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[Brooklyn Nets]

LIVE DISCUSSION: Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls, 7:00 p.m. ET

David Richard-Imagn Images

Chicago will be without its’ two point guards, Lonzo Ball and Josh Giddey are both out. Nets backcourt fully healthy.

In the last week, the Brooklyn Nets have played three solid games against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. All but one — vs. the Lakers — was a loss, heartbreaking unless every waking moment is spent on Tankathon. (The Nets also lost ignominiously to the Charlotte Hornets.) Tonight at the United Center, Brooklyn will be going up another tanking team — there are so many — in the Chicago Bulls. Bulls are a little undermanned. So are the Nets.

NETS @ BULLS​

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

Opponent: Chicago Bulls (27-38.)

Tune In: YES Network; WFAN radio

Game Preview | Brian Fleurantin​

Injury Report: Noah Clowney is out with a right ankle sprain. No De’Anthony Melton either as he continues to recover from a left knee ACL tear.

Lonzo Ball is out with a right wrist sprain. Josh Giddey is out with a right ankle sprain. Ayo Dosunmu is out as he recovers from left shoulder surgery.

The Game: The Nets will see an old nemesis once again. Nikola Vucevic recently returned from a calf injury and came off the bench on Monday night. In 24 minutes off the bench, he grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 11 points. No word on if he’ll return to the starting lineup, but he figures to make his presence felt whenever he’s on the court.

***

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Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/13...on-brooklyn-nets-at-chicago-bulls-7-00-p-m-et

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets again, blow double-digit lead, this time to Chicago Bulls, lose 116-110

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Another strong start, led by Cam Thomas, another dull finish. Isn’t this the ideal outcome?

Tank-minded Brooklyn Nets fans were handed yet another discouraging opponent injury report from the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Josh Giddey — don’t snicker, he’s been their best player since All-Star Weekend, averaging 23/11/8 — was ruled out with a sprained ankle.

Just a fortnight ago, the Nets tied the Bulls (and Philadelphia 76ers) for 10th place in the East, the conference’s final Play-In Tournament spot. The teams have diverged since, with the Nets losing eight of nine and Chicago winning four of six, including three straight. Brooklyn has ping-pong balls, and the Bulls have the 10-seed.

Still, with Giddey out and all Nets besides Noah Clowney in, this one was destined to be a sweat. Particularly after Cam Thomas played the most complete, if not the best, half of his career...

fantastic early plays from Cam Thomas: pic.twitter.com/2BWA8FwkmT

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 14, 2025​

It wasn’t a shot-making explosion, as Thomas shot just 4-of-9, but he made every correct read and put up 15/4/8 by the break. That’s right, he matched his career-high in assists in just one half of play, making the Bulls pay for their passive coverages.

“Yeah, I’m just reading what they’re doing,” said Thomas to YES Network’s Meghan Triplett at halftime. “They’re trying to load up on me when I start driving by defenders, they’re loading up. So it opens up wide-open cuts and wide-open threes for the guys.”

Said Head Coach Jordi Fernández: “That was the reason why we were so good offensively. And again, he’ll keep working, and he’ll be working on sustaining that.”

It was the other end on which Brooklyn struggled, taking only a 65-62 lead into the half. Some of it was some unfortunate shooting luck, the kind they’re due for after a stingy February. Patrick Williams made a couple above-the-break threes, and Julian Phillips and Zach Collins each added one, as Chicago shot 44.4% early.

As such, I felt pretty assured...

this smells a lot like a Nets win tonight. Getting much better shots for the most part

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 14, 2025​

I felt quite smart after the third quarter, which the Nets won 27-20. Tyrese Martin built upon a hot first half, continuing to score his way to 19/4/3 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep. He carried a Brooklyn bench that was otherwise just fine, as Trendon Watford missed a few too many of his patented pop-shot floaters, but they took care of the ball and hit the glass, maintaining the ten-point lead the starters built...

For all the league-wide complaints of NBA hoops in March, often doomed by tired legs and lottery-focused organizations, this battle between teams a combined 32 games below .500 was a joy to watch. Low turnovers, plenty of high-quality shots (if not always from great shooters), and when they didn’t go in, each side attacked the offensive glass in response. It was truly well-played, and the Nets seemed poised to win, as Jordi Fernández put in a starter-heavy lineup to start the fourth quarter.

Four minutes later, the score was tied at 95.

Cam Thomas finished with 24/6/10, his first career double-double, on 8-of-23 shooting. Now, it wasn’t an exact replica of the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which tunnel vision took over in the second half. He took some rough shots vs. Chicago that skewed overly aggressive, but more often, Brooklyn seemed unprepared for the Bulls throwing two defenders at him.

If there’s one critique of Thomas, aside from a couple of those shots, he didn’t attack Nikola Vučević enough, either trying to split screens or get around the edge.

Fernández had a simple explanation: “Running a little bit out of gas in the second half, probably a matter of being out for two months and trying to get him in playing shape. He’s gonna get there.”

But as Thomas slowed down, Brooklyn’s offense did the same. They shot just 4-of-20 from deep in the second half, and Fernández disliked the shot quality as well.

“We fell in love with the mid-range shot ... just thinking about those 25 mid-range shots, I’m okay with like 12 to 14. But those should have been sprays for threes, and we were not willing to do it or shoot it.”

Chicago’s 3-point shooting fell off a cliff in the second half as well, but they played at a faster pace, closing the game in transition. Coby White (31/7/4) and Tre Jones (18/6/6) far outplayed Brooklyn’s backcourt in the fourth quarter, living in the paint.

Nic Claxton put up one of his better stat-line of the season, frequently blowing past Vučević en route to 18/14/5...

CLAX EURO-STEPPIN' pic.twitter.com/HJrlreKm4V

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 14, 2025​

...but Brooklyn either needed some tough jumpers to fall down the stretch, or for Clax to cover for every mistake at the rim. That proved too tough an ask, and yet another double-digit lead was blown.

All’s well that ends well?

Final Score: Chicago Bulls 116, Brooklyn Nets 110

Milestone Watch​

• Nic Claxton’s fifth rebound of the game was the 2,305th of his career, moving him past Sam Bowie (2,304) into 11th place in Nets NBA history in total rebounds. Next up: Jason Collins - (2,323).
• Claxton’s double-double was the 75th of his career, making him the 10th Net in the franchise’s NBA history to reach that mark.
• Cam Thomas, as mentioned, recorded his first double-double with those ten assists, after matching his career-high in the first half alone.
• Tyrese Martin scored 11 points in the first quarter, the highest scoring quarter of his career.

Standings Watch​

Lucky #5. Almost home...

pic.twitter.com/gERAkeaTBK

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 14, 2025​

Nets Film Focus​

Thanks to Brooklyn’s fantastic content team, another episode of Nets Film Focus dropped prior to Thursday’s action. If you wish to see a professionally edited explanation of what Brooklyn’s defense looks like at its best, which it was in February, look no further...

I talk about the Nets’ ball-pressure, their big men playing diverse coverages, and what all-out effort looks like on a possession-to-possession basis. Hey, the franchise should probably lose right now, in the interest of long-term success, but that doesn’t mean this team isn’t inspiring.

Next Up​

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

A weekend back-to-back, both legs at Barclays Center, awaits the Nets. First, the Boston Celtics on Saturday evening, with an early tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Chicago Bulls 116, Brooklyn Nets 110 - NBA
• Game Highlights: Chicago Bulls 116, Brooklyn Nets 110 (Video) - NBA
• Coby White Drops 31 Points vs Nets (Video) - NBA
• Jordi Fernández on the Bulls’ pace, remaining schedule (Video) - YES Network
• Jordi Fernández on the Nets’ close loss to the Bulls (Video) - YES Network
• Cam Thomas on the Nets’ strong first half vs. the Bulls (Video) - Meghan Triplett - YES Network
• Jordi Fernández Postgame Press Conference vs Chicago (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
• Coby White scores 31 points as Bulls rally to beat Nets 116-110 - Andrew Seligman - AP
• Bulls rally past Nets thanks to Coby White’s big night - Reuters
• Nets blow another huge lead in brutal road loss to Bulls - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• Nets blow another late lead, fall in Chicago 116-110 - C.J. Holmes - New York Daily News
• Coby White’s huge game vs. Nets sets career-best streak - Scotty White - Clutch Points

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/13/24385397/nets-vs-bulls-116-110-cam-thomas-coby-white

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

3 Takeaways from Brooklyn Nets late collapse vs Chicago Bulls

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

After dropping an easily winnable one, the Nets appear on the verge of another losing streak. But in March of an already lost season, there are worse things.

The running of the bulls, an annual event in Pamplona, Spain, that is exactly what it sounds like, is a tradition where logic is discarded for the pursuit of exhilaration and unbridled fun. One’s long-term betterment is put at risk for a brief moment of satisfaction and machismo. It’s a blast, but is it smart when you look at the action alone? No, not particularly.

In the first half last night, when the Brooklyn Nets ran up the Chicago Bulls, it was no different. Coming down the stretch in what’s sure to be a photo finish between themselves, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors for draft lottery positioning, the Nets went for the win as they have all season under Jordi Fernández. They knew it might sting them down the line, but they didn’t care. They prioritized amusement, and while indeed illogical, it was hard to blame them, especially as Cam Thomas slid around Chicago defenders like any topping would on a slice of deep dish, Pamplona style.

Sense, or just the team’s deficiencies, eventually caught up to Brooklyn in the second half, mainly the fourth quarter. The Nets ended up falling by a 116-110 score despite strong contributions from the guys not named Thomas along the margins as well. Let’s get into it.

Thomas is Taking his Return a Step Further​

Last time out, we marveled at Cam Thomas’ ability to hit shots from multiple levels on the floor, self-create, and be a part of what was a rather humming offense, even if he only tallied three dimes.

Yesterday, he took that a step further, looking more like the version of himself earlier in the season that inspired All-Star hope. Thomas’ decision-making as a shooter/passer as the defense gravitated around him was fast and focused. He was like a GPS navigation system. No matter where the Nets offense started out, no matter what obstacles lay in front of it from possession to possession, if the destination was a bucket, he immediately knew how to get around everything and get his team there.

Cam Thomas has four dimes in the first four minutes. pic.twitter.com/3gQYqtxZ8h

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 14, 2025​

In the first period, Thomas dished a career-best five assists in one frame. But it didn’t stop there. CT’s crisp decision-making persisted past the game’s opening sequences. To go with his 15 points at halftime, Thomas sat with eight assists, tying his career-high for a full game by that point.

Dude is just making all the right decisions tonight. pic.twitter.com/tXEwBRPlit

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 14, 2025​

He only added two more along with nine points in the second half, but Chicago’s defense did well to key in the guys around him there, throwing doubles and hedging on screens much like Brooklyn does night-in and night-out.

In fairness, Thomas did force one or two looks in the latter half, but with his teammates shooting 38.8% there as a result of Chicago’s adjustments, coupled with Brooklyn’s lead slowly but surely slipping away, that’s understandable. Fernández also said that he may have “run out of gas” having been out two months and still trying to get in playing shape. Again, understandable.

Collectively, it was still a fine game from the Bayou Bucket. Fernández also said that he’ll “work on sustaining that.” He, Thomas, and Thomas’s agent, will certainly hope he’s successful in doing so.

Martin Making Strides Too​

One of Thomas’ few opponents to remain consistent through the first and second half was one of their newest from a contractual perspective. After shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-8 from deep, Tyrese Martin finished with 19 points to go with three assists and four boards.

Beneath the lottery hype that followed Ziaire Williams and the natural spotlight following Trendon Watford as a point man, Martin has quietly been one of the team’s best reclamation projects this year. In his last 10 games, including last night, the scrappy guard is averaging 11.7/1.7/3.1 while hitting from deep on a 40% clip and pulling 5.5 per game.

Tyrese Martin and Keon have very much done their part to generate 2nd chance PTS post All-Star. Lot of it's been by crashing horizontally.

Doesn't lead to a bucket here but see how he relocates to the corner to do so. Gives shorter guys a better chance a picking one away. pic.twitter.com/sWfFIeNPiV

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 14, 2025​

While the 3-point shot is the first thing on his weapon wheel, Martin also introduced us to further levels of depth in his bag last night.

Remember when Cam Johnson was shocking everyone at the beginning of the year with his ability to weave around screens and create looks for himself?

Here's Tyrese Martin doing it. pic.twitter.com/RA30eyR6Xk

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 14, 2025​

Again, don’t forget about that 3-point stroke. That comes first, even if a few extra feet from beyond the arc.

