RSS Nets Team Notes

[Brooklyn Nets]

‘Les Nets’ win Montreal game in front of 6,201 as Malachi Smith explodes

The Long Island Nets returned to the court on Friday night for a second game in their first back-to-back of the season at Place Bell in suburban Montreal. Following their loss against the Wisconsin Herd in their first Canadian game Thursday, Long Island got back on track in this one and defeated Wisconsin, 121-112.

Their attendance goal got back on track as well, as 6,201 fans made their way to the arena in Laval, Quebec. for this one. After averaging nearly 7,000 fans last season in six Canadian games last season, Thursday night’s game only drew 5,193 which the team chalked up to timing. The game was up against a Montreal Canadiens game downtown

The “Les Nets” promotion in its second year of ,“ in the second year is shared by Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the Nets, Liberty, and Barclays Center parent company, and Groupe CH, which owns the Montreal Canadians and two arenas in Quebec. BSE is attempting to establish a new fan base in French-speaking Canada, while Groupe CH is playing a longer game, hoping to attract an NBA franchise to Canada’s second-largest city. Long Island will return to Montreal early next month for another set of games and community events.

Once again, the Quebec fans treated Long Island as the home team…

Regardless of the number, the fans in Canada are cheering on their Nets.

Every shot made, block, big play, foul shot, the fans are doing everything they can to keep Long Island in this one.@NetsDaily #StrongIsland #NetsWorld

— Scott Mitchell (@Scott44Mitchell) January 10, 2026

Friday nights game was notable for a couple of reasons beyond the win, the Nets’ G Leaguers’ fourth in regular season. The win saw the return of Grant Nelson, the Alabama 7-footer who Brooklyn signed to an Exhibit 10 in the summer and assigned to Long Island. He had played six games before tweaking his knee back on November 26. After missing seven weeks. Friday’s game saw Nelson not just ease his way back into the swing of things, but start. It was a very good showing and hopefully one he can build on. Although the hyperathletic North Dakota native, scored only two points in 15 minutes, he corralled six boards and blocked a shot, both things the Nets want to see from him.

Nelson was pegged as a second-rounder in the 2025 NBA Draft, but late in the second, he reportedly passed on an opportunity to hear Mark Tatum call his name and instead became a free agent so he could the Nets organization and compete for a two-way..

The other promising development was a 36-point effort by 6’4” wing Malachi Smith who ironically was filling in for two-way E.J. Liddell. Ironically, the two played together — and won an Illinois state championship — in high school. He’s someone who doesn’t always get talked about a ton, as he goes a bit under the radar with the Flatbush 5 and Brooklyn’s three two-way players cycling through. Regardless, Smith shot the ball very well, connecting on 14 of his 22 shots, including going 1-of-3 from deep. He also picked up six rebounds, nine assists, and a steal to his credit. The nine assists matched a career-high for Smith, matching his output on Thursday night.

Chaney Johnson, the Nets recent two-way signing and at 23 Long Island’s youngest player, came off the bench in this one and picked up 12 points. Johnson connected on five of his seven shots for a better shooting performance than the night before. Johnson also had five rebounds, one assist, and one block in this one. He also picked up four turnovers in 22 minutes.

Career-high 36 points with nine assists and six rebounds for @maliworld11 pic.twitter.com/9Anw9eyHDY

— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) January 10, 2026

Brooklyn most senior two-way. guard Tyson Etienne added 12 points with six assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes as he became the second player in franchise history to knock down at least 200 3-pointers. Overall, Etienne didn’t have the prettiest game shooting the ball as he just connected on three of his 10 shots, including going 2-0f-7 from deep.

Nate Williams had 19 points in this one, continuing his stellar play as of late. The 6’6” wing who turns 27 next month has the most NBA experience one the roster with 47 NBA games. He connected on seven of his 15 shots, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Williams also picked up seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal to his credit. Williams has been on a tear lately, reminding the Nets why they traded Drew Timme for him in the offseason.

Trevon Scott, Long Island’s 28-year-old big, flirted with a double-double, as he finished the game with 16 points and nine rebounds. The 28-year-old also had two assists, a steal, and a block.

Long Island fell behind early after a 17-7 run by the Herd in the first and trailed Wisconsin 32-23 after one quarter. The Nets responded by scoring the first 10 points of the second quarter and outscored the Herd 39-25 in the period to take a 62-57 lead into the locker room. Long Island finished the second quarter without a single turnover after committing seven in the first.

Long Island maintained the lead with an 8-0 run from 3:23 to 2:20 in the third quarter and entered the final period up by four, 85-81, after a highlight dunk by Johnson with two seconds remaining in the third. Long Island finally took control of a tightly-contested fourth quarter with a 10-2 run in the final frame to close out the team’s trip to Laval with a 121-112 win.

The Nets outscored Wisconsin 58-38 in the paint and won the offensive rebounding battle by a margin of 12-4. Long Island finished the game shooting 53.0% from the field and 40.7% from deep with six players scoring in double figures.

Victor Oladipo, the NBA veteran guard who’s trying for a comeback after various injuries, didn’t play in the back-to-back.

Next Up​

The Long Island Nets (4-4) return to Nassau Coliseum on Monday night for a showdown with their old friend KJ Jones II and the 5-3 Stockton Kings. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on Prime Video, as well as on the Gotham Sports app.

• Boxscore: Long Island Nets 121, Wisconsin Herd 112 – G League
• Game Highlights: Long Island Nets 121, Wisconsin Herd 112 (Video) – G League

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/longislan...me-in-front-of-6201-as-malachi-smith-explodes

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

RUMOR ROUND-UP: An analysis of latest on MPJ, etc.

HSS Training Center is locked up tighter than a drum. Not the practice courts. They ring with the sound of squeaking sneakers and encouraging applause from coaches. Reporters can get limited access to the courts on practice days, but in the corner offices and conference room, there’s no access. That’s the way Sean Marks likes it. He doesn’t like leaks — hates them in fact, particularly now with a little less than a month left before the February 5 trade deadline.

So, for the most part, reporting on the Nets has been limited to speculation about who might be interested in Michael Porter Jr. having an All-Star season (not official yet) but very little about the Nets side of the trade equation other than Marks & Co. are “listening” to offers or inquiries.

What might the Nets want? One first round pick? Two? A young player? No specifics. They won’t accept “scraps,” says Brett Siegel of Clutch Points. Both he and Jake Fischer of The SteinLine say the Nets are planning big “moves” next summer once they see who they get in that lush 2026 Draft, expecting to put Brooklyn in contention for 2026-27. So would it be smart for Marks to wait till the Draft when he’s the most active anyway? Again, no one at HSS is saying.

Typical of the speculation was a Fischer report last week. Fischer wrote about teams “evaluating” or “monitoring” Porter or having “internal discussions” about him or are candidates to be a “team to consider” or one to “keep our antennae up.“ Not much there.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN called MPJ, “the guy a lot of teams are talking about…”

Ramona on Michael Porter Jr's trade market:

"He is the guy that a lot of teams are talking about" pic.twitter.com/7BDsjEArCd

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 5, 2026

Not much there either, but there’s a lot of smoke.

On a slow Saturday, John Hollinger added a bit more kindling, but just a bit. In a report on The Athletic, Hollinger, the former Memphis Grizzlies executive, suggests that with ESPN’s reporting about Ja Morant being available, a lot of teams may be interested. He describes the Nets a “deep dark horse.” In that context, here’s how be connects MPJ’s availability with Morant’s.

[L]et’s talk about one deep dark horse: Brooklyn. With one trusted league source telling me that Michael Porter Jr. is a lock to move by the deadline so the Nets can sell high on his career year, it makes sense for the Nets to figure out who will be the centerpiece of their franchise a year from now. Remember, Brooklyn owes a pick swap to Houston in 2027 and thus has no incentive to tank next season. They need some players.

Dealing Porter for Morant and picks would allow the Nets to have their cake and eat it, too. They could sell high on Porter, buy low on Morant, and fill their most glaring roster weakness ahead of the 2026-27 season. In the meantime, Brooklyn could follow Washington’s lead post-trade and have Morant’s calf injury “linger” into April so they can collect more ping-pong balls. Let’s just say that Porter’s fantastic season is colliding with other organizational objectives in Brooklyn.

The closest thing to news in those two paragraphs is that MPJ is “a lock to move by the deadline,” but he provides no details on the “trusted league source.” One might assume that whoever it is is close to the Nets. Hollinger is a credible enough source that he wouldn’t be caught quoting just anyone.

