuming he plays tonight, I’m almost certain his minutes will be around the upper 20s. Night two of a traveling back-to-back and a game with lower stakes than the Cup should equal to a lighter workload tonight. However, if the game is within reach and Giannis feels fine, I’d let him rock out a bit longer.

Indeed, the Bucks are in a shocking, near historic slump, their loss to the Knicks their seventh straight defeat. Giannis is not been pleased with the team’s “competitive spirit.”

“Nobody should have a personal agenda. Nobody should worry about what they want from themselves,” said Antetokounmpo, who sat the previous four games with a groin strain. “Worry only about winning mentality. Winning mindset. The more we can win the games, the more everything takes care of itself.”

If the Nets beat the Bucks? It would tie the franchise’s longest losing streak … ever. Would that spur another round of trade rumors? “I want to win,” he said post-game. “I don’t remember the last time I lost seven in a row.”

All that said, if the league isn’t gonna call flagrant fouls when the big guy gets hacked and yanked, Giannis’ teammates are ready to pick up and handle things

Bobby Portis got heated with Mikal Bridges after he fouled Giannis hard.

BP pic.twitter.com/kK9MENe4E2

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 29, 2025

Good teamwork there.

Where will the scoring come from with Thomas and likely Porter out? Off the bench, that will come from Tyrese Martin. He scored 16 points off the bench last night, and he’s really found his game after a slow start. He recently spoke about that, saying:

“I know I didn’t start the first 10 games how I wanted to and to help this team, and mentally I was messed up, but then I kind of got out of that like five games ago and let myself play free mentally and not think about how I’ve been playing, just how I’m going to play going forward and it’s been working for me.”

If he can keep this pace up, he’ll carve out a nice role for himself in this league.

Gotta admit, seeing Myles Turner outside of Pacers colors is a bit of a mind trip. I’m gonna have to accept that as he’ll be on the Bucks for the foreseeable future. Turner hasn’t had the best start to the season, but he’s always a threat to make defenses pay from deep. Nic Claxton will have the dual tasks of chasing Turner off of the three point line while also providing enough rim protection to make things hard in the paint. The Bucks are eighth in the NBA in field goal percentage inside the restricted area while the Nets are sixth worst in opponent’s field goal percentage in the restricted area. Seems like a bad mix, especially on a back-to-back.

Player to watch: Ryan Rollins​

It’s always fun to watch a young player start putting things together. Rollins has been terrific in his role and has been able to take on more responsibility. He’s got career highs across the board and is someone Doc Rivers trusts late. At just 23 years old, he’s a key part of their future and someone that can hopefully continue to get better.

He’s also someone that’s looking to be a positive in the community, and spent the holidays giving back

Ryan Rollins attended a Friendsgiving at the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center and shared photos and a message on his instagram today.

“We all deserve second chances and I hope the young people felt that importance and sincerity from us.” pic.twitter.com/2bMKa2aDNC

— Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch) November 28, 2025

Salute to that young brother.

Egor Dëmin scored a career high 23 points last night, but he couldn’t fully enjoy it as the game wasn’t all that competitive. Either way, he’ll try to put a good b2b outing together tonight. Without Porter Jr and Thomas, scoring becomes even harder for this Brooklyn group. Will he have to take 18 shots again tonight? Probably, but that’s what the situation calls for right now. The experience for him is what’s going to help down the line if/when the Nets return to competitive play. Treat every day like a lesson and when the real basketball returns, you can apply everything you’ve learned.

From the Vault​

It’s Survivor Series Saturday!

Also, Monday is World AIDS Day. Ones in the air for everyone we’ve lost

More reading: Brew Hoop, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Milwaukee Bucks Game Notes – Milwaukee Bucks
• Bucks take on the Nets on 7-game skid – AP
• Giannis urges Bucks to fix ‘mindset’ after 7th straight loss – Tim Bontemps – ESPN

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-game...review-milwaukee-seeks-to-avoid-historic-loss

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Danny Wolf shines through the chaos in Nets’ ugly 116-99 loss to Bucks

Even in the middle of a mess, something positive can find a way to shine through.