Tyrese Martin from DEEP

Watch LIVE on YES & The Gotham Sports App:https://t.co/sWMqNZ0hci pic.twitter.com/6TlrbmsJFU

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 14, 2025​

The diverse shot-making, rebounding, and ball-handling skills from him this season have all been eye-brow raisers. If he can keep that up and continue to pair it with his ability to hit everyone’s favorite shot today, it’s a recipe for a lengthier NBA career.

As a subtle reminder, Brooklyn has a team option on his contract for next year. They can pick that up before June 29 for just over $2 million.

Fourth Quarters are a Problem​

They might be a blessing if you’re only objective is the protect the tank at this point, but from a pure hoops point of view, Brooklyn’s version of “closing time” has been a harder watch than Andy Bernard’s rendition of the song in those Steve Carrell-less episodes of The Office.

After losing to Cleveland in the final frame 31-18 last time out, the Nets came into last night a league-worst -75 in the fourth quarter. They only inflated that number in Chicago, losing to the Bulls in the fourth 32-28. Physicality, or a lack thereof, stung them the most there, as the Nets were -13 on the boards, -10 in paint points, and -9 in points at the line in the fourth.

Thomas, who had been the engine of Brooklyn’s offense, running low on fuel certainly also factored in. The Bulls, who finished +14 in fast break points, adding five in the fourth, couldn’t have made things easier on his tired legs either.

For a team relying on a guy still working on his conditioning, the Bulls are a matchup nightmare, sneakily ranking second in fast break points per game this entire year. But the evidence beyond that also suggests crunch time is a matchup nightmare for the Nets as a whole.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/14...-brooklyn-nets-late-collapse-vs-chicago-bulls

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

DRAFT WATCH #8 - Will Brooklyn Nets keep all their picks in 2025?

Photo by Lev Radin/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Nets started out the season with six picks in the 2025 Draft. They sent a second to Golden State in the Dennis Schroder deal. Will they move others?

In our latest mock draft round-up, the news isn’t so much that one player or another has become a consensus pick for the Brooklyn Nets. There are names that keep showing up, but until the Draft Lottery in Chicago on May 12, those names are not much better than guess work. Not only will the selection give fans a clearer look at the future, it will also likely effect other decisions by the front office, including how many of their five picks — four firsts and a second — will they use.

Sean Marks is indeed famous for making deals at the Draft. In all but one of nine years he’s been GM of the Nets, he’s made trades within 48 hours of when the Commissioner steps to the podium. Sometimes, the deals are small, but some like last year’s with the Knicks and Rockets, have been direction-changing.

And so, when senior draftniks like ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo wonder aloud about the Nets draft strategy it’s smart to pay attention. They usually have the best take. In this week’s latest mock from ESPN, their projected picks come with a “NBA intel and fit” paragraph. In discussing each one of the prospects they assign to Brooklyn, Givony and Woo hint that the Nets may not use all five picks, attaching the same basic caveat to their assessment of what the Nets might do with the three picks they currently have between Nos. 20 through 26.

On the Bucks pick at 20...

Though most NBA teams would never consider rostering four rookies, the Nets have few players under guaranteed contracts next season and might be in position to keep all four if they like their options on June 26. - Givony.

On the Rockets’ pick at 23...

The Nets hold a league-high four first-round picks in this draft, and though they might not make all of them, it’s a big opportunity to strengthen their collection of young players. - Woo

On the Knicks pick at 26...

Armed with four first-round picks, the Nets have great flexibility with how to approach this draft. - Givony

As Givony noted, simultaneous development of four or five players can be a bear for a team’s front office, particularly one that has never had a pick higher than No. 20 nor more than two firsts in any draft. And should the Nets get lucky and wind up with a top three pick, the four first rounders would cost them close to $20 million in cap space in 2025-26. (The second rounder is likely to be signed to a two-way contract.)

Moreover, the Nets already have two 20-year-olds, Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney, under contract next season. (Whitehead and Clowney, the second and fourth youngest players in the NBA when they were drafted in 2023, are still younger than about a third of the 59 players who’ll be drafted on the nights of June 25 and June 26.)

Then, there’s the market. There are nine teams without a first rounder in the 2025 Draft, two — the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets — with no picks in either round. GMs for any of those teams may see someone they love drop on Draft Night and then start making phone calls to teams that have picks. It happens. Might Marks move some picks in a trade —Brooklyn leads the NBA in tradeable picks with 12 over next seven years — or simply kick the ball down the road and acquire more draft capital in 2026 when they have one first and two seconds.

Just another set of options among a large number for Brooklyn decision-makers. As for the mock drafts themselves, there seems to be little consensus anywhere but it’s early.

Still, there are players whose names keep popping up next to the Nets name on draft boards but not in any consistent manner. One mock has 6’2” Arkansas point guard (and Bronx native) Boogie Fland being taken by the Nets at No. 6 while others have him going in the second round!

For the record, seven prospects show up twice on six of the mocks we surveyed: Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois and Lithuania, Tre Johnson of Texas, Johni Broome of Auburn, Rasheer Fleming of St. Joseph’s, Noah Penda and Joan Beringer, French bigs and Will Riley of Illinois.

ALL that said, here’s the round-up. We rely on the latest mock — most having been published in the last week — from six different sites. In the case of The Athletic New York Times, which has hasn’t pushed a mock of late, we used their most recent Top 100 big board.

ESPN​

The gold standard for decades and the most traditional. You won’t find unconventional picks from Givony and Woo. But if you do, it’s likely based on solid intelligence.

#6 - Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, 6’6”, Illinois (Lithuania)

#20 - Asa Newell, PF, 6’11” Georgia

#23 - Hugo Gonzalez, SG/SF, 6’7” Real Madrid (Spain)

#26 - Alex Condon, C, 6’11” Florida

#36 - Maxime Raynaud, C, 7’1” Stanford (France)

Jakucionis, say the ESPN duo, is a good fit for the Nets.

Brooklyn will enter its offseason with plentiful salary-cap space and draft assets, with its front office having repositioned the franchise over the past 18 months. While the exact timeline toward competing remains unclear — many of the league’s rebuilding teams have to consider the talent at the top of the 2026 draft, as well — landing the best long-term talent with their four first-round picks will be a major offseason task. Jakucionis would be a nice fit, giving the Nets a long-term backcourt player to develop. — Woo

Of course, it should be noted that Marks and assistant GM and draft guru B.J. Johnson saw Dylan Harper destroy Jakucionis at Rutgers.

The Athletic/New York Times​

Sam Vecenie is in the minority in believing the 2025 draft is not what it’s mocked up to be. He sees it as mediocre. His selections are also a bit unconventional but Vecenie has a good track record.

#6 - Kon Knueppel, wing, 6’7”, Duke

#20 - Rasheer Fleming, PF, 6’9”, St. Joseph’s

#23 - Joan Beringer, SF/PF, 6’11”, Cedevita (France / Benin)

#26 - Johni Broome, PF, 6’10”, Auburn

#36 - JoJo Tugler, SF, 6’9”, Houston

Kneuppel had been the draftniks’ favorite for the Nets in past mocks, but no longer. He’s still hovering in the mid-lottery though.

[Scouts] really value Knueppel’s shooting ability and think he’ll continue to develop into the kind of player who can not just make open 3s from NBA distance but also attack closeouts and run ball screens with comfort because of his feel for the game.

Beringer, 18, is among France’s younger set and has been rising in mock drafts of late.

Tankathon​

Everybody’s post-game favorite doesn’t just track lottery odds. They also have a mock draft which is updated as events dictate ... like every night. So things change. As of Thursday night, the Nets were in sole possession of fifth place, but 24 hours later, the Nets who didn’t play still fell to sixth. Check again in the morning.

#6 - Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, 6’6”, Illinois (Lithuania)

#20 - Thomas Sorber, C, 6’10”, Georgetown

#24 - Will Riley, wing, 6’8”, Illinois

#26 - Adou Thiero, PF, 6’8”, Arkansas

#36 - Carter Bryant, wing, 6’8”, Arizona

Like ESPN, Tankathon likes Jakucionis. Enough said.

NBADraft.net​

Like we’ve written previously, NBADraft.net is a bit unconventional. They continue to see Boogie Fland in a brighter light than anyone else. On the other hand, they have Jakucionis at No. 14, lower than most.

#6 - Boogie Fland, PG, 6’2”, Arkansas

#19 - Rasheer Fleming, PF, 6’9”, St. Joseph’s

#25 - Jaland Lowe, SG, 6’3” Pitt

#29 - Noah Penda, PF, 6’10”, France

#36 - Joan Beringer, SF/PF, 6’11”, Cedevita (France / Benin)

In his assessment of Fland, the site’s Jorrye Nixon wrote:

6’2” combo guard … Good length … Can play on or off the ball. Constantly moves without the ball in his hands … Quick first step with the ball and effective jab step. Stays under control at a quick pace.

Tough player and highly confident … Vocal leader … Younger for his class, turned 18 in July after high school graduation.

Like Beringer, Traore and Noa Essengue, Penda is part of a big French delegation to the 2025 Draft. Other than the U.S., France is the leader among nationalities.

NBA Draft Room​

A thorough if not well-known draft site with individual assessments, NBA Draft Room is also more conventional than NBADraft.net with which it can be confused. They like some other sites have dropped Demin in recent weeks. He had been mocked as high as top 5 and to the Nets but his lack of speed, among other things, has diminished his prospects.

#6 - Tre Johnson, SG - 6’6” wing, Texas

#20 - Egon Demin, PG, 6’9”, Brigham Young (Russia)

#23 - JT Toppin, PF, 6’9”, Texas Tech

#27 - Noah Penda, PF, 6’10”, France

#36 - Bogoljub Markovic, PF, 6’11”, Serbia

Johnson has been mocked to the Nets in the past and why not? He’s gets buckets.

Tre is a pure bucket-getter who can fill it up from 3 levels. He’s super smooth with the ball and makes the game look easy. He’s not an elite athlete but gets it done with his super high skill level, good handles and great shooting touch. He’s had some ups and downs this year but his iso-scoring ability is special and he’ll be a bucket in the NBA.

Johnson, like a number of college prospects, worked out at HSS Training Center while prepping for games at Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden.

SB Nation NBA​

The home team (aka SB Nation) only mocks the first round so far and offers consistency with a lot of other projections.

#6 - Tre Johnson, SG - 6’6” wing, Texas

#21 - Johni Broome, PF, 6’10”, Auburn

#23 - Liam McNeeley, SG, 6’7” UConn

#26 - Will Riley, wing, 6’8”, Illinois

SBNation NBA did an extensive analysis of Jakucionis. Ricky O’Donnell had this to say about the Lithuanian’s “astronomical” turnover rate:

As winning the possession game becomes increasingly important in the NBA, teams won’t want a young guard who is fumbling the ball all over the place. I think Jakucionis can clean this up to some extent, but he’s always going to be a below-average run-and-jump athlete as an NBA guard, and that necessitates some riskier plays. To this point, the Illini freshman looks far more comfortable shooting off the dribble than off the catch, which is another downside for a player who doesn’t generate a ton of rim pressure.

Bottom line: only the Nets front office knows what they plan to do and those plans, of course, are subject to change and change and change.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/15...ll-brooklyn-nets-keep-all-their-picks-in-2025

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets fight until final buzzer vs. Boston Celtics, lose 115-113

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Anybody that says “there are no moral victories” has likely just experienced a moral victory. And is probably a Nets fan.

Jayson Tatum shifted Ziaire Williams with a nasty in-n-out dribble, pushed the ball through help, then threw an alley-oop that appeared slightly off target, until Luke Kornet reached skyward with his left hand to thunder the ball down through the hoop.

That play ended the first half between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics on Saturday evening, the first game of a back-to-back for Brooklyn, a game that felt like the beginning of the end to their season.

Saturday began with an injury report that listed Nic Claxton out simply to rest, picked up with news that Cam Thomas’ season was over due to his balky left hamstring, and soon enough the Celtics had a 21-point lead over Brooklyn in a very green Barclays Center. These are the dog days, and there is just a month left in this transitional season.

Tatum, as he always is against Brooklyn, was awesome, and Boston’s stable of rotation players were just too much. Kristaps Porzingis looked rusty to start his first game back from absences, but ended with 24 points anyway. Luke Kornet controlled a Nets bench without a big man to match. Jaylen Brown left early with back spasms, but Payton Pritchard hooped in his stead.

The Tatum-to-Kornet pushed Boston’s lead back to a dozen to end the second quarter, after what felt like Brooklyn’s final push. Per usual, the Nets acquitted themselves well, flying around on defense, but a lack of size and talent wasn’t exactly a solvable issue...

Speed v Size.

Speed wins the battle (double on Jaylen, rotates out of it well).

Size wins the war. pic.twitter.com/9hELIWBAdp

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) March 15, 2025​

And yet, the Nets kept hanging around, thanks to 43.5% 3-point shooting and their trademark effort. A glance up at the scoreboard always provided a surprise. How is Boston only up by ten right now? Eight? Six?