As for the Nets possible interest in Morant, that doesn’t sound plausible … and we’re being kind. Publicly, over and over again, as well as privately, Marks and Joe Tsai have spoken about “high character” players being the foundation stone of the rebuilt Nets. And Morant, the 26-year-old who not that long ago was seen as the future face of the league, has had one issue after another, two suspensions for waving firearms, forced to enter counseling, issues with his coaches and teammates, etc. Not to mention sustaining one injury after another. At this point his trade value is low.

Of course stranger things have happened. Indeed if you look for the first reference to Sean Marks mentioning “high character” players was at Kenny Atkinson’s press conference … 494 weeks ago. That was before the Big Three debacle. But there’s every indication that Brooklyn, the owner and GM take it very, very seriously.

As B.J. Johnson, Marks’ No. 2, told SCOUT, the Nets docu-series, “Regardless of who comes in here, we’re not going to change. They’ve got to adjust to us. Overall, that’s what it’s about here.”

Beyond Memphis, a number of teams have already been linked to Porter including the Golden State Warriors, the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.

It should also be noted that Porter is not the only player on the Nets roster who has been rumored to be headed elsewhere. Los Angeles Lakers fans think Nic Claxton would be an excellent addition. Boston Celtics fans like Day’Ron Sharpe and his very reasonable contract. Moreover, the Nets have all the trade pieces needed to make most deals, with 32 draft picks, including 10 tradeable firsts, $15.5 million in cap space through June, most in the league, then as much as $50 million next season, and a lot of young players.

Sunday, the Nets will play the Grizzlies which will no doubt lead to more rumors, more discussions. And just to make matters even more interesting, Michael Porter Jr. won’t be playing. He’s “resting.” Yes, he’s rested before this season but it’s that time of the season and so any seeming irregularity gets highlighted. It’s the trade deadline or soon will be.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-rumors/104266/rumor-round-up-an-analyst-of-the-latest-on-mpj

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Nets vs. Grizzlies preview: The start of a road trip

No fireworks this time. The Brooklyn Nets took on a resurgent Los Angeles Clippers team at Barclays Center on Friday night. It was over early and the Clippers cruised to an easy 121-105 win.

The opponent tonight is looking to figure things out. The Memphis Grizzlies had 21-point second half lead and 14-point fourth quarter lead against a severely shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder team. Unfortunately for the Grizz, they let the lead slip and lost a heartbreaker.

Where to follow the game​

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 3:30 PM.

Injuries​

No EJ Liddell, Haywood Highsmith, or Ben Saraf. Michael Porter Jr is out for first half of a back-to-back rest purposes.

The following are out for the Grizz:

• Ja Morant
• Scotty Pippen, Jr
• Ty Jerome
• Zach Edey
• Brandon Clarke

John Konchar is questionable as he continues to recover from left thumb surgery.

The game​

It’s taken a few years to get here, but it appears Memphis is officially looking to get out of the Ja Morant business. On Friday afternoon, it was reported that the team has begun exploring trades of their former franchise player. It’s a fall from grace for a player many expected to be the next great superstar of the 2020s. Now, his on court value is the lowest it’s ever been and his reputation has continued to take hits from all angles. How bad has it gotten? Well…

Klay Thompson goes in on Ja Morant in the post game presser

“He's a funny guy with no accountability, Just running his mouth. He’s been running his mouth a long time. It’s funny you run your mouth when you’re on the bench. It’s kinda been the whole story of his career so far.” pic.twitter.com/aI36ZPDThj

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) November 23, 2025

All these weeks later and that still stings. Morant’s time in Memphis is likely up, and I’m sure he and the team will look back with regret at the missed opportunities they had to become a new power in the Western Conference.

For Brooklyn, they’re going to look to make their way into the paint as often as possible. The Grizzlies allow teams to shoot 68.8 percent inside the restricted area, tied for fifth highest in the NBA this season. Without Porter Jr, offense will be hard to come by for the Nets. Can Egor Dёmin help them find easy shots in the painted area? We’ll see.

So, Cam Thomas…

three rookies playing alongside Cam Thomas is no fun:

— Lucas Kaplan (@lucaskaplan.bsky.social) 2026-01-10T04:04:46.126Z

I don’t know, man. The team is expecting more of Thomas, especially now that he’s the leading man coming off the bench. But if he continues to do the same stuff and show no tangible signs of growth, it makes his life more difficult.

Player to watch: Jaren Jackson Jr.​

Assuming Morant is out the door, everything falls on JJJ’s shoulders. It doesn’t feel like he’s been in the NBA for eight seasons, but he has and has a surprisingly expansive resume. You spend a few minutes on social media and you’ll see someone bemoan why Jackson Jr isn’t going to rim punishing smaller defenders, etc. It’s something that’s been a problem for a long time, but maybe things are starting to turn around. From STATSSAC over at Grizzly Bear Blues:

“However, the fact that the rest of the roster had clear understanding that Jackson Jr. was exploiting those mismatches was just as important to his success. Not only did the priority become clear to get him the ball, but the focus also centered on how to make him most effective once he had it. That awareness from the team as a whole is what will help Jackson Jr. remain consistent when he clearly is having success early in games.

It should be noted that one good game against one of the NBA’s most disappointing teams does not guarantee Jackson Jr. will be at an All-Star level moving forward. But it certainly is a reference point that Jackson Jr. remains fully capable of making star level impact. And perhaps most encouraging is being in sync with the rest of his teammates to frequently feature Jackson. Jr. on offense.“

He’s getting more shots closer to the rim this season compared to last, so that’s a good start. Jackson Jr. has a lot on his shoulders and the Grizzlies will need a lot more from their All Star as they enter a new era.

Noah Clowney will get the JJJ assignment, and it’s the first in what promises to be a tough week. The Nets have Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavs waiting for them on Monday night and the Nets have been impressed with how Noah has played for much of the season. Even when his shot isn’t going, you see the flashes of greatness and walk away impressed when he’s able to make something shake. He’s been a bright spot for the Nets this season and this week will be a great measure of his progress.

From the Vault​

For the first time in a long time, the University of Miami has a chance to stand on top of the college football mountain. Let’s take a trip back in time

And ones in the air for Bob Weir

More reading: Grizzly Bear Blues, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter, City of Nets

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Memphis Grizzlies Game Notes – Memphis Grizzlies
• Jackson and Memphis take on the Nets in non-conference play – AP
• Cam Thomas revisits unusual role to help along Nets future – Andrew Crane – New York Post
• Why Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. isn’t playing vs. Grizzlies – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-game...ies-nba-preview-jaren-jackson-jr-noah-clowney

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets fumble comeback vs Memphis Grizzlies, lose 103-98

The Memphis Grizzlies, once seen as “Net killers,” seem to have been declawed. Whether that happened when Dillon Brooks started poking other bears, their head coaching changed, or when they cashed out on Desmond Bane, they’re no long the ferocious, ursine creatures they resembled in the early 2020s.

Still, they were able to rip the Nets up tonight.

In fairness, Brooklyn dosed themselves in honey and bacon grease by going into this one without Michael Porter Jr. With the Nets beginning a back-to-back sequence in Memphis, they opted to rest their offensive savant in today’s matinee. Unrelated or not, there’s no shortage of trade smoke around MPJ this week as well.

Danny Wolf, making his third career start, filled in for him aside the usual opening five and played probably his best all-around game as a pro. Nolan Traore and Day’Ron Sharpe looked good as well.

However, Porter’s absence was immediately felt. Brooklyn’s first shot of the game was a Noah Clowney air-ball, which only indicated just how the offense would fare minus its leading scorer. Shooting just 9-of-25 on field goals to begin the game, the Nets trailed by as many as 16 in the opening period.

For Memphis, Cedric Coward was anything but timid (sorry), spraying the Nets with 13 first quarter points after shooting 5-of-6 from the field. The Grizzlies did well dictating the game’s pace early, surely helped by Brooklyn’s bevy of misses which invited the Memphis offense to push against a un-set defense.

To keep things from falling into blowout territory early for a second straight game, the Nets needed a few unlikely heroes to step up to the plate, and Traoré was first in the box. The Brooklyn Bugatti (trademark pending but appropriate) was assertive, looking to touch the paint and create for others. He took his first steps toward earning a “giant slayer” badge to close the first quarter as well…

Nolan Traoré scores over Jaren Jackson Jr. at the buzzer. Seven inch height difference between those two. pic.twitter.com/CX02FAyTIY

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 11, 2026

By all accounts, Traoré and Day’Ron Sharpe were best part of the first half for the Nets. They looked comfortable operating around each other as pick-and-roll dance partners and momentarily slowed the Memphis offense. By halftime, Sharpe pitched in eight points, seven rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist in eight minutes of play.