The Brooklyn Nets entered the night looking to capitalize on the struggles of a Milwaukee Bucks team that had dropped seven straight games, but instead found themselves on the wrong end of yet another lopsided loss, falling to Milwaukee 116-99.

They were outmatched from deep, outmuscled in the paint, and undone by their own mental mistakes, finishing with their third-highest turnover total of the season.

The offense was just as stagnant, aside from a few surprise sparks off the bench. Not a single starter reached double figures.

When asked about his team’s defensive struggles, Jordi Fernández pointed to turnovers as a major factor in giving up easy transition points

“We look at the fast-break points and a lot of it is from our turnovers. We knew that they were a very good three-point shooting team,” Fernandez said. “We probably lost the possession game by a lot. It’s impossible to win in the NBA when you give up 16 three’s, 19 second-chance points, 24 off turnovers and 18 fast-break points.”

But despite all the chaos, rookie Danny Wolf gave Brooklyn one of its brightest moments of the season.

Wolf’s Breakout Moment​

The Michigan product knocked down two three-pointers in the first quarter to score the first two field goals of his career and didn’t look back, finishing with a career-high 22 points to go along with four assists and four rebounds. He shot 8-of-16 overall and 5-of-9 from deep.

Wolf made his first four triples of the night and entered the halftime with 17 points as Brooklyn’s leading scorer.

His start from beyond the arc was impressive, but he was also willing to venture into the paint, working through contact and throwing down a dunk over Kyle Kuzma despite the foul.

It’s pretty clear the G League helped his development. The confidence is there, and so is the willingness to trust his unique skill set, even this early in his NBA career. Through seven games on Long Island, Wolf had averaged 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 48.1% from the field.

“It comes down to being ready for when your name is called and taking advantage of the opportunity. Coach Jordi and the staff have been preaching to shoot when you’re open, just letting it fly,” Wolf said after the game. “It’s just trusting my work and trusting the confidence that the coaching staff has in me.”

It was the most points scored in a half by a Nets rookie off the bench since Cam Thomas in 2022. Wolf went 4-for-5 from three, tied for the second-most made triples by a Nets rookie off the bench in franchise history. It was that kind of a night.

“He looked comfortable. His shot looked really good. I’m really proud of him for being ready and performing at at this level,” Fernandez said. “He was one of the reasons why that group came and punched back. It’s good to see because it can never be given to you. He’s been working and he’s been ready. He really took advantage of his minutes and I’m very happy for him.”

He also flashed the playmaking and mobility that made him such an intriguing prospect as a seven-footer, blowing past Giannis Antetokounmpo on the perimeter before finishing over Myles Turner at the rim.

Danny Wolf shakes Giannis and finishes at the rim over Myles Turner.

Yeah, I'm gonna say he's ready for consistent minutes in this Nets rotation. pic.twitter.com/lcvcZcWofe

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 30, 2025

Young Players Stepping Up​

Wolf wasn’t the only rookie to turn heads. Ben Saraf logged a career-high 29 minutes and made the most of them. In just his eighth NBA game, the 19-year-old set new highs in both scoring and passing, finishing with 10 points and seven assists.

“He does a great job at touching the paint and finding his teammates,” said Fernandez, a big proponent of Saraf before the draft. “Seven assists to three turnovers is a pretty good ratio. I still think he can get even better, but that’s what he does. I’m proud of him.”

Noah Clowney also continued to prove that he has expanded his outside shooting ability, knocking down both of his 3-point attempts in the first half. One came curling around a screen set by Tyrese Martin. The Nets are designing plays for him to get open looks, which says a lot about their trust in his shooting development.