There would be no miracle in the second half, as Brooklyn would get as close as a possession but never completely catch up. But, as Boston fans filled Barclays to serenade Tatum with ‘M-V-P’ chants at the line, and as the need to tank only grows stronger, the Nets won the battle of hearts and minds.

They never stopped, not even with a bench of Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin, Reece Beekman, and Maxwell Lewis.

Wilson and Lewis each scored 15 points, the latter relishing the opportunity to play a career-high 16 minutes. He sprinted out the gate...

Maxwell Lewis scored eight points in two minutes and everybody, including him, is fired up: pic.twitter.com/H7L5VJJNGj

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 15, 2025​

A couple fast-break dunks later, and hardly one month after fracturing his tibia, Lewis was having the game of his professional career.

“I was just thinking catch and shoot,” said Lewis of his mindset. “Be ready. You know, I’m so used to hesitating and putting the ball on the ground, just doing too much. And I felt like just tonight, it was short and simple. And I feel like I belong in the league, so it felt good to me. It doesn’t feel like — I just feel normal.”

Day’Ron Sharpe, in his second start of the season, performed to standards. He was frequently overwhelmed by Boston’s size at the rim, shooting just 4-of-10, but put up 9/16/5, a whopping ten of those rebounds offensive.

Does he have flaws? Absolutely. But in two starts this season — against Oklahoma City and Boston, no less — Sharpe’s ability to generate extra possessions has been astounding, and he does not get played off the court on the other end. It’s been four seasons of largely sparse playing time for the 23-year-old nearing the end of his rookie contract, but Sharpe has turned himself into a bona fide pro, and perhaps the perfect emblem of this odd Nets team.

“He really helped the team,” said Jordi Fernández of his starting center. “He was in the paint protecting the rim, and he made winning plays. So that’s the reason why, then, we could run the other way. Very happy with his minutes and with the way he connected with his teammates.”

Keon Johnson is another candidate, the face of Brooklyn’s ball-pressure-heavy defense. On Saturday though, he got busy offensively, scoring 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting with four made 3-pointers...

Keon Johnson with a nice move here though, despite the Kornet Contest https://t.co/g3yZc0oazy pic.twitter.com/95hTgAcYLI

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 15, 2025​

But it was the other Johnson, Cam, who led Brooklyn’s final push of the day. Down 112-101 with two minutes left typically spells out g-a-r-b-a-g-e t-i-m-e, but the Nets went full D.W., forcing turnovers and hitting some wild shots...

...culminating with a 35-foot pull-up from Cam Johnson, his team-leading 23rd point of the day, cutting the deficit to one single point with four seconds left.

Brooklyn then fouled Pritchard, who stepped to the line and missed the second free-throw. The basketball Gods were daring the Nets to win this game. But out of timeouts, Cam Johnson’s 60-foot prayer came after the buzzer, and he missed anyway.

The Brooklyn Nets, led by a slam-dunk hire, do not care that the season feels over. In fact, it may just be making them play harder. If any team has ever earned good fortune, it’s the the 2024-2025 Nets. At the very least, it’s a comforting belief.

“I can tell these guys that I’m truly proud of the way they played. There’s no moral victories here, but if that’s gonna be our identity, a lot of good things are gonna happen.” — Jordi Fernández.

Final Score: Boston Celtics 115, Brooklyn Nets 113

Milestone Watch​

• Cam Johnson grabbed ten boards, tying a season-high and good enough to record the sixth double-double of his career.
• Day’Ron Sharpe’s 10 offensive rebounds mark a career-high. He is the first Nets since, wait for it, Thomas Robinson, on 4/8/2016 to grab double-digit offensive boards.
• Maxwell Lewis posted a career high in minutes, points, and 3-pointer made with three.
• Tyrese Martin dished out a career-high six assists.
• Speaking of assists, Brooklyn has now recorded at least 30 assists in three straight games. That’s a feat they’ve accomplished just four times since the franchise moved to Brooklyn in 2012.

Injury Update​

Beyond the Cam Thomas news, expect Nic Claxton and Trendon Watford to suit up in the second game of Brooklyn’s back-to-back, as both missed Saturday’s action with rest/injury management. As for Noah Clowney, battling a sprained right ankle, his status is still up in the air.

Next Up​

Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks visit Brooklyn on Sunday, and it’s another funky tip-off, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/15/24386785/nets-vs-celtics-115-113-jayson-tatum-dayron-sharpe

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

LIVE DISCUSSION: Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics, 6 p.m. ET

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Seriously undermanned Nets team faces World Champions.

The big news of Saturday is not game between Brooklyn and Boston but instead that Cam Thomas, dealing with the third iteration of a left hamstring strain, is done for the season. As the team explained, there’s not enough time in the season— 16 games— for him to appropriately rehab. Still the show must go on.

NETS vs. Celtics​

Time: 6:00 p.m. ET

Opponent: Boston Celtics (48-19)

Tune In: YES Network; WFAN radio

Game Preview | Brian Fleurantin​

Injuries: No Noah Clowney, Nic Claxton, De’Anthony Melton, Trendon Watford, or Cam Thomas. The Nets are playing five games in a seven-day stretch so Claxton and Watford are on injury management.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are available, and Derrick White and Al Horford are out.

The Game: Boston won the first two meetings in November. They wrap the season series up next week.

This is the first night of a back-to-back for the Nets. They’re back home at Barclays to play the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.

If it’s close in the fourth quarter, the Nets will try to reverse a season long trend. As Collin Helwig noted in his latest Takeaways story, the Nets are -75 in the fourth quarter, worst in the NBA.

Please be respectful with your comments. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/15...sion-brooklyn-nets-vs-boston-celtics-6-p-m-et

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets dice up Atlanta Hawks, win 122-114

Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images

Brooklyn’s ball-movement and 3-point shooting continued to pop, and they finally end up on the winning side of a close game.

The Brooklyn Nets are destined to play sweaty games. No matter the opponent, the schedule, the injuries facing either team, the rest disparity. Just in the last week, they've played the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and Boston Celtics down to the wire.

On Sunday evening, 24 hours after a two-point loss to Boston, another Eastern Conference foe, the Atlanta Hawks, came to town. In another world, perhaps one in which Sean Marks never traded for Brooklyn’s own picks back last summer, this would be a Play-In Tournament preview.

Atlanta isn’t great, but behind a fully competent backcourt in Trae Young and Dyson Daniels, isn’t awful either. The Nets would be missing their starting backcourt in D’Angelo Russell (injury management) and Cam Thomas (out for season), but knowing them, we’d get a close game anyway. Even as Ziaire Williams was also a late scratch with achilles soreness.

It didn’t matter that their signature pressure-heavy defense failed to slow down Trae Young, who ran into turnover problems, but otherwise had 28/6/12 on 66.4 TS%.

One day after shooting over 43% from deep, the Nets upped the ante by shooting 17-of-35 from deep, 48.6%. The ball popped off the screen, as Brooklyn walked into catch-and-shoot look after catch-and-shoot look, good for 33 assists as a team.

“I think what I like the most is the 33 assists,” said Head Coach Jordi Fernández after the game. “That just tells you how the group is playing, how the ball’s got energy, and it’s, you know, flying around. And these guys are helping each other.”

Brooklyn’s replacement backcourt, Tyrese Martin and Keon Johnson, filled their roles dutifully. Martin put up 16/6/3, while Johnson added 22/8/5.

And yet, even with just nine available Nets, it was the reserves that dominated their minutes throughout. Maxwell Lewis had another solid outing, scoring 10 points and crushing his minutes alongside Day’Ron Sharpe, a team-high +20...

Day'Ron Sharpe block on Trae Young -> Maxwell Lewis transition finish.

D'Lo, wearing a sweater that says DLO, loves it: pic.twitter.com/pTMkfq2CW4

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 16, 2025​

Said Fernández of the newest rotation regular: “Max has been unbelievable in those last two games, and what he gave the team, +17, ten points, just doing the right things. So happy for him again. His energy is contagious, and you can tell his teammates on the bench — anytime he does anything, they celebrate. And that’s the most important thing.”

Cam Johnson added that Lewis is now known “throughout the team, for just bringing that fun energy, sometimes a little crazy at times, here we love it. And we love him for it. And you know, seeing his success on the court, you see how excited everybody is.”

Much to the chagrin of tank-minded fans, particularly as the Toronto Raptors simultaneously fell apart on the other side of the country, Brooklyn had a chance to notch a clean, fun win on Sunday night. They’d just need to clean up some ugly turnovers and finally get some stops down the stretch.

“We knew we had to get our communication a whole lot better on ball, dealing with Trae,” said Keon Johnson. “He was just getting downhill real freely, and a lot of the passes he was making were uncontested passes, so he was able to zip him right to whoever he needed to get it to.”

And in the fourth quarter, they did improve. For the first time, Young’s lineups lost their minutes, and the Hawks shot 1-of-9 from deep on quite a few desperate looks.

Said Keon Johnson: “I think that played the biggest part, because we had other guys for the Hawks making plays instead of Trae Young.”

When Reece Beekman hit a 15-foot runner at the death of the shot-clock, midway through the final frame, in a lineup with Lewis, Martin, Jalen Wilson, and Nic Claxton, the win felt inevitable. Who knew Brooklyn’s first season with a lottery selection in 15 years would be so stressful?

Yet, it is true the Nets don’t win this game without their once-most-attractive trade piece, Cam Johnson. The 29-year-old started out 4-of-5, showcasing the all-around improvements to his offensive game...

Cam Johnson downhill take, and-1 finish vs. an ice type coverage: pic.twitter.com/z3PBVbajCj

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 16, 2025​

...before he found himself on the short end of the officiating stick.

Johnson felt that call after call went against him, culminating with offensive foul taking a three off the board...

kinda hate this being overturned to an offensive foul. This is such a natural leg-kick from a guy who is flying to the ball and turning while he shoots. No-call it: pic.twitter.com/r6LzawpCbe

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 16, 2025​

Johnson then quieted down, perhaps overly distracted by the officiating until the fourth quarter. Though Fernández praised Johnson’s emotional response postgame, Brooklyn’s leader disagreed: “I think there was too long a stretch I did a poor job. I think there were some plays, and maybe one in particular, that irritated me to a very, very, very high degree. And I still gotta be better at turning the page from that, and moving on.”

Eventually Johnson did, and turned it into one of his best games of the season. With the game in the balance, CJ hit two long threes to ice the game...

CAM JOHNSON FROM DEEP AGAIN!! pic.twitter.com/meIGmG512S

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 17, 2025​

...bringing his stat-line to 28/4/7, those seven assists tying a career-high, on 68.6 TS%.

Said Johnson: “When it gets to a point now, where I’m involved in a little bit more actions, and I’m seeing different coverages, different defenders, different levels of physicality, different attention maybe on the game-plan, on the scout: It’s been great to to study it, to observe it, to build up a process and then learn from it.”

All in all, a perfect emblem of Brooklyn’s season. The players have indeed gotten one-percent better each day, as Fernández preaches, and the improvement plus their constant effort has lead to consistently competitive games. Fun to watch? Absolutely.

Will the franchise benefit long-term? We can only wait and see.

Final Score: Brooklyn Nets 122, Atlanta Hawks 114

Cam Thomas speaks to the media​

Though we’ll soon have a full story on the end of Cam Thomas’ season, including the comments he made on Sunday afternoon to assembled media, here are the immediate highlights.

Thomas says he indeed re-injured his left hammy on the final play of the Chicago Bulls game, but not on his shot attempt, rather on the drive up the court...

Jordi Fernández says the CT injury happened on the game's final possession, and yeah, watch him grab his left hammy after taking the shot: pic.twitter.com/sizR2U2ZxY

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 15, 2025​

Yet, despite his third aggravation of that left hamstring this season, Thomas does not believe he needs to adjust his training regimen this offseason: “This year was just mainly bad luck, for real. Everything that I got hurt on was really routine stuff ... So it’s nothing really to look at, I guess, or feel concerned about. I think it’s just more so, you know, trying to have good luck, I guess. I don’t know.”

What Thomas does know is that, though his season was just 25 games long, he is proud of the work he put in in year four.

“I felt like the ups and downs of it was dope, just trying to figure out a common solution to, you know, being on the court,‘ he said. “And obviously when I’m out there playing, just being able to play some of the best basketball I played in my career up to date. So definitely, you can look at it from — I look at it from a whole season standpoint, the ups and downs of it. But definitely proud of how I played in the games I was in. I think it was like career-highs across the board, so I think it’s definitely good for me to build on that and look at what I can do better, of course.”

Thomas, as expected, gave the standard non-answers on his upcoming restricted free agency. His agents will be handling it, he’s not really focused on it, et cetera.