Tyrese Martin also joined Sharpe and Traoré as a dark horse contributor. He fielded nine first quarter minutes after riding bench all of last week. Martin even the Nets at half with 11 points after going a perfect 3-of-3 from deep. He also came up with two steals, helping the Nets secure 15 points off turnovers, and get their deficit down to six points early in the second. However, Memphis managed to pump the lead back up to double digits by halftime, still shooting better than Brooklyn from the field and three while also earning a +6 rebounding advantage.

But the Nets would make another bid for the lead early in the third. They did so with the same thing that’s gotten them a handful of victories, or at least moral ones, over the past few weeks: their defense.

Brooklyn began the third on 14-6 run which made it a three point game roughly halfway through the period. Rotating with greater precision and poise than in previous half, the Nets subjected Memphis to a 3-of-1 start from the field and 0-of-5 from deep. In the process, Wolf found a second him in the corner, canning two triples from there in the period. His second tied the game up at the 6:20 point of the third.

Terance Mann might've gotten away with a travel. Memphis didn't leaving Wolf open again. pic.twitter.com/aGj9Fksnrg

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 11, 2026

Wolf also contributed to Brooklyn’s resurgent defense in the second half, clawing at the ball and making extra efforts to coral rebounds. He also also helped stall the once speedy Memphis offense, which ran down nine fast break points in the first quarter but mustered just eight for the rest of the game. In the period, Wolf grabbed eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, along with a steal an three boards. That helped him get his first career double-double, tallying 11 points and 10 boards for the game while shooting 4-of-11 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep.

“The defense and the rebounding, it’s outstanding,” Jordi Fernández said of Wolf’s game. “10 rebounds, seven of them defensive rebounds, which we need him to do, because we were missing Michael, and then the aggressiveness, like playing off two feet at the rim, because they have a lot of good rim protectors, and then letting it fly. He shot five of them. I have to watch the film. I still think he could have shot at least two or three more, especially late in the game. We needed him to shoot that shot but I believe he will. He’s willing to do the right things. And you know, I don’t want him to get caught i the negative because he did a lot of good things. We’re going to keep helping him, because he’s trying really hard.”

Jalen Wilson, who also rejoined the rotation tonight, hit a triple soon after to give the Nets a one-point lead with 2:20 to go in the third, but a scoring recoil by Memphis put them back in front by three entering the fourth. The Grizzlies dominated the Nets in the paint almost all afternoon, and the third was no different, as the Grizz rocked and rolled their way to 16 points in that frame.

In the fourth, Sharpe and Traoré continued to feed off each other, making effort plays at both ends of the floor. Sharpe didn’t score in the second half but still finished with an 8/13/3 line. Traoré finished with only four points but a career-high six assists and as a +11.

Steal + pass = bucket.

Day'Ron Sharpe is doing it all today. pic.twitter.com/O3YE7igBcb

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 11, 2026

“I think he’s being aggressive,” Fernández said of his French point guard. “I think he’s used his voice. He’s growing, as we know he’s a young kid, but he works really hard, works like a pro and he’s getting better. Six assists and zero turnovers is pretty impressive. Even right there at the end, he called the right play, he made the right play, he gave an assist for a three, so those are huge steps for him, and I’m very, very proud of him.”

However, Cam Thomas, who only had two points before the fourth, had the highlight of the period, hitting from near-logo range to keep the pressure up on the scoreboard. Thomas ended up with seven points in the fourth to give him nine for the game while shooting 4-of-12 from the field. He did not play after the 5:12 mark of the fourth, howeve…

Cam Thomas hits from almost outside the frame. He had just two points before this triple. pic.twitter.com/JJx6prqvT9

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 11, 2026

But a few minutes after Thomas’ three, Wilson again gave the Nets the lead with one of his own, pulling a catch-and-release jumper after a cross-court dime from Traoré. The Nets proceeded to go up 98-90 with around two to play — only for Cam Spencer and Coward to respond with back-to-back triples. Those makes, plus a weight-room take from Santi Aldama over Clowney, knotted things up again with 1:37 remaining.

Coward, still fearless, then hit another with the Net defense out of sync following two straight offensive rebounds from Jock Landale.

Cedric Coward… CLUTCH!

His go-ahead triple gives the Grizzlies an 11-0 run and the LEAD in the final minute pic.twitter.com/R01MVlaWfR

— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2026

Brooklyn had extra shots as well. With the ball and down three, the Nets got two looks for Clowney via an offensive rebound from Wolf, but he failed to connect on either of them. Clowney hoisted a career-high 15 attempts from deep today, but probably could have done with one less. Not only did Clowney go 4-15 for the game, but on his last attempt, also had Danny Wolf open at the top of the key for a better look at a possible equalizer.

“I mean, we need him to be aggressive,” Fernández said of Clowney’s shot profile. “We only turned it over 10 times against a team that creates a lot of turnovers, so we won that battle, especially the points off turnover battle, and we also did a good job on the boards with 17 second chance points. So, those shots avoid a turnover and also give us the opportunity to rebound. I know that Noah, every time he shoots I believe it’s going in, and we need him to be aggressive. So, I’m very happy with how he played on both ends and how he responded with the group right there in the second half.”

But on that last attempt, Clowney found the side of the backboard, and on Memphis’ next possession, Landale found the ball before any other Nets on the defensive glass. That gave the Grizzlies the ball with only 11 seconds to go, and essentially the game.

While acknowledging his team’s missteps tonight, Fernández kept the growth goal in mind when speaking postgame.

“It comes with responsibility,” Fernández said. “Responsibility to take the shot when you open, responsibility to box out when you have to. Obviously, the 19 second chance points — once again, if we don’t rebound, we don’t win. We’ve been the number one defensive rebounding team for a stretch of games where we had the best defense, and now we’re not rebounding and we’re not winning games. Got to keep learning, got to keep getting 1% better every day, and holding the guys accountable, but also supporting them because there were good things done tonight.”

Final: Memphis Grizzlies 103, Brooklyn Nets 98

Milestone Watch​

• Tyrese Martin went 5-for-7 3PT against Memphis, tied for his most 3-pointers of the season (5-for-9 on 11/23 at TOR). He had 17 points in 21 minutes off the bench, his third-most points of the season (has scored 20+ twice).
• Day’Ron Sharpe’s 13 rebounds tonight are a season high for him.
• Jalen Wilson had 11 points off the bench today against the Grizzlies, his second time scoring 10+ points this season (season high is 13, 11/29 at MIL). He has hit three 3-pointers, tied for his season high (fourth time).
• Egor Dëmin has now made multiple 3-pointers in six straight games from 12/29 – 1/11, tied with Kerry Kittles (12/19/96 – 1/9/97) for the second-longest streak by a rookie in franchise history. He is one game away from tying Kittles’ record of seven straight from 1/30 – 2/12/97.

Father and Son debut​

Tim Captraw was on YES Network Sunday, filling in for Sarah Kustok and covering his 1,998th straight Nets game. That meant someone had to fill in for Capper on the FAN over on the radio side. There’s plenty of candidates with a lot of experience, but one candidate had more impeccable credentials than the others. What he lacked in experience he made up for in chemistry…

Chris Carrino Sr. Chris Carrino II

For (we think) the first time in NBA history, a father-son duo is calling a game on the radio — better yet, they’re both FUV’ers!

Carrino Sr. (WFUV ‘92) is on play-by-play, and his son, Chris (WFUV ‘26), is on color. https://t.co/SFvOFJdEnC pic.twitter.com/WXMSwEpv6r

— WFUV Sports (@wfuvsports) January 11, 2026

Father/Son broadcast on @BKNetsRadio
With Capper on TV in Memphis, my sidekick today will be my son @CCarrinoReport for the Nets/Grizzlies.

We are on the air at 3:20 on 101.9 FM, the Nets app, the Audacy app, Sirius Ch. 882

— Chris Carrino (@ChrisCarrino) January 11, 2026

Great stuff for father, son and Fordham! And that’s not the only history on the radio side…

On Tues, when the #Nets play the #Pelicans, @TimCapstraw will broadcast his 2000th straight Nets game! What a milestone! Tonight on #SportsXtra 10:30pm @fox5ny we talk about his 24 seasons as Nets Radio Analyst, favorite call, player & this year's Nets -addressing trade rumors! pic.twitter.com/KBbtzVwqeX

— Tina Cervasio (@TinaCervasio) January 12, 2026

Congratulations Tim! We’ll be reporting more on this Wednesday. (Small correction: Pelicans game is Wednesday rather than Tuesday.)