After attempting just 1.4 threes per game as a rookie, Clowney quadrupled that number to 5.7 attempts per game last season. Now, he’s ramped it up again to 6.6 attempts per game while maintaining efficiency, shooting 32.2% after shooting 33.3% a year ago.

While Clowney is now in his third NBA season, it’s worth remembering that he’s just 21 years old, and 70 days younger than Wolf.

Reality Of the Night​

Despite the individual flashes, Brooklyn was overwhelmed by Milwaukee’s outside shooting and Antetokounmpo’s dominance in the paint.

The Bucks knocked down 16 three-pointers, tying for the fourth-highest total the Nets have allowed this season.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo did whatever he wanted inside, finishing with 29 points on 80 percent shooting. Nic Claxton can at least give him resistance, but he spent most of the night guarding Turner, leaving Brooklyn without another real answer at the rim.

Ziaire Williams struggled to find any rhythm, confidently letting shots go but seeing very few connect. He finished 1-for-5 from three and scored just five points.

Brooklyn’s bench accounted for nine made threes, but against a Bucks team that controlled nearly every other phase of the game, even that burst of shooting was never enough to change the result.

Injury Report​

Michael Porter Jr. missed his second straight game of the season with low back tightness, and is currently listed as day-to-day.

Jordi Fernandez said Michael Porter Jr. is day-to-day. He did not travel with team to Milwaukee and is receiving proper treatment.

Jordi said the injury is not concerning and when the team feels like he is “guaranteed to play and there’s no risk, he’ll be on the court.”

— Meghan Triplett (@Meghan_Triplett) November 29, 2025

After scoring a career-high 23 points on Friday, rookie Egor Demin was inactive against Milwaukee as he manages a plantar fascia injury that limited him throughout the summer.

Milestone Watch​

• Nic Claxton’s streak of 14 straight games with a block—the longest in the NBA this season and tied for the second-longest of his career—came to an end vs. Philadelphia. He’s now just one block shy of tying Derrick Coleman for fifth-most blocks in Nets history (559).
• Danny Wolf scored the first two field goals of his NBA career and finished with a career-high 22 points, adding four assists and four rebounds.
• Ben Saraf set career highs in scoring and assists with 10 points and seven dimes in 29 minutes, just his eighth NBA game.

Overall, the last three games, all losses, have given fans some exciting looks at what the future may hold. Two games back vs. the Knicks, Clowney, 21, scored 31 points and hit seven 3-pointers while 20-year-old Drake Powell had 15 points. Then on Friday, Egor Demin, all of 19, registered 23 points, all in the second half, to go along with nine rebounds. Tonight, it was 21-year-old Danny Wolf and 19-year-old Ben Saraf. Suddenly, the Flatbush 5 looks pretty, pretty good.

Up Next​

The Nets will face the Charlotte Hornets for the second time this season Monday evening at Barclays Center. During their first matchup of the season, the Hornets beat Brooklyn 136-117.

Charlotte sits at 6-14, but are on a two-game win streak. LaMelo Ball has been playing through a minor ankle tweak that limited him to 22 minutes during their recent win against the Raptors.

The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Milwaukee Bucks 116, Brooklyn Nets 99 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Milwaukee Bucks 116, Brooklyn Nets 99 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernández discuses the Nets’ loss (Video) – YES Network
• Danny Wolf on his career night against Milwaukee (Video) – YES Network
• Antetokounmpo scores 29, surpasses 21,000 career points in Bucks’ 116-99 win over Nets – Jim Hoehn – AP
• Behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks top Nets, end losing streak – Reuters
• Nets thrashed by Bucks as they get a sobering Giannis Antetokounmpo reminder – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• In Bucks loss, Nets found proof their kids can play ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ Jordi Fernandez provides Michael Porter Jr. injury update amid surprise absences – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
• Nets player grades: Danny Wolf drops 22 in 116-99 loss at Bucks – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...-through-the-chaos-in-nets-ugly-loss-to-bucks