However, when asked if he views himself as a part of Brooklyn’s long-term core, he had this to say: “Yeah, of course. When I got major minutes, I feel like I’ve been one of the best guards in the league in my position. I feel like I’ve shown that. So, nothing really to talk about with that. But, I feel like, when I do have the minutes in a featured role, the sky’s the limit for me. We’ve seen that these past two years.”

And finally: “I would love to come back, but, it is what it is. It’s part of the business.”

Next Up​

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Yes, again. This time in Boston, on the day after St. Patrick’s Day. Good omen or bad omen, who’s to say? Tip-off against the Boston Celtics is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday evening.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/16/24387348/nets-vs-hawks-122-114-cam-johnson-trae-young

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

NY Liberty acquire Natasha Cloud from Connecticut Sun in exchange for two first rounders

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

The New York Liberty made a big move and acquired one of the WNBA’s best defenders.

And just like that, the New York Liberty has once again shaken up the WNBA offseason.

On Sunday night during the NCAA Women’s Tournament Selection Sunday special and before Vinyl vs. Lunar Owls in Unrivaled play, the Liberty made a blockbuster trade that had been rumored for some time now.

The NY Liberty welcomes veteran guard, Natasha Cloud!

Welcome to NY, @T_Cloud4! pic.twitter.com/c2qhbWj1Y6

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) March 17, 2025​

Earlier in the off-season, the Liberty had offered their first round pick (via the Phoenix Mercury from the big four-team trade in 2023) in next month’s Draft to the Connecticut Sun for Natasha Cloud, but the Sun turned them down according to Madeline Kenney of the New York Post.

This time, the Liberty added their fourth round pick in 2026 and that was enough to seal the deal. Similar to Marina Mabrey, Cloud was seeking a trade from the Sun as Connecticut begins a full-scale rebuild now that they are no longer a title contender. The Sun, now in a full rebuild, will now turn their attention to the college ranks to find a player that can get them back to the title hunt. The 2025 WNBA draft is seen as deep.

Now that Could will be joining the reigning WNBA Champions, she’ll get to compete for a title and showcase her skills in a new city.

“We could not be more excited to welcome Natasha Cloud to the New York Liberty family,” Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb said. “Tash is someone who we identified years ago as a prime fit for our team and embodies everything we look for in a player.”

Since her arrival in the WNBA back in 2015, Cloud has earned the reputation of being one of the game’s greatest, fiercest, toughest defenders. Cloud has been named to the All WNBA defensive team three times in her career and won a championship with the Washington Mystics in 2019. The Liberty preach versatility and Cloud can defend guards, bigs, and everything in between

With a roster that includes elite defenders such as:

• Breanna Stewart
• Jonquel Jones
• Leonie Fiebich
• Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
• Rebekah Gardner
• Kennedy Burke

Cloud should fit in like a glove. Her ability to navigate screens and play terrific on-ball defense will help lessen the workload Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has had to carry on the perimeter since she joined the team in 2021. With Cloud, New York has one more option to guard the WNBA’s best perimeter scorers.

The Liberty have perhaps the most versatile roster in the WNBA as they have a perfect blend of length, quickness, and athleticism at various positions. Cloud’s arrival allows for Head Coach Sandy Brondello to experiment even more with the lineups while ensuring the team will have multiple plus-defenders on the court at all times.

Running the show​

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

On offense, Cloud serves as the perfect replacement for Courtney Vandersloot. Cloud has finished top five in assists per game since 2019 and her ability to drive and get downhill will open up plenty of opportunities for her new teammates.

A player who stands to immediately benefit will be Sabrina Ionescu who took on some more ballhandling responsibilities in 2024. Her 3-point percentage took a dip as she had to take more difficult shots.

Having a lead guard like Cloud will allow Ionescu to play more off the ball, which should lead to easier catch-and-shoot opportunities. The two have gotten comfortable playing with each other on the Phantom in Unrivaled, and it should carry over to the W. Ionescu is currently in Asia for a Nike tour, but took time out to check the weather in Hong Kong with Liberty co-owner Joe Tsai...

Am I right? @joetsai1999 https://t.co/6AFcLKnjfa pic.twitter.com/fZ8bbSLlda

— Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i20) March 17, 2025​

When you’re right, you’re right!

Cloud played with an all-time great big in Brittney Griner last year in Phoenix. This year, she’ll be playing with another all time big in Jonquel Jones. JJ shot a career best 75.5% inside the restricted area last season, and the thought of her receiving passes like this from Cloud should have Liberty fans eager to see the squad back on the court.

New York had the best offense in the WNBA in 2024, and Cloud should help them stay at or near the top of the rankings. For as good as she is on the court, what she does off of it might be even more valuable.

Tash the fan favorite​

Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images

When Cloud suits up with the Liberty this May, she’ll become an instant fan favorite. In 2023, she had the game of her life as she almost singlehandedly beat the Liberty in Game 2 of the Mystics v. Liberty first round series. After that game, she spoke about the love she received from the Brooklyn crowd

In 2023, Natasha Cloud commended the Barclays Center crowd after Game 2 of the WNBA playoffs…

In 2025, Tash will feel the love as a member of Seafoam SZN. #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/NNKA0aL6XP

— Alford Corriette (@alfcorriette) March 17, 2025​

If there’s one thing New York basketball fans love, it’s a player that goes all out and brings the energy every time they step on the court.

Over the years, Cloud has also maintained a big community presence. When she was in DC, she worked with community groups to address gun violence and is a big part of the annual “The W Wears Orange” campaign. She’s earned the respect of everyone she’s encountered and left a positive impact on them as well.

“She’s in the front of everything, basically,” her former teammate Myisha Hines-Allen told The Next in 2021. “So it’s just like, on the court, you’re gonna hear Tash, you’re gonna see Tash; off the court, if she’s passionate about it, you’re gonna hear from her … I feel like every year, she grows even more and even more, and it’s like, how is she able to do that?”

Cloud will be joining an organization that has made stopping gun violence a big part of their mission in addition to the other work in the community they do across New York. WNBA players are very involved in the community and for a person like Cloud that is dedicated to so many important causes, being in a city like New York will help her continue that work while connecting to new fans who can help accomplish those goals.

The New York Liberty had been working around the margins for much of the WNBA off-season. After losing two key contributors to their championship run, they shored up the bench and brought in some more size to help in the frontcourt. With the acquisition of Natasha Cloud, they’ve made an already great team even more formidable. It’s an exciting time to be a Liberty fan, and as we draw closer to Ring Night on May 17, the anticipation will continue to build.

• New York Liberty Acquire Natasha Cloud From Connecticut Sun - New York Liberty
• Liberty acquire Natasha Cloud from Sun in latest boost to WNBA championship repeat hopes - Christian Arnold - New York Post

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/17...-trade-draft-analysis-unrivaled-jonathan-kolb

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

3 Takeaways from Brooklyn Nets Weekend Back to Back

Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images

A weekend back-to-back at Barclays Center produced two good basketball games, a win and a loss plus some surprises

In a weekend dedicated largely to basketball’s collegiate level, the Brooklyn Nets still got busy. Playing host to the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and Sunday, they split their pair of games the way you’d expect them to, falling to the ever-mighty boys from Beantown before topping their notoriously mediocre foes to the south.

Despite Brooklyn making up no ground in the standings, they looked like victors each time we saw them, putting up an admirable fight shorthanded vs the league’s best and then stiff-arming one of the association’s hotter teams down the stretch en route to a win.

With the weekend now over, Brooklyn’s left with just two more back-to-back sequences to tackle this season — one at the end of the month and then the third and second-to-last games of the year. But while we still have this last one in our rear view mirror, let’s take a final glance at it.

Maxwell Lewis is Making the Most of his Moment​

We’ve reached a point in the season where it’s just as improbable as it is unwise for the Brooklyn Nets to make the Play-In tournament. As of Monday afternoon, they sit 5.5 games removed from that speed date with the playoffs, but also 14.5 weeks away from a top prospect should they hold their ground.

That also means it’s time for Brooklyn and its fellow basement dwellers to adjust their priorities. With the playoffs becoming less and less likely, there’s not much more for teams to do than open their doors for young talent to grow and develop. Entering for the Brooklyn Nets: Maxwell Lewis.

With a career-high 16 minutes of burn vs the Celtics, Lewis tallied 15 points after going 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from deep. In the game as a whole and in the possessions he took the floor for, Maxwell was an eager participant. There were no signs of rookie stagnation. He pulled a quick trigger in catch-and-shoot situations and attacked in transition...

8 STRAIGHT POINTS FOR @maxwelll2002!!! pic.twitter.com/cbP55mOSFH

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 15, 2025​

Lewis then tallied 10 points on 4-of-7 and 2-of-4 shooting vs the Hawks. In his combined games over the weekend, he poured in 25 points on an impressive 81.8 TS%. Up until that point, he had just 21 points in his entire NBA career.

Thank you @Lakers for Maxwell Lewis this kid is exciting to watch & has great potential #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/aTpLmBCU6a

— Jeri Tsai (@JeriTsaiNets) March 17, 2025​

While there’s no telling when/if he’ll surpass other wings campaigning for spots on the team next year, guys like Jalen Wilson or Ziaire Williams, Lewis did look ready for that kind of a competition, at the very least. His willingness to shoot, put the ball on the deck, and even contribute to Brooklyn’s renowned ball-pressure made that clear. (For the record, he has a team option and a $100,000 guarantee next year.)

Generosity is at an All-Time High​

Statistically and visually, Brooklyn’s willingness to share the rock has been abundantly clear over the past handful of games, including their most recent pair. The Nets finished with 33 assists on 43 made field goals vs the Hawks. The day before, they notched 34 on 42 made shots.

It’s been pretty and in a sense poetic, as the team has ironically looked more in sync than ever at the offensive end despite massive overhauls to the rotation following injuries and what we’ll just call “breaks” for certain players.

DAY DAY DIMES @dayron_sharpe | #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/9ECPYr849O

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 15, 2025​

With those assist numbers, the Nets have now dropped 30+ in four straight games, tying a franchise record for a stretch of that sort in a season. Brooklyn’s and New Jersey’s other assist streaks happened in March 2024, November 2022, and March 1987, when legends like Jason Kidd, Kyrie Irving, and Pearl Washington roamed courts with a Nets logo. It’s also the most they’ve had in any two games all year.

This generosity has made it satisfying basketball to watch and coach of late, as Jordi Fernández called Brooklyn’s 33 dimes the other night the thing he liked “most” from the game, touting his team’s energy and willingness to help one another.

Cam Thomas non-believers might take this as an opportunity to rag on the shot-maker, who missed the last two games and will sit the remainder of the year after straining his left hamstring vs Chicago. But the ball was hopping before he left the rotation as well, made evident by their historic four game stretch, not two.

In a season that’s been short on positives, let’s chalk it up to the team just being well-acquainted each other by now and call it day.

Brooklyn’s ‘T-Word’ Approach is Alternative​

I understand it was hard for the tank commanders to watch Brooklyn swipe one vs Atlanta while the Toronto Raptors simultaneously pulled their starters in the fourth to an invite a comeback from the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. In a close race vs an old rival on a new front, feelings of frustration are well warranted.

But at this point, it’s still not like the Nets aren’t trying to boost their pick’s value, they’re just taking a less aggressive approach to it.

Brooklyn indeed let Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton rock vs the Hawks, but they also out held D’Angelo Russell, who they have a significantly higher win percentage with (.391) than without (.311). Keep in mind, they also kept Claxton out of the lineup vs Boston, only citing “rest” as the issue. Look into that as much as you’d like...

So what’s the deal? Why pull your punches only half the time? Well, Brooklyn’s doing something they’ve perfected on defense this year — hedging. However, in this instance, they’re not doing it against opposing players on doubles, but against pressure from the league and their public image.

Let me be clear, I don’t think the Nets should let a fine from Adam Silver stop them from doing what they need to do to attain a higher draft pick. If there’s a million dollar prize waiting for at certain location, you can’t let fear over getting a thousand dollar speeding ticket stop you. Sore ankle or not, Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper are that prize.

With that said, rebuilding your team is a far more complicated journey than that and Brooklyn seems to be weighing all the factors.

Not only would the Nets probably prefer to avoid any heat form the league where they can, but they also want to continue building a winning culture under Jordi Fernández, even if that term has become a punchline of late. They want to make it clear they’re a franchise committed to winning regardless of the circumstances at hand, which could pay dividends when pitching to free agents down the line.

When Sean Marks told Brian Lewis they would make “systematic decisions” that don’t always involve “putting the most talent out there” or always in line with “winning the next game” it was for a reason. As a front man for a professional sports organization, you don’t just say PR eye-brown raisers like things like that unless you mean it.