Injury Report​

While the Nets were shorthanded tonight, there shouldn’t be much cause for concern in the injury department. Ziaire Williams missed the game due to an illness, while Porter Jr. and Drake Powell sat due to “rest” and “injury management.” It’s likely you’ll see the latter two back in action tomorrow.

Next Up​

The Nets will stay on the road to complete their seventh back-to-back season against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks. While they may have three more wins to their name, including one over Brooklyn already this year, it’s hard to find a team having a rockier season than the Mavs. So much so that ownership and management are considering joining the tank corps. We’ll see if the Nets can add further insult to injury Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Memphis Grizzlies 103, Brooklyn Nets 98 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Memphis Grizzlies 103, Brooklyn Nets 98 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Danny Wolf PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Nolan Traore PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Terance Mann PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Tyrese Martin PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Cedric Coward hits 2 late 3s to help the Grizzlies beat the Nets 103-98 – Clay Bailey – AP
• Nets’ lack of winning habits without Michael Porter Jr. exposed again in loss to Grizzlies – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Jordi Fernandez prioritizing rest for Michael Porter Jr. as Nets star sits out loss – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Another slow start dooms shorthanded Nets in 103-98 loss to Memphis ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets rumors: Marc Stein pushes back on Michael Porter Jr. trade hype – David Yapkowitz – Clutch Points
• Nets player grades: Noah Clowney drops 17 in 103-98 loss at Grizzlies – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...is-grizzlies-103-98-danny-wolf-day-ron-sharpe

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Siegel: Warriors unwilling to trade multiple firsts for MPJ

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Michael Porter Jr. is the belle of the 2026 NBA trade deadline ball. Every day, every hour arrives with a new update on the Brooklyn Nets forward and where he might be traded to, if he’s traded at all. Today, it was Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, reporting that the Golden State Warriors — believed to be a top suitor for MPJ — are wary of giving up multiple first-round picks in any deal:

Early signals from the Warriors are that they do not want to trade more than one first-round pick for Porter, especially since such a move would involve trading Kuminga and Moses Moody…

Porter appears to be at the top of the Warriors’ list right now if they can land him for Kuminga, Moody, Buddy Hield, and a first-round pick. Whether this is adequate value for the Brooklyn Nets and whether that organization will even trade him over the next three weeks is the big question.

The Nets, however, may be getting an indirect boost from a different Western Conference team, the New Orleans Pelicans. In that same article, Siegel reports that the Warriors would be more willing to trade multiple picks for either Trey Murphy or Herb Jones; however, earlier this week, Chris Haynes reported that New Orleans was not interested in trading any of their best players…

Sources: New Orleans Pelicans are disappointing the market in informing teams that Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears will remain with the organization past Feb. 5 trade deadline.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 9, 2026

If that’s not just posturing from an often confusing Pelicans front office — Porter Jr. really becomes the ultimate prize of this year’s trade deadline, especially among wing players. As for the Warriors, they have quite a few tradable first-round picks…

Siegel adds:

What the Nets decide to do with Michael Porter Jr. may have the greatest impact on this year’s trade landscape. Aside from how his availability impacts teams like the Warriors and Bucks, Porter possibly being moved sets the market for what everyone else’s price may be.

Even though there is clear interest from Golden State and Milwaukee, both of which have talked with Brooklyn since the start of 2026, the Nets have yet to signal that they are truly willing to move the 27-year-old forward in the midst of his career year.

To sum it up: While other teams could get involved, Golden State and Milwaukee are the only teams clearly interested in MPJ as of right now. How eager the Nets are to trade their leading scorer, and what they deem his trade value to be remain the big mysteries.

So, what should the Brooklyn Nets do? On the latest episode of Locked On Nets, Erik Slater and I debated the best path forward for Brooklyn. What does an extension for Michael Porter Jr. look like? Do the Nets have to cash in on his meteoric rise in trade value? How does he affect this year’s tank? How does he fit into their updated timeline on the long road back to contention?

And more…

Michael Porter Jr. will be back in action on Monday night, as the Brooklyn Nets take on the Dallas Mavericks with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...ael-porter-jr-brooklyn-nets-first-round-picks

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Grant Nelson’s career night not enough to lift Long Island past Stockton

The Long Island Nets returned to their home court on Monday evening for a showdown with the Stockton Kings. This marked Long Island’s first game on United States soil in four games. After splitting the first stint of the Canada trip, the Long Island team looked to get past the Stockton Kings. Despite a career night from Grant Nelson, Long Island fell to Stockton, 118-112.

This game marked Nelson’s second game back since November 26th. Nelson returned on Friday night when the Nets were in Laval, Quebec, and while he had a quiet game, he looked much more like himself. Fast forward to Monday, and we saw a career night from the man who has so much hype behind him entering this one. For the first time at the professional level, fans saw that the hype behind him may actually be warranted.

Nelson led the team in scoring with 21 points. He connected on nine of his 12 shot attempts, including draining both his tries from the foul line…

This was a career-high for Nelson and was hands down his best showing as a professional basketball player. After the game, NetsDaily had a chance to speak with Nelson about his performance in this one.

Grant Nelson on his career night, his recent knee injury, biggest strengths, and his goals.@NetsDaily #StrongIsland #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/U47g1Fwcvo

— Scott Mitchell (@Scott44Mitchell) January 13, 2026

“I think it really shows how good the performance staff is here,” Nelson tells ND. “And what they’ve done to get me back on the court and be ready for when I get back on the court. Overall, it was a good fight from our team. I think we have to eliminate those little lapses we gave up, especially in the third quarter, and just come back, watch film, and be better than that.”

Nelson had missed the past month and a half dealing with a knee issue. While it was enough to keep him out for quite some time, Nelson tells ND that it was nothing out of the norm.

“I’ve been dealing with knee soreness for I don’t know how many years, really, since I started college,” Nelson explained to ND. “It was kind of just affecting how I was playing, and I just had to get it over with and get all the rehab done. Get it back to where it was, feeling 100%. The performance staff did a great job, and everyone really cares about me, which really meant a lot.”

When asked about his biggest strengths, Nelson tells ND that “being an energy guy” is key. “Getting rebounds, playing defense,” Nelson continued. “I think I still have a lot to learn and grow, and continue to get minutes with this team. It’s difficult with guys coming in and coming out and getting called up and stuff, but I think it’s just a lot of room. There’s a lot of season left for us to continue to get better and win a lot more games.”

When asked about his goals for the remainder of the season, Nelson said he really wants to “stay healthy, get a lot of wins, and do what I can to help this team win,” all while improving his own game and how he plays. Despite the loss, this was a very good game for quite a few Long Islanders, Brooklyn’s rookie Ben Saraf included.

Ben Saraf finished the game with 15 points, which was good enough for the third-best on the team. Saraf connected on six of his 14 shots, including going 1-of-3 from deep. While it was far from his 40-point performance the last time we saw Saraf on Long Island, it still was a respectable showing. After the game, ND had a chance to speak with the rookie about his performance in this one.

Ben Saraf on his performance tonight, the Flatbush 5, his biggest challenges at the NBA level, and his goals.@NetsDaily #StrongIsland #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/qaUvAcqVop

— Scott Mitchell (@Scott44Mitchell) January 13, 2026

“First, I’d love to win the game,” Saraf tells ND. “I think the guys did a really good job of fighting back all the way through. For me personally, I think slowing the pace, being more focused on defense, and getting more boards, but overall coming back from the knee injury, so it was okay.” When asked about how his knee is healing up, Saraf said, “It’s fine, a week of rehab, and we’re good now.”

Coming into this season, most of the eyes on Brooklyn had to do with the Flatbush Five: Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Danny Wolf and, Saraf. When asked about how he feels the 2025 NBA Draft class has done up to this point, Saraf says, “For me, it’s really good.” “I’m getting a chance to get more reps, to play a lot, and be really a part of the team here. So, I’m happy for that.”

The most challenging part of this season so far for Saraf has been the number of games. “There are a lot of games,” Saraf said. “A lot of back-to-backs, so I need to get used to it.” However, the most fun part for Saraf is getting to “compete” at the next level. “It was my dream, and I’d love to keep doing it.” (Ironically, Saraf played more games than any of the five — 70 — between the German League and FIBA competition.