The Atlanta win stings from a draft-centric view and any else of a close nature will do the same as we close out the season. But at this point, it’s clear the Nets seem comfortable putting a handful of their chips to the center of this table while others go all-in. We’ll just have to see what the cards show us on May 12.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/17/24387378/3-takeaways-from-brooklyn-nets-weekend-back-to-back

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

With Cam Thomas’ season over, decision-time awaits for the Brooklyn Nets

Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

Suddenly, Thomas may have played his last game in a Nets uniform, after one of the best weeks of his career. What will it take to keep him in Brooklyn? What should it take?

Cam Thomas had just played the best half of basketball in his professional career. Maybe not his most productive, certainly not the most explosive — but the one that portended best to the future he wants as a ball-dominant offensive creator.

Over the first 24 minutes of the Brooklyn Nets’ March 13 loss to the Chicago Bulls, Thomas shot 4-of-9 to score 15 points, four boards, and a career-high-tying eight assists, going out of way at times to hit the open man...

fantastic early plays from Cam Thomas: pic.twitter.com/2BWA8FwkmT

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 14, 2025​

Though the second half would go similarly to Brooklyn’s previous game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which Thomas played a fantastic first half before confining his offensive impact to tough misses down the stretch, these games marked genuine improvement for the fourth-year guard.

Said Head Coach Jordi Fernández: “You saw it in the last two games, especially in the first half [against Chicago]. He had eight assists, and I think in the game against Cleveland his assists were very high too, and the way we played through him, I thought the team was playing at a high level. I think we had over 20 assists in the first half, both times. And we were working him back to being in elite shape, and that’s the Cam Thomas who we want, who we expect.”

Fernández largely pinned Thomas’ second-half downturns on a lack of conditioning, and though 10-of-22 and 8-of-23 shooting lines coinciding with the best passing games of his career isn’t anything to wave away, it was an overwhelmingly positive week in the midwest for Thomas...

excellent pass here pic.twitter.com/1W864qTfKs

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 12, 2025​

And it ended with Thomas pulling his left hamstring, the third time he’s done so in 2024-2025. It was the death blow to his season, after just 25 games played.

With 2021’s #27 overall pick hitting restricted free agency this offseason, he had suddenly, possibly played his final game for the organization that drafted him.

“I feel like I built a lot of great relationships here,” said Thomas on Sunday. “It’s a business at the end of the day. I would love to be back and get that straightened out, just to keep playing in front of the fans and keep building relationships that I built here. I was drafted here, so I definitely have a connection here.”

This is not the first time Thomas has praised the organization that drafted him, and though the above is as a standard response to a standard question, there’s little reason to doubt his sincerity.

He’s joined the chorus of those praising Jordi Fernández this season, and in the past, strongly vouched for General Manager Sean Marks.

“It’s a great relationship,” he said in the summer of 2023. “He’s done a great job of identifying players in certain roles. I feel like he’s one of the best at his job and I’m glad that he’s our GM, honestly. We’re in a good spot, we have a good place to go and a good place to build on for years to come ... He’s a great GM.”

In that same podcast appearance, Thomas said he’d average 25 points a night “easy” if he were a full-time starter. Though it took him another full season to snag that role, it seems he wasn’t too far off. In just 25 games played (23 starts), but in just 31.2 minutes a night, thanks to frequent minutes-restriction, Thomas averaged 24.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists a night, all career-highs.

This is not yet a deep-dive of his season, but the headlines are:

• Thomas replaced a portion of his mid-range attempts with 3-pointers, and though he shot just 34.9% from deep, taking more of those looks while constantly getting to the line raised his true shooting to 57.5%, closer to league-average...

Cam Thomas put on a show.

- 43 points
- 16/22 FG
- 7 threes made (ties career-high)
- Back-to-back 40-point games at MSG pic.twitter.com/gk7xIuPtZp

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 16, 2024​

• He is no longer the league’s least-willing passer by the tracking data, but simply below-average. Making that jump while the turnovers hardly budged is real stuff.
• Per Basketball Index, Thomas had zero “quick-decision” assists, defined as a pass where the ball was in a player’s hand for 0.5 seconds or less. He is one of just a couple rotation regulars in the league to do this in 2024-2025, and though he is a deadly catch-and-shoot option, ball-stopping continues to be a worry.

It feels like Thomas will be a Net in 2025-2026. His steady improvements and relationship with the organization matter here, but so do too Brooklyn’s long-term plans. Given their extreme flexibility entering this offseason, and not-so-secret desire to eventually trade for a star after making a couple early first-round picks, keeping Thomas’ contract on the books may be a no-brainer.

Take Jalen Green, a somewhat similar 2021 draftee (though I maintain Thomas is better) who was rewarded with a 3-year, $105 million contract last offseason. Overpay? Absolutely. But now, his salary figures to be the main trade piece in any star acquisition the Houston Rockets make.

Thomas is highly unlikely to get $35 million a year, and the Nets are further away than the Rockets of last season were, but the principle remains the same. Green is providing a decent scoring punch for a competitive Houston team this season, and has obvious trade value in the near future. Plus, despite some glaring weaknesses in his game, you can’t discount the possibility of rapid improvement turning him into an additive player.

That’s not quite Cam Thomas yet, who is 23 years old, but also a score-first, score-second guard not yet at league-average efficiency. There’s also the matter of, you know, the three hamstring injuries he suffered this season.

Speaking of those, Thomas says he doesn’t feel the need to adjust his training regimen this offseason: “Every time was just routine, nothing out of the ordinary, stuff I’ve been doing my whole life, and moves I’ve been doing. So it’s nothing really to look at, I guess, or feel concerned about. I think it’s just more so, you know, trying to have good luck, I guess. I don’t know. So it’s just tough.”

Much is going to factor into Thomas’ market, from his hamstring injuries to the lack of teams around the NBA with cap space. Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports that his market “could be in the $20 million to $22 million per year range.”

Whatever his market is, one thing is clear, and it always has been: Cam Thomas believes in his talents.

When asked if he sees himself as a long-term core piece of this franchise, he had this to say: “Yeah, of course. When I got major minutes, I feel like I’ve been one of the best guards in the league in my position. I feel like I’ve shown that. So, nothing really to talk about with that. But I feel like, when I do have the minutes in a featured role, the sky’s the limit for me. We’ve seen that these past two years.”

Do the Brooklyn Nets agree? We’re about to find out.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/17...-time-awaits-for-the-brooklyn-nets-sean-marks

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets brick their way to well-fought loss against Boston Celtics, 104-96

Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Though they played well, missed shot after missed shot sunk the Brooklyn Nets. But so did Baylor Scheierman. That hurts.

Another sweat. It was guaranteed as soon as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were ruled out with injuries on Tuesday evening, prior to the Brooklyn Nets’ rematch with the Boston Celtics.

On Saturday, Brooklyn lost to Boston by a possession at Barclays Center, just before beating the Atlanta Hawks the following day. All told, Brooklyn hasn’t seen a double-digit loss in their last seven games. The tank is trudging along, but on perilously thin ice.

Brooklyn didn’t hang with the reigning champs, still fielding a strong roster, the same way they had on Saturday night. In that one, the Nets shot 20-of-46 from three to come back from a 21-point deficit , while Boston feasted on Nic Claxton’s absence by playing huge lineups, scoring 52 points in the paint. Size vs. speed, and size won.

On Monday night, the Nets steadily led the Celtics throughout the first half. They were just solid, and though Kristaps Porzingis raced out to a fast start by posting up switches, Brooklyn’s off-ball defenders eventually figured it out...

there it is. Cam Johnson rewarded with free throws: https://t.co/9s8PeWhNtn pic.twitter.com/rqHvweY8t2

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 19, 2025​

Protecting both the paint and the arc was no small feat, even with Brown and Tatum out. Boston missed some clean ones, sure, but the Nets were there on the majority of catches, their perimeter defenders often one rotation ahead of the ball.

It was Brooklyn’s bench that separated themselves, building a game-high nine point lead. Day’Ron Sharpe made play after play in just 19 minutes, including this highlight sequence...

Day'Ron Sharpe HELLO what a sequence: pic.twitter.com/yxlS3OBki9

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 19, 2025​

“Coach subs a guy in, and that guy comes in and makes up for whatever the guy coming off the floor did,” explained D’Angelo Russell at halftime.

On a night when Cam Johnson couldn’t really get his game off, shooting 4-of-9 for 11 points, Russell tried to take over, with 18/5/7. And in the second half, he tried to bend the game to his will, looking for his shot off ball-screens like it was 2019 again.

Problem is, he shot just 6-of-18, as the whole offense died a painful death. They only had nine turnovers all game, but just couldn’t score the rock. The Nets shot just 5-of-20 from deep in the second half, while Porzingis walled off the paint much more effectively than in the first half.

Credit to Brooklyn’s bench again, which kept TD Garden anxious, particularly when Porzingis sat. Tyrese Martin and Sharpe each scored nine points, while Trendon Watford led the reserves with 11 points and four assists, another strong game as backup point guard. (Of note: Jalen Wilson fell behind Maxwell Lewis to 11th in the rotation.)

And yet, they were all outdone by Celtics reserve Baylor Scheierman, the final first-round pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Scheierman, who could practically be a mascot for the team, scored 17 of his career-high 20 points in the second half, including a foreboding buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter...

Baylor Scheierman beats the 3rd-quarter buzzer from deep!

BOS leads by 1 on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/vpYaDccc2F

— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2025​

The place went berserk, only going crazier in the fourth quarter as Boston shot 5-of-12 for three, at last breaking the dam open. On the other end, Brooklyn just kept missing. Was there anything for Jordi Fernández to change?

“No, I trust the guys. I want them to keep shooting, and I want them to keep getting to the free-throw line, keep getting to the rim and keep finding catch-and-shoot threes. So, they did that.”

Every loss in Boston is infuriating, but especially this one, as Brooklyn didn’t make many objectionable plays. Or maybe it’s the perfect tank loss. Good process, unfortunate results.

Let Fernández explain: “We took good shots, 45 threes. It just, you know, didn’t go in. And you know, they shot. 44% from the field, 33% from three, only five second-chance for points for them to our 13. So as big as they are, we won that battle. We lost by one on points off turnovers. We created more turnovers, we just didn’t score enough out of it. So if you look at the numbers, I’m happy with the way we played and completed all the way through the game.”

There’s just not much else to say about this one, nor about a season that now has just 13 games left. Brooklyn plays hard, every game features a new hero, or almost-hero, and they seem to have hired the right head coach. Take out of it what you can get, and then pray for some ping-pong balls.

Final Score: Boston Celtics 104, Brooklyn Nets 96

Kyle Hines honored​

For those unfamiliar with Kyle Hines, the 38-year-old American is one of the EuroLeague’s all-time greats. He was recognized as such on Tuesday afternoon, named to their All-25 team, voted on by media, coaches. fans, and players.

Hines, who retired just last season, is now a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets, who celebrated his accomplishment in a post...

Shout-out to our player development assistant Kyle Hines for being named to the All-25 @EuroLeague Team.

Hines’ stacked EuroLeague resume:
4x Champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2019)
3x Best Defender Award (2016, 2018, 2022)
2010-20 All-Decade Team pic.twitter.com/6sCYQyrsG5

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 18, 2025​

Next Up​

Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

Not one, but two games against the Indiana Pacers, both on the road. The first one will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.

• Boxscore: Boston Celtics 104, Brooklyn Nets 96 - NBA
• Game Highlights: Boston Celtics 104, Brooklyn Nets 96 (Video) - NBA
• Nets drop 8th straight game to Celtics (Video) - Nancy Newman & Frank Isola - YES Network
• Jordi Fernández on second half struggles (Video) - YES Network
• Baylor Scheierman and Kristaps Porzingas lead the Celtics to a 104-96 win over the Nets - Doug Alden - AP
• Baylor Scheierman’s big night boosts Celtics past Nets - Reuters
• Nets fall to shorthanded Celtics as NBA lottery odds improve - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• No Jays? No problem: Shorthanded Celtics earn 50th win of season at Nets’ expense - C.J. Holmes - New York Daily News

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/18...tics-104-96-dangelo-russell-baylor-scheierman

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

3 Takeaways after Brooklyn Nets fizzle out vs Boston Celtics

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Day’Ron Sharpe and Keon Johnson had it going last night, but most others didn’t.

Even with the Brooklyn Nets playing the Boston Celtics just a few hours removed from St Patrick’s Day, they can’t get away with blaming the “luck of the Irish” for their loss last night.

With the Celtics playing their first game all season without both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, one could have even argued that fortune was on Brooklyn’s side. Well, that is, unless you’re solely rooting for losses at this point. No judgment if that’s the case.