Looking ahead for Saraf, his goals for the remainder of the season are simple: improvement. “Just perform well,” Saraf says. “Of course, I want to be with Brooklyn. But when I’m here, I want to get the best out of it. Just to get as many reps as I can and continue to get better.”

David Muoka, the only Hong Kong player in the NBA, came off the bench in this one and arguably had his best game as a Net as well. For quite some time, the jury was out on how Muoka was playing. However, he proved a lot of doubters wrong in this one. Muoka finished this one second on the team in scoring with 17 points, connecting on six of his nine shot attempts. He also had eight rebounds, two assists, and a block to his credit.

Malachi Smith continued his hot play coming off a career-high of 36 points on Friday night. He connected on 14 points, also picking up six rebounds and six assists. As for Nate Williams, he had 12 points in his own right, also tallying six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block. Terry Roberts scored 11 off the bench.

Next Up​

The Long Island Nets (4-5) return to the court on Wednesday with a trip to Washington, D.C. for a showdown with the Capital City Go-Go. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be viewed on ESPN+.

• Boxscore: Stockton Kings 118, Long Island Nets 112 – G League
• Game Highlights: Stockton Kings 118, Long Island Nets 112 (Video) – G League

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/longislan...-not-enough-to-lift-long-island-past-stockton

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets drop fourth straight, lose to Mavericks 113-105

We’ve often described the Dallas Mavericks as “lost” this season, even with more wins to their name than our boys from the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush. Whether that’s due to front office turnover, the mindless trade that warranted said description, or the classic excuse, injuries, there’s no arguing these silver stallions have galloped off-course in the past 12 months.

Still, they were able to find their way to win tonight in the lone star state. Neither Egor Dëmin nor Cam Thomas nor Zaire Willaism suited up in this latter half of a back-to-back for the Nets. Brooklyn could’ve used them, or perhaps just a re-do button.

Dallas seized an early lead by leveraging Brooklyn’s switch-heavy defense, often throwing screens until Porter Jr., who’s far a less troublesome matchup at the defense end, faced the ball. Then, they attacked accordingly.

Beside him, Drake Powell made his first career start with Dëmin resting to manage his left plantar fascia injury. His early minutes looked to be short lived after he picked up two fouls in the game’s first three minutes.

“It’s a lot different from college,” Powell admitted postgame. “You got to show your hands a lot, and that’s something that I’ll continue to grow at, to be a good defender in this league. I think, just like with the more film that I watch, more games that I play, it’ll just build over time.”

However, Jordi Fernández opted to leave the 20-year-old in, and while he put together a few minutes of honest ball, his teammates couldn’t do the same. Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton also got caught with their hands in the cookie jar, picking up their second personals in the sixth and seventh minutes of the first period as well.

Those whistles put Dallas in bonus prior to the period’s halfway mark, and encouraged them to attack the Nets with even more aggression than they already were. Brooklyn shooting 1-10 from three in the period didn’t help either, but it didn’t take the Mavs long to establish a sizable lead after that, leading Brooklyn into the second by a 32-23 score.

“We didn’t start the game very well,” an earnest Fernández said postgame. “We allowed them to drive, and we fouled. We were like half step slow, and there’s no excuses here. That’s the NBA, and as you know, the schedule is going to keep being tough. So, not complaining about the fouls at all. We did foul. We put ourselves in a tough situation in the penalty, and that’s not the way you want to start the game.”

Be that as it may, the period wasn’t without it’s defensive highlights…

Impressive work by Danny Wolf to stick with Nembhard here and force an errand pass pic.twitter.com/WAiIjEBKAk

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 13, 2026

Brooklyn also struggled early on the glass, that is, until Day’Ron Sharpe came at it with a Texas-sized appetite. For a second straight game, Sharpe looked like the best one out there in black and white. He corralled seven rebounds in the first quarter against Dallas, tied for the most he’s had in any quarter in his career. He notched a double double before the eight minute mark of the second after just 10 minutes and 27 seconds of burn. That’s the fastest double-double in the league this year and the fastest by a Net since Andre Drummond did it in 10:14 in April of 2022. Sharpe’s agent joined in on the applause for him mid-game too…

I’ll say it again – I keep trying to tell all ya’ll! Production is on a crazy level with Day! https://t.co/rL5bIRUEqg

— Aaron Reilly (@AMRAgency) January 13, 2026

“He was physical. He set good screens. It’s not just the points and rebounds. He did a lot of things for his teammates,” Fernández added. “He ran from the front of the rim to the front of the rim, set really good screens, rolled, all those things that are very meaningful for what we’re trying to do. And I’m happy for him. I hope we would have won the game because, you know, it means a little more, but happy for him.”

But despite Sharpe’s prompt efforts, the Nets remained behind. Their 1-of-9 start from three boiled into 1-of-16 after an 0-of-7 start to the second. Even when a few started to go down, they didn’t always count…

Michael Porter Jr. hits a moonshot…but it's waived off due to a kick out offensive foul. pic.twitter.com/eO5stF6jb5

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 13, 2026

“We got to keep shooting them, and sometimes you’re not going to make them,” Fernández said. “The reality is, I usually tell the guys 14 turnovers are mine, and the rest, we’ve got to be better, so most likely, we should have shot three more at least…If the shots are necessarily going in or not, I don’t really care. You got to take good shots and you’ve got to shoot them with conviction. We’ve got to create them with conviction. And then when you’re in position, go and attack the glass, because we have guys like Day’Day, Mike, Nic, and Noah, they can go fight for seconds, and that’s a mentality we need to have.”

Dallas, who averages roughly 10 made triples a game, meanwhile shot 8-of-14 from deep through the 5:10 mark of the second. Cooper Flagg also started to get going in the second frame, adding past due insult to an injury we suffered last May. Through two, he led all scorers with 19 points after shooting 7-10 from the field, grabbing a steal and a block in the process too.

Even with Nolan Traoré helping the Nets get one back, they trailed at the break by 56-45 score with putrid 34/18 splits…

Nolan Traoré with buzzer-beating plays before the half now in back to back games. pic.twitter.com/2eXisddlee

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 13, 2026

With their long range missile system disabled, the Nets had no choice but to start attacking the paint, which Claxton gladly led the charge in. He came out of the tunnel with some added aggression, scoring each of Brooklyn’s first two baskets to match his entire first half scoring in less than two minutes.

Drake Powell then commanded the second wave, going after Dallas’ drop defense from the mid-range and at the cylinder. He put in quick six points in the same amount of minutes in the third. He’d go on to finish with 10 points after shooting 5-of-10 from the field. He missed all four of his threes, though…

Drake Powell starting put pressure on the rim here in the third. Nets need it, shooting 20% on 3Ps thus far. pic.twitter.com/ulW8DFgtvf

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 13, 2026

“Just wanted to stay aggressive on both ends of the floor,” Powell said. “That’s what Jordi told me to do leading up to the game. And yeah, just ultimately, trust myself and trust my teammates.”

The Nets got it to three around the two minute mark of the third, but a few misses got the Mavs running in rhythm again, and back into a six to seven-point cushion.

Consequentially, Brooklyn entered the fourth feeling like they were down more than they were. Reality, however, gave us a game.

Not long into into the final period, Porter Jr. and Klay Thompson had themselves a high-noon shootout in our western setting. Dallas continued to move the ball well and find their man, especially with doubles consistently thrown at Flagg. Porter Jr. slowly but surely turned in a solid bounce back effort, eventually going for 28 points on 9-17 shooting for the game. The scoreboard lit up like saloon windows, and once the chaos stalled, the Nets were down just three with 6:05 to play.

But where Thompson left off, Naji Marshall picked up. Now attacking the paint after the high doubles thrown at Flagg, he flushed floated after floater, giving the Mavs back a nine point with around two to play.

“Yeah, I think it worked until it did in,” Fernández said of the doubles. “If it works, you give yourself a chance, at some point though, we’re putting two to the ball, but we’re not rotating fast enough, and once you do that, and the ball moves, you gotta move fast. You got to create indecision with your activity…Obviously, you got to give him credit. He played very well, and that’s what he does. He’s a physical player, he’s a driver. He drives left, the same as Cooper Flagg, and we knew it, and they did it all game. So, credit to them.”

Powell hit a smooth fadeaway on the baseline to keep the pressure up next time down the floor. But Flagg, his old ACC opponent, out-did him one more time, nailing his second three of the game from the top of the key to put the game out of distance.