Nevertheless, Brooklyn fell last night by a 104-96 score, dropping their fourth (and thankfully) final game vs the Celtics this season. Playing ruthless defense made it a contest early, but their cold shooting down the stretch made it end in an all-too-familiar fashion. Here’s everything else that went down in between.

Can’t Say Enough About Sharpe’s Growth​

Anytime we’ve needed a positive charge here in the second half of the season, Day’Ron Sharpe’s been the go-to plug-in off the bench. As most things do in Brooklyn nowadays, everything started for him last night at the defensive end.

After Boston began by punishing the Nets inside with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, who found easy paint points after Holiday and White worked the ball through Brooklyn’s blitzes, Sharpe came in to stop the bleeding. Poised as can be, the four year man navigated around picks to pressure both ball-handlers and rollers consistently on Boston’s high screen actions.

Brooklyn’s done well to “hedge” like this on screens all year as a unit, largely to their defense’s benefit, but nobody was better at it last night than Sharpe.

Another perfect job by Day'Ron Sharpe hedging to cover both Pritchard and Kornet here after the screen. Possession goes nowhere. pic.twitter.com/dWLLwBIun5

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 19, 2025​

It not like Nic Claxton hasn’t been in on this brand of defense this year, or wasn’t last night. But with Clax on the floor, Boston consistently switched him on to the ball-handler so that Porzingis could simply attack shorter defenders in the post. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but it almost always took Claxton out of the play.

there it is. Cam Johnson rewarded with free throws: https://t.co/9s8PeWhNtn pic.twitter.com/rqHvweY8t2

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) March 19, 2025​

With Sharpe though, they challenged his feet by going downhill immediately after screens. More often than not, he eagerly accepted.

Then, the offense arrived. Although Sharpe fumbled a few mismatches in the post last night, he still finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. He also pushed in transition, stretched the floor, and assisted on one bucket, bringing all the little things you like to see from a modern big to the table.

Day'Ron Sharpe is really starting to turn heads at the right time.

So much of what you like to see from a modern big in this 15-second burst. pic.twitter.com/89rG4XH6aj

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 19, 2025​

I’ve raved about Sharpe’s development before, but neglecting to do so tonight would be a disservice considering the amount of tools he put on display. I also have no doubt he made a few Boston fans want to pull their hair out with his two triples alone in the first. He gets a few extra points for that alone as well.

Keon Johnson is Raising his Ceiling​

There’s no shortage of data and eye tests illustrating Keon Johnson’s athleticism, ability to pressure the ball, closeout from northwest to southeast, and find teammates in the halfcourt. If the man were on trial for any of the aforementioned, my twitter feed would have him convicted as a hustle guy within a day.

Nets doing a solid job on Luka tonight. Mixing in different blitzing strategies here in the third. Doncic has 3 TOVs and is currently 4-15 on FGs.

Keon gets the bday jam at the other end. pic.twitter.com/2MBg7ZfUkl

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 11, 2025​

But while energy and effort are one thing, touch is another, and it’s something that’s evaded Johnson at times this year. While he’s good for one or two triples a game, Johnson doesn’t always get them efficiently. As a guard who primarily operates around the perimeter, that deep shot is the main thing missing from his game.

However, with the season winding down and him becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer, he seems to have found it in the nick of time.

In Johnson’s last nine games, and including tonight where he went 3-of-6 from deep, the combo guard is hitting shots from beyond the arc at a 43.9% clip on 4.6 attempts per game. Before that, he shot at a mere 28.9% clip. As a result, he’s raised his percentage for the season to 30.7%.

While that’s nothing crazy, getting out of the 20s is a milestone. But more importantly, it puts a respectable percentage (34-36%) within reach by the end of the year, and by extension, more money in his pocket.

A Changing of the Guards...With Forwards​

Lineup fluidity is just as much of a hallmark of the Jordi Fernández experience as ball pressure and a 3-point-heavy attack is. However, anytime a new player overtakes a rotation mainstay’s position, that’s of note.

Last night, that was Maxwell Lewis, who checked in ahead of Jalen Wilson and played far more minutes than him, logging 19 to Wilson’s seven.

While Lewis only finished with three points while shooting 1-of-4 from the field, he brought strong perimeter defense during his burn, joining Sharpe as one of just four players to finish with positive plus/minus scores for the evening. In making his lone field goal of the night, he also illustrated an ability to create for himself, which we’ve yet to see from Wilson.

hopstep bucket@maxwelll2002 | #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/C8U33pXq7D

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 19, 2025​

Wilson played relatively well over the weekend, contributing with 15 and then 13 points, each time shooting an identical 5-of-11 from the field. But most important figure for a Nets player this season is still age. If two guys bring similar production, and one is two years younger than the other, it’s an advantage considering the team’s trajectory.

Lewis taking Wilson’s spot last night still might be nothing. As I said before, Fernández mentioned that he wouldn’t guarantee minutes, starting spots, rotation spots, or anything to anyone as early as his opening press conference this year. But it also might be something. Right now, we’ll just call it something to watch.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/19...er-brooklyn-nets-fizzle-out-vs-boston-celtics

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

For Cam Johnson, making it past trade deadline was a relief and a reward

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Cam Johnson got past the trade deadline and that was a good thing for him ... and his team.

Cam Johnson is the team leader on and off the court this season for the Brooklyn Nets. Everyone says it. It’s not really debatable. D’Angelo Russell may be a week older and may have been an all-star six years ago, but the leadership laurels have to go to CamJ.

He’s the team’s leading scorer at 18.9 points, a career-high, and is also shooting 48/40/89, all but the middle number tops in his six-year career. He’s rounded out his game, no longer limited to catch-and-shoot. If he finishes the season with a effective shooting percentage about 60%, which highly likely, he’ll get a $563,000 bonus.

Moreover, he has embraced the role of leader.

Ziaire Williams, who’s having his best career year across the board, in points (10.1,) rebounds (4.8) and 3-point percentage (34.1), will tell you than. Indeed, as he explained to the New York Times’ Jared Weiss, Johnson’s help has been a big help for his career and it’s extended from life to shooting form.

The 23-year-old sits next to Johnson on the team plane to talk about life from takeoff to touchdown.

Williams credits his shooting improvement to studying how Johnson holds his follow-through and positions his guide hand during the shooting drills they run together. But more importantly, Johnson is helping Williams learn how to get comfortable with his place in the NBA.

“(Johnson is) definitely one of those guys who just stays where their feet are,” Williams told Weiss. “He doesn’t worry about where he could be or where he’s going or whatever. You know, it’s the NBA, gotta just expect the unexpected. But just be where we are and enjoy the process and enjoy the moment.”

So why was C.J. worried, perhaps even obsessed about being traded? The Brooklyn Nets of course are rebuilding and no one, at least according to the pundits, was safe, a point made clear the final two weeks of December, more than a month before the trade deadline, when Sean Marks & co. dealt Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, also seen as leaders, to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. The return on the two expiring contracts was relatively small: three second rounders in each trade, plus the injured DeAnthony Melton, Russell and Maxwell Lewis.

“I felt like our formula was pretty good early, and then the trades happen. (It) shakes us up a little bit. It did put that natural (question of) like, ‘Oh, who’s next?’ ” he said. “There’s only a couple candidates who really could likely be next. And when two trades happen pretty quickly, it’s like, ‘OK, maybe they’re really just in a sale mode.’ ”

Johnson knows what it’s like, of course. He was part of the February 2023 deadline deal that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix for him, Mikal Bridges and a slew of picks, something he talked about with Shams Charania earlier this week on Young Man and the Three.

But, this time, it turned out the concern was overwrought. Nets officials kept telling anyone who asked in any venue that they were in receive mode, taking calls not making them. Indeed, the night before the trade deadline, Sean Marks and B.J. Johnson were not huddled over computer screens in their offices at HSS Training Center in Brooklyn but at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J. watching Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Not a cell phone in sight.

“With Cam, there was a lot of interest in him just as there was with a lot of our guys but we like Cam and we think Cam fits multiple builds that we are doing,” Marks said post-deadline. “He’s a voice of reason. He’s well-respected within that locker room. He’s a pro’s pro. So if people can learn from somebody, they learn from Cam Johnson. That’s a great guy to pick up habits from.”

Brooklyn also reportedly wanted more than the market could bear, described by one reporter as two first-round picks and “stuff.”

As Weiss noted, Johnson had something else going for him. He likes it in Brooklyn, likes what the Nets are doing and likes the head coach, Jordi Fernandez.

While many players on rebuilding teams would jump at the chance to join a winning program, Johnson was happy in Brooklyn. The 29-year-old wasn’t pining to get out the door, even in his prime.

“I do appreciate maybe the value that they associated with having me on the team versus getting rid of me,” he said. “And it’s the same thing if you do get traded, right?”

There’s been no reporting on what imput Fernandez might have had in trade discussions, but he made it clear to Weiss and others how much he appreciates Johnson.

“In his late 20s, he’s our grown-up. Extremely professional, super mature,” Fernandez said. “He’s a great example for everybody else, especially with what we’re trying to establish.”

This part of the season, though, is only a respite from trade rumors. Marks makes most of his big moves around the time of the Draft. In eight of his nine years as Nets GM, Marks has made a deal, both big and small, within 48 hours of the deadline. And there’s no shortage of rumors that he’s going to “clean house” come June.

Johnson, no matter what happens, likes where he’s at, figuratively and literally.

“I like to think that this season has offered me a lot of opportunities to grow as a player, as a leader, as a teammate, and see a lot of things in this league to try to take steps further,” Johnson said. “And so as the organization feels the same way, I appreciate that.”

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/19...-the-trade-deadline-was-a-relief-and-a-reward

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

LIVE! The Brooklyn Podcast: March… Sadness?

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Join the show on Playback.

Cam Thomas’ season is over. The Play-In is out of reach, even if probably for the better. What’s left for the Brooklyn Nets to salvage in the final month of the season? Pooch and Collin are joined by Sharif Phillips-Keaton of Nets Wire to break it all down.

Hop on live with the guys here...

Can’t make Ep. 16? Check it out elsewhere...

• Spotify
• Playback.TV
• Twitter
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• YouTube

View this post on Instagram​

A post shared by The Brooklyn (@thebrooklynpod)​

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/19/24389493/live-the-brooklyn-podcast-march-sadness

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Long Island Nets fall to the Wisconsin Herd, 113-101, as playoff hopes are on life support

Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

Is Long Island’s post-season dream over? It looked that way after the Nets lost to the Wisconsin Herd and are now two games out with five to go.

The Long Island Nets looked to keep their playoff hopes alive as well as their three-game winning streak on Thursday night in Oshkosh, Wisconsin where they played the Wisconsin Herd. But it was not to be.

While the Long Island Nets played well in the first half, they completely fell apart in the second. In the end, Long Island fell to Wisconsin, 113-101.

As far as their playoff hopes are concerned, they are indeed on life support. Long Island wasn’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but the odds are very much depleted. The Nets are on the outside looking in as now they essentially need the Indiana Mad Ants, the Motor City Cruise, and College Park Skyhawks to lose out. Not likely.

In short, Long Island would have to win out to have a legitimate shot to make the playoffs. Coming up, Long Island has the Cruise, Toronto Raptors 905, and two games with the Cleveland Charge. The hardest game for Long Island should come against Motor City, who is 16-13, compared to the Raptors 905 and Charge who are both 13-17.

Drew Timme again led the team in points and rebounds with 30 and 12 respectively. Perhaps even more impressive, Timme picked up his 15th straight double-double. This is a wild stat.

Timme connected on 12 of his 15 shots, for 80% from the field. He also connected on both of his attempts from beyond the arc. The Gonzaga product was the best bright spot of the night for Long Island. Timme capped off his great game with two assists and two steals.

Tosan Evbuomwan also had a strong performance in today’s game. He finished with a double-double, second on the team in points and rebounds with 18 and 11. The Nets two-way player also picked up three assists and one block.

From one Nets two-way player to another, Tyson Etienne finished with 16 points. 12 of these points came from deep, as the 6’2” shooting guard continued to shoot very well from beyond the arc, connecting on four of his nine attempts. Overall, Etienne connected on five of his 13 attempts from the field.

Trevon Scott picked up 12 points, while Reece Beekman played arguably his best game with the Long Island Nets, picking up 11 points. Beekman connected on five of his 11 shots, including going 1-of-3 from deep.

One name you won’t see much in this article is Killian Hayes. Unfortunately for Hayes, he had a game he’d like to forget. Coming off the bench, Hayes finished with seven points, connecting on only three of his 11 attempts. Hayes seemed very off his game tonight. However, he was able to pick up five rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

Dariq Whitehead had an even worse game, shooting only 1-of-7, including 1-of-6 from deep.

The first quarter saw Long Island and Wisconsin battle it out, with Drew Timme picking up 14 points. The first quarter ended with Wisconsin taking a 36-32 lead into the second. The second quarter was another close one between the two teams, with Wisconsin outscoring Long Island, 34-33, to take a five-point lead into the half.

The third quarter was when it all began to fall apart for Long Island. The Nets were outscored by their largest margin yet, 21-15. This allowed Wisconsin to take an 11-point lead into the final quarter. Sloppy play from Long Island late in the game, including back-to-back offensive possessions without a shot off, cost them the game, and maybe even the playoffs.

Next Up​

With their playoff hopes on life support, the Long Island Nets (15-15) return to the court on Saturday night for a must-win showdown with the Motor City Cruise (16-13) in Detroit. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on the NBA G-League website.

• Boxscore: Wisconsin Herd 113, Long Island Nets - G League

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/20...-113-101-as-playoff-hopes-are-on-life-support

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

ESPN: Brooklyn Nets ranked fourth in rebuild rankings with ‘couple of years’ timeline

Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Jordi Fernandez gets top billing in rebuild but Nets will need ‘lottery luck’ or a ‘big star’ to accelerate things.

In a new feature, ESPN ranks 11 teams on the road to rebuild based on a number of parameters from draft picks, including tradeable ones, cap space and even players under the age of 25.

The analysis, authored by Tim Bontemps but based on input from a number of insiders, ranks the Brooklyn Nets fourth, their position buoyed by last April’s hiring of Jordi Fernandez as head coach and a wealth of building blocks. But execution, opportunity and of course some luck will likely determine a lot of what happens next.

Bottom line, per Bontemps, is that the team’s surprising success this season may slow things down, but there’s always the possibility of one big move changing the timeline from “a couple of years” to an “immediate” return to the playoffs.

In response to the ultimate question — “estimated return to relevance” — Bontemps writes:

A couple of years, unless the Nets put the pedal to the floor this summer and acquire a star or two via trade. In that case, Brooklyn’s return to the playoffs could be immediate in a conference with plenty of room for another contender.

Like a number of pundits, the ESPN insiders lay out what the Nets possess going forward: the large number of draft picks (31 in all: 15 firsts and 16 seconds) as well as tradeable picks (13) and off-season cap space (an estimated $45 million.) The number of tradeable picks is one higher than RealGM estimated earlier this month while the cap space is a bit less. That number will remain fluid until Sean Marks & co. start making moves. ESPN also points to the number of players under 25 (nine) and number of players on rookie scale contracts (five.)

Then, there’s the strategy:

When the Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the rival New York Knicks for a heap of draft picks, and then sent a few others to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the rights to Brooklyn’s previously traded picks in 2025 and 2026, the plan was clear: Sink to the bottom for two seasons, reap the rewards of two consecutive deep drafts, then try to turn things around. So far, though, the Nets haven’t quite sunk far enough, with the impressive coaching of Jordi Fernandez currently leaving Brooklyn sitting in the middle of the lottery.

And whether it’s working ... which is where managerial skill and some luck comes in:

Hiring Fernandez can be seen only as a success for Brooklyn. Coaching, though, can take you only so far in the NBA. The Nets are short on talent, which has been by design. Between all of their draft picks and cap space, the Nets have a lot of options. But for a franchise that hasn’t had a single lottery pick since moving to Brooklyn in 2012, it all starts with some lottery luck in a couple of months.

All that data and analysis leads ESPN to rank Brooklyn behind three other teams: the San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. The worldwide leader doesn’t add points for the attractiveness of the market, something that could help Brooklyn if a disgruntled superstar decides he wants out of his contract.

Of course, as even Bontemps et al note, there are a lot of caveats to the whole exercise, An editor’s note states: Our rebuild rankings are not based on where rosters stand right now, but rather look at each team’s rebuilding strategy and path to contention. Detroit, for example, is in the midst of its best season in a generation behind All-Star guard Cade Cunningham. But that doesn’t mean the Pistons are better positioned for long-term contention than teams such as the Jazz or the Washington Wizards, two teams fighting for the worst record but with far better avenues to improve.

There are certainly other factors to consider like ownership’s willingness to spend, injuries to key players and whether a team’s scouts and draft night decision-makers get it right. In the meantime, we wait. Just how long remains a mystery.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/21...ebuild-rankings-with-couple-of-years-timeline

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Nets fall to Indiana Pacers in slow, yet chippy overtime bout, losing 105-99

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Things were rough and tough early from a scoring perspective. Then they were from a more literal one. In the end, it all led to another loss.

The eyes of most basketball fans were likely focused on the collegiate level tonight, but the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers sure gave us something to watch anyway. However, it didn’t look like it would be that way early on.

For one, game No. 69 for Brooklyn began in a familiar fashion, with two Jordi-isms coming less than two minutes into the game, those being a prompt introduction to the 3-ball and a green light special. The Nets’ first four shots came from beyond the arc. Fernández also challenged what could have only been the game’s third or fourth whistle, reversing an early out-of-bounds call. That’s just what the man does.

But familiarity didn’t equal efficiency. The Nets connected on just one of their first eight attempts from deep despite getting solid looks. Between that and Indiana posting .350/.250 first period splits, the game’s opening minutes moved like a mollusk in molasses.

It wasn’t until the bench mob checked in that things started picking up steam. As the first quarter bled into the second, Brooklyn splashed five of seven from range. Trendon Watford got the highlight amid that run which eventually put Brooklyn up 11 early in quarter two...

Day'Ron stays with Toppin from center court to the cylinder. Clowney pushes, finds Watford to nail a three just before the buzzer.

More great burn from Brooklyn's bench. pic.twitter.com/nVq3gCXGIv

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 20, 2025​

The Pacers didn’t take long to swing back, but Brooklyn wasn’t exactly phased by what was undoubtedly their best punch of the first half. A lackadaisical inbound from Nic Claxton found Ben Sheppard’s hands, who then found a trailing Myles Turner for a thunderous dunk to help carry Indiana on an 8-1 burst...

Myles Turner Throws It Down!

Pacers-Nets NOW on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/Uxh1Zz8VxE

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 20, 2025​

Loud as the jam was — and Gainbridge Fieldhouse got at that moment, Brooklyn’s defense wasn’t intimidated. The Nets went on to force eight Indiana turnovers in that second frame, leading to eight extra points. Their trademark ball-pressure and ability to recover also forced the Pacers into 38/28 first half splits...

Yup. More great P&R defense from Day'Ron. pic.twitter.com/uaWybou3gY

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 20, 2025​

As a result, the Nets led at half by 10 despite shooting just 39.1% from the field themselves. It was a pitcher’s duel — and the Nets were getting ahead with their “fastball.”

“It was really just sprinting, honestly,” said Ziaire Williams of the defense at halftime, sitting at that point with 10 points while shooting a perfect 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from deep. “Like, simple as that, just run back.”

He would go on to finish with 22 points, five rebounds, two steals, and an assist while shooting 6-of-12 from deep, beating the career-high for triples made in a game he set only a few weeks ago.

FIFTH TRIPLE OF THE NIGHT FOR Z https://t.co/PMuYoRVoMn pic.twitter.com/xj6y9nOZCZ

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 21, 2025​

After posting such low shooting numbers in the first half, the Pacers did the same thing any wise team would do in the second: search for high percentage looks. After tallying just 14 points in the paint in the entire first half, the Pacers put up 12 just over halfway through the third. As the Nets on the contrary missed a handful of shots right around the rim in the, Indiana began to apply pressure once more.

Again, Brooklyn continued to fend them off. The Nets entered the fourth with a 71-67 lead. Each time the Pacers looked ready to take control, the Nets blew a bit more air into the cushion keeping them separated on the scoreboard. D’Angelo Russell, who had nine points in the frame and 22 for the game, had his hands on the pump most of the time.

Indiana's interior defense has been unreal in the second half...but the Nets continue to stiff-arm them on the scoreboard with hustle. pic.twitter.com/RatEWMiAiI

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 21, 2025​

But after almost 45 minutes of the Nets stiff-arming the home team, they eventually shoved back, literally. After a tough bucket from Bennedict Mathurin, who was only just getting started at that point, Trendon Watford got into with Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner. Even Jordi Fernández appeared to take a shot.

Things are getting HEATED in Indianapolis! pic.twitter.com/PCsmHJbVWS

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 21, 2025​

“I think that’s just the level of intensity that you got to rise to,” Russell said postgame. “It’s not the playoffs but it’s a playoff environment. We’re a young group trying to get there so as a group to be able to handle our emotions throughout those moments — don’t let them get the best of us at any point in the last five minutes of the game.”

Watford received two technical fouls and was ejected. Turner and Nembhard each drew one, making everything offset.

But Indiana’s fighting wouldn’t stop there, and on the latter part of a back-to-back sequence, they’d even go a few extra rounds with the Nets. Two blanked possessions from Russell down the stretch, split by a flurry of points from Mathurin whittled Brooklyn’s lead down to three with under a minute to go.

Then, with 14 seconds to go, Mathurin made three final chips that brought it to zero. After Keon Johnson closed out too hard on a would-be game-tying three from the Indiana guard, he went to the stripe. Mathurin found the net all three times. A broken offensive play later and we were introduced to free basketball...

Nothing going for Brooklyn on this final possession. To overtime we go. pic.twitter.com/bDqCPuNh2o

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 21, 2025​

At the tail end of an unbelievably grueling game, everyone looked exactly as you’d expect in the overtime period. Players on both sides were missing short, missing free throws, and even missing their man in transition on a few occasions.

As the teams dredged along, nobody got ahead by more than two, that was, until the Pacers went up three and four with 18 seconds to go following a Myles Turner rejection and a pair of game-sealing free-throws from T. J. McConnell.

Myles Turner calls game.pic.twitter.com/tCq80QC7Yf

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 21, 2025​

It was a bitter end to a bitter game, and therefore, a welcome one. Despite the hostilities, both teams (or at least front offices) will end their nights having gotten exactly what they wanted. It wasn’t pretty, but it was fun, and we’ll do it all again on Saturday.

Final: Indiana Pacers 105, Brooklyn Nets 99

Milestone Watch​

• Ziaire Williams (22 points) recorded the seventh 20-point game of his career tonight (third this season). He also buried a career-high six 3-pointers.
• The Nets forced 25 turnovers tonight, making it their 10th game with 20+ turnovers forced this season.

Jordi Gets Real Pre-Game​

It’s understandable for teams on the brink of being eliminated from postseason contention to develop a broader definition of what a “win” is every night. But for Fernández’s Nets, who’ve spent a year pissing off tank commanders by going for literal wins night in and night out, it was interesting to hear them admit there’s more to the game than finishing ahead on the scoreboard.

“It just shows with the the competitiveness, the good spirits, you know, our ability to be in games or win games, and I think that goes with showing up every day and working and getting better, a lot of the things that you guys cannot see,” said Fernández. “We really value the day-to-day work and what this group is doing, and this is just the first year right now. It’s been very positive.”

“We’ve gotten better, and it doesn’t stop right now,” Fernández then went on. “So like we always said, winning starts now. Whatever that win means for us, that can stay in the locker room or in the organization, but it’s very important that we’re not wasting any time.”

Next Up​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Want more Indiana Pacers? You got more Indiana Pacers. The Nets will stay in the Hoosier State for the weekend, playing Mathurin and company once more late Saturday afternoon.

• Boxscore: Indiana Pacers 105, Brooklyn Nets 99 (OT) - NBA
• Game Highlights: Indiana Pacers 105, Brooklyn Nets 99 (Video) - NBA
• Jordi Fernandez on improvements needed for the Nets (Video) - YES Network
• Jordi Fernández Postgame Press Conference vs Indiana (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
• Nets lose composure, blow late lead in overtime loss to Pacers - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• Bennedict Mathurin scores 28 and leads Pacers to a 105-99 overtime victory over the Nets - C.J. Holmes - New York Daily News

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/20/24390525/nets-vs-pacers-ziaire-williams-bennedict-mathurin

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

The New York Liberty re-sign Marine Johannès

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The New York Liberty bring back an old friend and fan favorite to help their title defense.

Welcome back!

On March 21, the New York Liberty announced that they re-signed Marine Johannès.

View this post on Instagram​

A post shared by New York Liberty (@nyliberty)​

MJ hasn’t been in the WNBA since 2023 as the combination of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the WNBA’s prioritization rules kept MJ away from the league in 2024. She underwent ankle ankle surgery earlier this winter and prior to her injury publicly stated her wish to return to the WNBA in 2025

Marine Johannes is the best passer in the world for a reason.

She said her goal is to come back in the #WNBA    next season, either in the Liberty or another team.

She shared her excitement about New York Liberty's championship run.

1-on-1 with MJ23! #NYLiberty @SportalgrG pic.twitter.com/2MJrcmoC5M

— Christos Tsaltas (@Tsaltas46) October 23, 2024​

And now, Johannès gets her wish.