In a season meant to focus on growth and development, the Nets got perhaps their least exciting, yet honest lesson of the year. Every now and then, you run into a game where neither your schemes nor effort matter. On some nights, shots don’t fall, you’re timing’s not there, and your opponents give you no room to catch up. On some night, you just don’t have it.

Final: Dallas Mavericks 113, Brooklyn Nets 105

Injury Update​

Ziaire Williams also missed tonight’s game with an illness. It’s the second game he’s been out with that designation this week. This time, however, he’ll get an extra day to rest up with Brooklyn not playing again until Wednesday.

Milestone Watch​

• Day’Ron Sharpe’s seven rebounds in the first quarter against Dallas are tied for the most in any quarter in his career. It is the 12th time he has done so and his second time in the first quarter of a game (Q1 at SAS, 2/21/22). His six offensive rebounds also tie his career high. It is the fourth time he has done so and first in the first half.
• This was the second career instance where Sharpe had a double-double in a single half (11 PTS and 10 REB on 11/14/23 vs. ORL, which was the last time a Net accomplished the feat in a first half).
• The last player in the NBA to reach a double-double in under 11 minutes before Sharpe did so tonight was Anthony Davis on 1/27/25, LAL at CHA

As for their lottery chances, they remain in fifth place in Tankathon rankings, one and a half games out of fourth. Of the 14 teams in the lottery, the Nets four-game losing streak is the longest.

Next Up​

Another tank-off! The Nets are back in action Wednesday evening for a road game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Brooklyn took down the Pels already this year a little over a month ago. The word “defeated” doesn’t feel so appropriate given each team’s current trajectory and the need to stack losses which comes with it. This one tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Dallas Mavericks 113, Brooklyn Nets 105 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Dallas Mavericks 113, Brooklyn Nets 105 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Drake Powell PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Flagg posts 27 points, 3 steals to help Mavericks beat the Nets 113-105 – AP
• Nets’ inept offense no match for Cooper Flagg, Mavericks in fourth straight loss – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ patience with Michael Porter Jr. will have NBA trade deadline ripple effect no matter the outcome ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ struggles mount in fourth straight loss to Mavericks ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• NBA rumors: Michael Porter Jr. linked to Bucks trade. What would offer to Nets look like? – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
• Nets player grades: Michael Porter Jr. drops 28 in loss at Mavericks – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...mavericks-113-105-michael-porter-cooper-flagg

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

ESSAY: It’s time for the Brooklyn Nets to reward Day’Ron Sharpe

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

On Monday, the eternal cycle of life continued. The Sun rose in the east; it set in the west. Across the globe, people were born and people passed away. Day’Ron Sharpe was a +2 in an eight-point Brooklyn Nets loss.

Here are Sharpe’s last five games:

• +2 in an eight-point Nets loss
• +5 in a five-point Nets loss
• -1 in a sixteen-point Nets loss
• +7 in a one-point Nets loss
• +17 in a twelve-point Nets win

This season, Brooklyn has a net rating of -8.18 with Sharpe on the bench, but just -0.43 with him on the floor, per PBP Stats. That amounts to a +7.75 net swing. Last season, Sharpe had a preposterous +12.2 net swing, though he only played 50 games due to injury/tanking. Two seasons ago, Sharpe had a +9.61 net swing, though he only averaged 15 minutes per game.

But how much context do we need to explain away a trend? When does that trend become reality?

Three seasons ago, in the playoffs, Day’Ron Sharpe made the play that still sticks in my mind when I think about his career…

Day'Ron Sharpe with a fantastic block, omg! Day'Ron! pic.twitter.com/31a7yR7RZQ

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) April 15, 2023

Day’Ron had never moved like that, quick on the ground and explosive in the air. Prior to this play, I thought he might become just another center lost in the shuffle, generously listed at 6’10” without the eye-popping explosion, length, or skill to overcome unremarkable size for the position. It was just his sophomore season, but he was an iffy rotation bet on a team in desperate need of a backup center.

But then, in a close playoff game, Day’Ron shuffled over to double-team James Harden only to re-route and deny the future Hall of Famer off the glass. It was the culmination of an eye-opening physical transformation from the 2021 NBA Draft to the end of his sophomore season. It occurred to me then: if Day’Ron was capable of such rapid progress, if he was suddenly capable of a defensive play like that, he might be capable of much more.

Indeed, the man they call “DayDay” has become — actually, let Michael Porter Jr. tell it: “DayDay is a beast. He’s a starting five in the NBA.”

Day’Ron walked into the NBA as one of the league’s best offensive rebounders (a skill I clearly undervalued at first). But since 2021, he has become a better, slimmer athlete without losing any of the strength he plays with underneath. He has done tremendous work on his defensive positioning and technique since the early days…

Clarke is an awesome athlete who has great chemistry with Ja, but Day'Ron does not get off the ground at all here: pic.twitter.com/Why7pceNxf

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 25, 2022

So, under Jordi Fernández, the 24-year-old has done it all: trapping ball-screens, hedging and recovering, playing some drop, even outright switching.

Since the end of last season, Day’Ron has spoken of his desire to improve his subpar finishing at the rim, always the most worrisome part of his offensive game. Well, in 2025-26, he’s shooting 75% at the rim, not just average but great for a big man, and his 43% from floater-range is also a career-high, per Cleaning the Glass. The Nets are not yet halfway through the season, but it’s currently a remarkable, vital improvement.

“If you want to be great at anything, you got to have routine,” says Sharpe. “So just during the summertime, attacking every day. Fve days a week, six days a week, whatever, how many days it gotta take, how much time you gotta take, just attack every day. Me and Juwan [Howard], we work on finishes around the basket every day, even during the season.”

Day’Ron Sharpe is merely telling us what the film, what the story of his career would suggest. When a player makes this many improvements — this many drastic improvements — over less than five full seasons in the league, 10,000 hours of work lie below the surface.

Rookie Egor Dëmin has seen it up close: “He’s a great guy to be around, not just on the court, but off the court, right? He’s really funny, he’s really talkative, sometimes even a little too much. But he’s been really, really helpful … Anybody you ask, ‘Who’s the best person, the best human being?‘ it’s DayDay. I think that’s what translates on the court, and obviously because of his hard work and his dedication to it.”

But Sharpe is not just a feel-good story, a hard-worker that’s easy to root for because he responds to every question about his belligerent rebounding with a smile and some version of I don’t know, I just want the ball more, for real. He is an impact king.

Advanced metrics (a 77th percentile EPM this season, top-60 marks in DARKO, LEBRON, multi-year RAPM) are screaming out that Day’Ron Sharpe is, like MPJ stated, an impact starter hiding in plain sight. This is largely because Sharpe helps the Nets dominate the possession game: We know he is one of the league’s very best offensive rebounders, but with career-best defensive rebounding numbers and an absurd 3% steal rate, Sharpe’s defensive impact has skyrocketed.

Per David Lee, an excellent data-heavy hoops analyst, there has not been an NBA player better than Sharpe at securing extra possessions on the defensive end this season…

Top 10 in Defensive Possession Influence pic.twitter.com/p15UBPl7uH

— David Lee (@dlee4three) January 13, 2026

In simpler terms: Sharpe is a dominant offensive rebounder and a great defensive rebounder. While playing multiple defensive coverages, he racks up deflections, blocks, and steals. And, for now, he is a strong finisher at the basket. (His scoring efficiency would leap off the page too, if he dropped the stretch-big charade and started shooting 76% on free throws again, as he did last season.)

There is one hole to poke in DayDay’s statistical profile: For three straight seasons, opponents have been shooting much better at the rim with him on the court, but much worse from three. Big men can often provide rim protection, but have minuscule control over their opponent’s 3-point looks. Is Day’Ron merely benefitting from a long run of good luck that is set to regress at any moment?

Well yes, at least a little bit. But not all of Day’Ron’s impact can be explained away so simply. In fact: I think it’s time for a change of the guard at Brooklyn’s center position. With the Nets signaling that they’d like to make improvements to the roster this summer, beginning to compete in earnest next season when they don’t own their pick, Day’Ron Sharpe becomes a tantalizing asset.

Say the Nets decline their team option on Sharpe’s two-year contract this upcoming summer and ink him to a long-term deal in free agency. This is pure speculation, but say the deal looks something like $60 million over four years, or $15 million annually. At a flat rate, without the front-loading GM Sean Marks has been so fond of, that contract would run through Day’Ron’s age-25 to age-28 seasons at under 10% of the cap! Hell, even $20 million a year starts at 12% of the cap and decreases from there.

Tweak the exact numbers if you want, you get the idea: If Brooklyn believes in Day’Ron for the long haul — and he’s given them plenty of reason to — this could be their chance to lock in a productive starter while maximizing cap flexibility.

Of course, this would mean trading Nic Claxton at the trade deadline for assets, or using his $23 million salary to upgrade another position this summer. This isn’t necessarily about preferring Day’Ron Sharpe to Nic Claxton outright (though Claxton, despite the playmaking growth, is quietly back to shooting under 60% from two with a career-low block-rate and mediocre rebounding numbers). Rather, the Nets could invest in the ascendant Day’Ron Sharpe. And while it’s great to have two capable centers, Brooklyn is too far away from contention to start handing out significant money to two players who can’t share the floor.

This would surely be a risk. Despite bright playmaking flashes, Day’Ron still turns it over a ton. He is not the league’s most dynamic shot-blocker or lob threat, certainly not compared to Claxton. And of course, Day’Ron Sharpe has never averaged over 20 minutes per game in a season, including this one. His epic 25/15/5/2/3 performance in a start against the Oklahoma City Thunder last February was awesome, but still just a single data point.

Day'Ron Sharpe just had, undoubtedly, the best game of his career in his first start of the season. He has turned into a legit player.

Here's a video of a ton of his possessions last night, and analysis of how it exemplifies his year-over-year progression: pic.twitter.com/j4p2jLSm0N

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) February 28, 2025

But if you’re looking for reasons to be optimistic, aside from his excellent play as a backup, Day’Ron Sharpe has made 17 career starts, playing 24 minutes per game. He has averaged 11/9/2, including four offensive boards a contest.

And in those games, the Brooklyn Nets have won his minutes by a total of 27 points.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-anal...for-the-brooklyn-nets-to-reward-dayron-sharpe

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

RUMOR ROUND-UP: Detroit enters the picture or does it?

In his Bleacher Report podcast, Jake Fischer adds the Detroit Pistons to the spate of teams who might be interested in trading for Michael Porter Jr., assuming that the Nets are interested in moving their leading scorer something Fischer himself suggested might not be the case…

Here’s what the People’s Insider said…

I think Michael Porter Jr. makes total sense in Detroit. I have not been told yet that Detroit has called on Michael Porter Jr., but I have been told that they have at least discussed him internally and I think that makes a ton of sense because, as good as the Pistons are leading the Eastern Conference wire-to-wire here, they do not have a bona fide second scorer behind Cade Cunningham, and Michael Porter Jr. could be that guy. He is not an Anthony Davis or a Lauri Markkanen, who is going to cost you an arm and a leg in years of draft capital and also be on the books for 50, 60 million dollars moving forward. He’s only at 38 right now, and I don’t think he’s in a position to be commanding 50, 60 million going forward.

Indeed, Fischer is not alone. ESPN, Clutch Points, the Athletic and the Detroit Free Press have all suggested some form of an MPJ-to-Detroit scenario, with more than one proposing a trade of Porter for the expiring contract ($26.3 million) of the 33-year-old Tobias Harris, the restricted free agent deal ($10.1 million) of 23-year-old Jaden Ivey and draft assets: at least one first round pick. likely the Pistons first this year, with either a second first or a second rounder added. The Pistons have all their firsts going forward.

Of all the recent rumors, such a deal would be the cleanest: two expiring deals and draft capital for Porter. No third team needed. No aprons to worry about. Moreover, Trajan Langdon, the Piston GM, worked as Marks’ No. 2 early in his first rebuild .

But most of the buzz is about how MPJ would be a great fit alongside Cade Cunningham but not much about why such a deal would be attractive to Brooklyn. Without that second first rounder and maybe even with it, the trade seems unbalanced. Any Pistons first over the next few years is likely to be low. Currently, their 2026 pick is No. 29.

The Nets wouldn’t get any good young player either. Ivey will be a restricted free agent come July and has dropped in the Pistons rotation. He’s playing a career low 16.9 minutes this season, starting only two games. His production over the course of his four years in Detroit has dropped from 16.3 points a game in his rookie year to 8.3 this season. He’s also been injury-prone and may not fit with the Nets future considering how many young guards they already have.

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Beyond the Pistons talk, the Nets — as Fischer, Marc Stein, Mike Scotto and Brett Siegel all report — seem to be uncertain about moving the 27-year-old with more than one of them suggesting that the Nets want to make big moves this summer and that MPJ could be part of the future.

Meanwhile, MPJ and the rest of the Nets are in New Orleans for Wednesday’s game vs. the Pelicans. On Tuesday night, he and assistant coach Connor Griffin took in the Pelicans – Nuggets game and renewing acquaintances with Denver’s Peyton Watson, the 6’8”, 23-year-old shooting guard who’s the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week. He had 31 points, five assists and seven boards in the Denver win. The reunion was warm. MPJ watched the whole game then embraced the future free agent…

"That's my dog."

Following his impressive 31-point performance, Peyton Watson was hyped up to greet his pal, Michael Porter Jr., who was in attendance cheering his former teammate on pic.twitter.com/ep2OqIHreN

— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2026

Is one reason that the Nets may keep Porter is his ability to attract players to Brooklyn? Stay tuned for more on that and everything else. The deadline is now three weeks away.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-rumors/104484/rumor-round-up-detroit-enters-the-picture-or-does-it

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Despite rookie heroics, Nets drop back-and-forth battle vs Pelicans

The Brooklyn Nets walked into the Smoothie King Center tonight, dragging behind them the longest losing streak in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans hosted while sporting the league’s second worst record. Like a no stakes poker night, there wasn’t much to be gained, but everyone still had fun.

Alongside Nic Claxton, Michael Porter Jr., Egor Dëmin and Noah Clowney, Drake Powell started again this evening. As a result, Terance Mann came off the bench for the first time all year. Jordi Fernandez’s decision paid off in a way.

As designed, this game belonged to the kids early on. We saw an early activation for The Winter Soldier and Powell alike in game no. 38, as both rookies played crucial roles in helping the Nets avoid yet another slow start. In the game’s first five minutes, Powell tallied five points, two rebounds, and two assists. Dëmin reeled in three points with two dimes as well. He started the game a perfect 4-of-4 from deep…

Incase you needed any more evidence of Egor Dëmin's rising confidence…

He's got this triple and two assists already in four minutes of burn. pic.twitter.com/UtT9jGxxyk

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 15, 2026

And the Nets? They leapt out to 16-6 lead as a result. MPJ starting the game 3-3 from deep helped as well. Brooklyn ended up splashing six 3-pointers in the first quarter to tie their most in an opening frame this season.

The Pelicans weren’t so spry. There a misses, and then there are bricks, and the Pels might as well apply for jobs at LEGO with how many of the latter they had in the first. New Orleans shot a weak 12-30 from the field to begin the game, often hitting backboards, or nothing at all on a few occasions.

That said, the Pelicans made the most of their misses. Crashing the glass with five offensive boards in first quarter, New Orleans found its way to nine second chance points and within striking distance — even after Brooklyn’s Louisiana hot start. The Pelicans continued to ride that strategy as well, finishing tonight with 26 second chance points.

“They were more physical, and they fought those boards and they beat us,” Fernández said post-game. “On my end, it’s extremely dissapointing because I keep telling our guys over and over again how important defensive rebounding is. We started the season as the worst defensive rebounding team in the history of the NBA. We got better for a stretch where we became the number one for a stretch, and we pushed up, moved out of last, and now in the last three games, we’re back to, like, really poor…I know our guys care about doing the right things. The problem is right now, our focus and our intentions are not there, and that’s something that I got to help get better at. And there’s different ways you can do it, so I’m going to try to do my best to find 10 guys in the rotation that care about rebounding, that care about ball pressure, that care about doing the right things, and then if you make mistakes, we can live with it, but the intentions and the effort is it’s a priority for us.”

Fernández would have more to say on the rebounding later, but in the second, the “pure hoopers” looked to have ownership over early on. Cam Thomas and Jordan Poole each began it dropping in a few circus shots, each more theatrical than the last. But as the game later slowed down, Brooklyn’s 3-point shooting followed. The Nets shot just 2-11 from deep in the second, and their long misses were essentially whistles in a New Orleans school yard, provoking the Pelicans to get out and run. The fast break points consequentially swung in their direction in the quarter by a five point margin and the Nets could only trot into the break with a one point lead.