“It is a special opportunity to add Marine – who believed in our vision since 2019 – to a team once again competing for a title,” Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. “Marine’s floor spacing and dynamic ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and others will add another dimension to our offense in 2025.”

Johannès was with the Liberty during the franchise’s lowest moments in Westchester and in 2023, spoke about the care and support provided by Kolb, former assistant GM Ohemaa Nyanin, and the Liberty organization:

“They really helped me, they knew it was my first season overseas, and they did everything for me. They are always asking me how I feel, how I am. So when I came back here, it’s because I feel like I’m really a part of the team… it’s a nice feeling.”

Jackie Powell of The Next reported that Johannès is back on a one year contract at the league minimum.

To Kolb’s point about Johannès’ floor spacing and dynamic ability to create for others, let’s refresh your memory on what MJ can do on a basketball court

That’s the good stuff! When we last spoke with Johannès in 2023, she mentioned that she’d “like to be more consistent. I want to play better on defense. I would love to work on my off-ball action. I know that in Europe, I have a lot of time with the ball in my hands, and here it’s completely different. So it’s something that I will work on.”

Johannès will slide into a Liberty backcourt that made a major improvement after acquiring Natasha Cloud in a trade with the Connecticut Sun. Johannès can heat up at a moment’s notice and find openings in the defense that we didn’t think were possible. Sandy Brondello has worked to instill confidence in her on both sides of the ball, and she will be able to fit in with a deeper Liberty team than the one she was on in 2023.

The Liberty have worked to retool the roster this off-season as they prepare for their title defense this Spring. With the return of Johannès, New York has another star and capable ballhandler to run the offense and make things happen for her teammates. As we draw closer to training camp, the excitement will continue to build in Brooklyn.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/22...contract-france-sandy-brondello-jonathan-kolb

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Long Island Nets stay alive in playoff push as Drew Timme notches 50 points

Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images

They’re still two games out with three to go, but Long Island remains in contention for a playoff spot after a phenomenal comeback and record-setting game by Drew Timme.

The Long Island Nets came into Safurday’s game knowing that it was truly do-or-die for their playoff hopes

The Nets affiliate faced off with the Motor City Cruise who sat just in front of Long Island in G League standings. A loss and Long Island would be mathematically eliminated, but in a game that wound up being an overtime thriller, Long Island picked up a big win, 152-145.

The Nets were propelled by Drew Timme who put together the greatest game in his pro basketball career, scoring 50 points.

It was apparent from early on that Timme, the 6’10” 24-year-old, would need to be the guy if Long Island wanted to walk out of Detroit with the win and stay alive in the playoff hunt. In the end, Timme picked up a new career-high, as he notched 50 points. In the process, the former Gonzaga All-American had an amazing shooting the ball, connecting on 21 of his 26 shots, 80.7% from the field.

Timme also connected on three of his five attempts from deep and connected on four of his six shots from the foul line. He also led the team in rebounds with nine and picked up two assists. To cap off his historic day, Timme picked up one steal and one block.

Reece Beekman played a pivotal role in Saturday’s game, as the Nets two-way acquired in the Dennis Schroder trade played his best game as a Net whether in Brooklyn or Long Island. With under three seconds left in regulation, Beekman hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 145 to force overtime. Beekman finished with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Beekman had a terrific game shooting the ball as he connected on more than half of his shots, finishing with seven connections on his 13 attempts. Beekman connected on half of his shots from beyond the arc, making two of his four attempts, and hit four of his six attempts from the foul stripe.

The Nets other two-ways played big roles as well.

Tosan Evbuomwan connected on seven of his 10 shot attempts, including hitting his solo attempt from deep, and having a decent day at the foul stripe, shooting and connecting on four of his six shots. Evbuomwan finished with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal.

Tyson Etienne picked up 19 points, shooting 6-of-18 overall and 4-of-14 from deep. Killian Hayes had an effective game as well, notching 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds.. Dariq Whitehead didn’t shoot the ball often, but when he did, he shot it effectively, connecting on five of his six attempts, and going perfect from deep, hitting all four of his shots. Whitehead finished with 14 points.

The first quarter was a very back-and-forth affair. Long Island built a 14-point lead at one point, but only took a four-point lead into the second. Motor City outscored Long Island in the second, 42-34, to take a four-point lead into the half.

The third quarter saw more of the same as Motor City once again outscored Long Island, 36-28. Long Island trailed by eight to enter the final quarter. Long Island chipped away at the lead, outscoring Motor City, 48-36.

Beekman tied the game with under three seconds to force overtime. Timme called the game in an Elam ending scoring his 50th point on the game-winning 3-pointer.

For the Cruise, former St. John’s star Daniss Jenkins finished with 33 points and 18 assists.

Next Up​

The Long Island Nets (16-15) look to keep their playoff hopes alive as they return to the court on Wednesday for a matinee game with the Toronto Raptors 905 (13-18). The game tips off at 11:00 a.m. ET and can be watched on the NBA G-League and Long Island Nets’ respective websites.

• Boxscore: Long Island Nets 152, Motor City 145 - G League

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/22...ruise-152-145-as-drew-timme-notches-50-points

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets unable to complete comeback, losing in rematch to Indiana Pacers 108-103

Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

They made the Pacers sweat, but nothing beyond that.

No two NBA games are the same, even if they include the same teams, in the same spot, and are less than 48 hours removed from each other. Unless you have a thing for turnovers, ejections, and a whole neighborhood’s worth of bricks, that was for the better tonight.

Unlike the absolute rock fight that ensued between the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, our rematch today was a symphony of swishes and jams with an upbeat melody. Both teams shot north of 40% from the field. Trendon Watford even saved his banter for after the buzzer!

Still, it wasn’t a song Brooklyn fans will want to listen to again in the near or distant future. Despite it being a prettier basketball game overall, it was one that largely favored the Pacers in the end.

Indiana came into it stretched and with their shoe laces double-knotted. With Tyrese Haliburton in the lineup this time, they were running early and often, generating seven transition points in the opening frame.

Brooklyn, on the contrary, stumbled out of the gate. With it now being their turn to play without a point guard, as D’Angelo Russell sat this one with ankle soreness, it took the Nets over three minutes to find their first points of the game. They started 0-6 from three and shot 7-21 from the field in the first. Made shots were at a premium, and the ones they did bury in felt more like answered prayers rather than earned rewards.

Nets offense so far? Jalen Wilson grenades.

Could've had an easier one in the corner earlier in the possession, but you'll take the end result. pic.twitter.com/cmiySCePOS

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 22, 2025​

Wilson also had to have been glad to get a different kind of game tonight. After putting up a goose egg despite logging 19 minutes on Thursday, the swingman put up 13 points while shooting 5-of-12 from the field and 3-of-9 from deep. He, Keon Johnson, and Trendon Watford all led Brooklyn in the scoring department at halftime.

With five of those first period makes being of the 3-point variety for Brooklyn, they were able to keep us out of early blowout territory, as the Nets only trailed after one 28-25. But in the second, more of the same continued. The Pacers kept running and gunning, snatching another seven transition points.

Even on the plays not meeting the technical “transition” requirements, Indiana still moved up and down the court with pace and precision. Much like Brooklyn used to with Ben Simmons, they’d inbound the ball and push with tempo, aiming to catch the defense off-guard even after Nets’ points or dead balls.

Pacers have done a nice job pushing even after stoppages tonight

Someone's just gotta get back here to help Jalen Wilson with Pascal. pic.twitter.com/4BRbD8YHxg

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 22, 2025​

The disarray exhibited by Brooklyn’s offense and Indiana’s willingness were also coefficient factors in a nightmarish cycle for the Nets, as energy-absorbing offensive possessions left them with tired legs when it was time to turn around and defend. Huffing and puffing, Brooklyn trotted into halftime down 61-52.

Once play resumed, Myles Turner turned what was already a solid night for him into a real dandy, scoring from everywhere to put in 10 points in the third period. When it was all said and done, the trade deadline’s greatest cockroach (I swear this is a compliment even if it doesn’t sound like it) finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Myles Turner was 4-8 on 3Ps even before this one. pic.twitter.com/WiFcaw6QMC

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 22, 2025​

When he checked out around the five minute mark of the third, Brooklyn trailed by a 79-66 margin. At that point looking like the Thursday version of themselves, they had the shots during that stretch, but couldn’t take advantage, as Indiana closed the period on an 11-4 run, putting the Nets behind to start the fourth 90-70.

No bucket here but how about this rocket from Day'Ron Sharpe? pic.twitter.com/G06tBNZFUi

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 22, 2025​

Even with that being the largest deficit of the night, it wouldn’t be a Brooklyn Nets game without a push-back effort that makes you proud, yet anxious with your other eye on the draft lottery standings. Brooklyn saved theirs for the opening minutes of the fourth, where they enjoyed a 21-2 run. The Pacers continued to race up and down the floor, but found themselves stumbling at the finish line of each possession in the fourth. They began the frame 1-11 from the field and 0-6 from deep.

“I think the fight all the way through is important,” Jordi Fernández said postgame. “Never give up. You’re down 20, having the chance to fight for the game. It talks a lot about how these guys, the work that they put in everyday. Not quitting when you’re down 20, it’s extremely. important. We could have done things better, but I’m really proud of the way guys played.”

https://t.co/kXrCz1OT11 pic.twitter.com/Zg3whZFXkF

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 22, 2025​

But the Pacers didn’t let it go any further than that. Being the seasoned vet that he is, Pascal Siakam knew Indiana needed to 1.) finally start slowing things down and 2.) actually score some damn points. He did both, looking inside and getting to the line where he added eight points in the final four minutes.

That miniature, manufactured burst from Siakam plus a missed bunny from Nic Claxton put the Pacers up six under a minute to go. That gave them enough space to tread water until the final buzzer, even with Trendon Watford doing his best to drown everyone at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Wat finished one tick off from his career high, contributing 26 points after shooting 9-14 from the field.

Trendon Watford has reportedly not heard a bell pic.twitter.com/477IVC2ejU

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 22, 2025​

“I just had a feeling cause I didn’t see anybody open, so I had a feeling he was going to throw it off my back,” he said postgame. “I was able to like time it, tip it a little bit. I don’t know how that shot went in.”

“I feel like we would have won that game if I didn’t get ejected,” Watford went on. “So I just wanted to be there for my team today and just lock in...we came up short today but I just wanted to be out there and be as impactful as I can.”

Indiana stayed shooting better from the field than the Nets, but Brooklyn came back to post a slightly better clip from three. Second chance points were only off by a bucket, with the Nets losing by two. Off the bench, where the Nets normally dominate, they only won by a deuce. The largest difference on the night from a statistical standpoint still came on the break, where the Pacers put up 21 points to Brooklyn’s eight.

You could argue Brooklyn should have been ready to run this race with the Pacers. Indiana’s speed at the offensive end has been well-documented for over a season now. They also rank top-10 in pace and transition points per game this year.

But when you’re also a team on the brink of reaching 50 losses for the season, odds are you’re not conditioned to stick with a playoff-bound squad step for step.

Final: Indiana Pacers 108, Brooklyn Nets 103

Milestone Watch​

• Trendon Watford’s 26 points are the most he’s had in his Nets career. They’re also the second-most points scored by a Net in a game off the bench this season (Tyrese Martin - 30 points - 11/27 at Phoenix).
• Noah Clowney drew Brooklyn’s 36th charge of the season tonight. That’s the fifth-most in the league and four times as many charges as the Nets drew all of last season (nine).

Next Up​

John Jones-Imagn Images

Next on the agenda is a team that’s been the punchline for just about every joke in the association post-February, and rightfully so. The Nets will host the Dallas Mavericks back at the Barclays Center on Monday evening, meeting them for the first time this season.

The last time these two teams played, Dallas not only had Luka Doncic, but Brooklyn had Spencer Dinwiddie starting at point guard and Royce O’Neal coming off the bench. So yeah, it’s been a minute.

• Boxscore: Indiana Pacers 108, Brooklyn Nets 103 - NBA
• Game Highlights: Indiana Pacers 108, Brooklyn Nets 103 (Video) - NBA
• Nets’ latest comeback bid falls short in 108-103 loss to Pacers - C.J. Holmes - New York Daily News
• Nets’ furious late rally falls short in loss to Pacers - Brian Lewis - New York Post
• Trendon Watford, Myles Turner react to fines after fight during Nets-Pacers matchup - Erik Slater - ClutchPoints
• Nets player grades: Trendon Watford drops 26 in 108-103 loss at Pacers - Sharif Phillips-Keaton - NetsWire (USA Today)

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/2025/3/22/24391748/nets-vs-pacers-trendon-watford-myles-turner-108-103