All the while, Powell and Dëmin continued to hoop, putting together their best half of ball as Brooklyn’s backcourt of the future. While Trey Murphy III led all scorers with 18 points at the half, Dëmin led the Nets with 12 points after shooting 4-5 from deep and adding four assists. Powell nabbed seven points, four rebounds, two assists and went into the tunnel as a team best +9.

But Brooklyn’s comfort on the road could only last so long. Off another offensive rebound, Jeremiah Fears nailed a deep triple from the top of the key to tie the game up early in the third. The strongest Pelican also rediscovered his wings in the period…

PUT IT ON HIS HEAD ZION pic.twitter.com/6LWVbDuDQo

— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) January 15, 2026

Zion Williamson had just nine points at the break, with both Powell and Nolan Traoré putting him on skates in separate occasions…

Nolan Traoré gives Zion Williamson a dance lesson pic.twitter.com/ZTEbgW74fA

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 15, 2026

…but successfully sought revenge with 14 points in the third while shooting a perfect 6-6 from the field. That brought New Orleans into a dead heat with the Nets, as period alone saw 13 lead changes. Thomas introduced us to the last one with a buttery, step-back triple. Once again, Thomas only played a handful of minutes beyond the third, finishing with 16 points and five assists while shooting 6-15 from the field.

Still, the LSU product made the most of his scraps adjacent to his collegiate home. Thomas ignited a 10-2 Brooklyn run to begin the final frame, leveraging around the defense before assisting on a pair of made triples that helped put his team up by eight.

In response, New Orleans took another route, continuing to probe inside, and after digging for a few possessions, they eventually found their way to the line. After Murphy III nailed a three without about five to go, New Orleans had retaken the lead.

As the score remained tight and time trickled away, Dëmin proved that his blood still runs ice cold even down south…

Another addition to the Egor Dëmin clutch three highlight reel pic.twitter.com/NuKRSRNin0

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 15, 2026

But Saddiq Bey had an answer, or perhaps just an answered prayer…

SADDIQQQQQQQQ WHAT pic.twitter.com/Zbzp0uSMqU

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 15, 2026

It was second chance points that helped New Orleans stay afloat early, and those three, plus another pair a few seconds later, helped the Pelicans get all the way to shore with a win.

On the Pels’ next possession, Brooklyn forced a miss after Murphy III’s clanked a three off the back iron. However, Bey was first to the rock again, and then wasted little flushing it home. That gave New Orleans a two-point lead with 21 seconds to go.

After that point, the Nets had no choice but to play the foul game. To their credit, they did so well, at one point possession the ball, down three, and with four seconds to spare. However, a wayward inbound pass broke up whatever chance Brooklyn had at getting a clean shot off. Instead, they had to settle for a final, unbalanced heave from Porter Jr. that never got close.

Fernández, however, felt the game was lost elsewhere.

“I think that play doesn’t matter,” Fernández said of the final shot. “I think what really matters is the 33 second chance points. We still got three up on the length of the floor, a play that we run and we know, because when we run out of timeouts, you have to have something that everybody knows. The team actually kind of ran it. Nic couldn’t catch it, and then Mike ends up shooting a three, so we give ourselves a chance. That’s good, good for them. It was a little lucky, but we still shot the three to tie.”

Along with the rebounding, Fernández wasn’t a fan of the whistle tonight. New Orleans took 13 more free throws than Brooklyn tonight. Clowney also took a tumble as chaos ensued on the final possession.

“We did a great job getting into the pain, cutting and driving…Noah Clowney on the last possession, he gets pushed and falls on the ground. I would like to ask questions about, different situations, and when the free throw disparity is this big, it’s more than double, it’s frustrating,” Fernández said. “At the same time, those are the things that I cannot control. I can just ask questions and move on from it. But I think my players deserve better than 12 free throws.”

Final: New Orleans Pelicans 116, Brooklyn Nets 113

Milestone Watch​

• Drake Powell scored a career-high 16 points tonight against New Orleans with five rebounds and two assists. Along with Egor Dëmin’s 17 points on 5-9 3PT, they are the first Nets rookie duo with 15+ points each in a game since 1/15/22 (Cam Thomas and Kessler Edwards vs. NOP).
• Egor Dëmin had 12 points on 4-5 3PT tonight against the Pelicans. It is his 10th game this season with at least four 3-pointers made, passing Kerry Kittles (nine in 1996-97) for the most by a rookie in franchise history.

Injury Report​

Ziaire Williams missed his third straight game tonight with an undisclosed illness. Feel better soon, Z!

Tim Capstraw Hits 2K​

Tonight marked the 2,000th straight game called by legendary Nets radio man and occasional broadcaster Tim Capstraw. His streak started on October 30th, 2002. The Nets starting five that evening included Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, Kerry Kittles, and Dikembe Mutombo. Congrats, Capper!

Congratulations @TimCapstraw on 2,000 straight games! pic.twitter.com/9Hc2XGSf7s

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 15, 2026

Next Up​

The Nets will play host to the Chicago Bulls Friday evening, and then again on Sunday afternoon back in their neck of the woods. Brooklyn already took one from Bulls earlier this year and have won five of their last eight contests against them. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: New Orleans Pelicans 116, Brooklyn Nets 113 – NBA

• Game Highlights: New Orleans Pelicans 116, Brooklyn Nets 113 (Video) – NBA
• Murphy’s 34 points and Bey’s clutch play push the Pelicans past the Nets, 116-113 – Brett Martell – AP
• Nets blow fourth-quarter lead to lowly Pelicans as losing streak hits five – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ losing streak extends to 5 games after dropping back-and-forth battle against Pelicans ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Michael Porter Jr’s appearance at Nuggets game ignites speculation about potential Nets free agent target – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
• Nets player grades: Michael Porter Jr. drops 20 in loss at Pelicans – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...licans-116-113-zion-williamson-michael-porter

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

RUMOR ROUND-UP: Warriors ‘never shown real interest’ in MPJ — Shams

In a lengthy discussion of the Golden State Warriors, Shams Charania dismissed the possibility of the Brooklyn Nets trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Warriors, writing specifically Golden State has never been interested in MPJ.

As of this week, the Warriors hadn’t talked to the Brooklyn Nets in more than a month and have never shown real interest in a trade for wing Michael Porter Jr., league sources said. They’ve been fond of Trey Murphy III in the past, but the New Orleans Pelicans are rebuffing calls about all of their young wings, league sources said.

If the right star player is made available, the Warriors would be willing to move multiple first-round draft picks, team sources said, though they are more protective of their first-rounders in 2028 and beyond than their 2026 pick.

The definitive comment seemed to be in response to a spate of rumors that the two teams have interest in a deal, with Jonathan Kuminga and either one or two first round picks headed to Brooklyn. And although he didn’t say whether the Nets are planning to keep Porter, other reporters have. Indeed, Michael Scotto, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have all reported within the last two weeks, with increasing confidence, that the Nets apparently want to keep MPJ as they plan on making “big moves” next summer to move them from rebuilding to contention.

Porter, of course, is having an All-Star caliber season at age 27, averaging 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 49/40/84. He’s also become a fan favorite despite some controversy regarding comments he made on his and others’ podcasts. Porter was acquired from the Denver Nuggets along with an unprotected 2032 first rounder for Cam Johnson last summer.

One of those reporters, Scotto, followed up the ESPN reporter’s comment by retweeting his comments to the YES Network last week, in which he warned Nets fans to temper their expectations about any Porter trade…

ICYMI: Reporting on Michael Porter Jr trade talks and why the All-Star candidate could remain with the Brooklyn Nets past the trade deadline as the team looks to take a step forward next season on @YESNetwork. pic.twitter.com/91ioZOUWIz

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 15, 2026

Scotto, like Shams, has said that the Warriors discussions about Porter have been limited to internal discussions. The Hoopshype writer — a Brooklyn native and resident — has also said that he doesn’t see the Nets moving Nic Claxton either, believing that the Nets see him as a long-term piece as well.

As we’ve noted, the Nets go into the trade deadline with enormous flexibility having $15.3 million in cap space, still most in the league, as well as 33 draft picks: 13 firsts, 10 of which are tradeable, and 20 seconds (now that ESPN has reported the Nets are likely to have three seconds.)

No word on what’s going on with Cam Thomas who along with MPJ and Claxton has been the most-rumored player on the roster ahead of the deadline.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-rumo...rriors-never-shown-real-interest-in-mpj-shams

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

EJ Liddell notches 17 points in his return to court in Long Island win

The Long Island Nets returned to the court on Wednesday for a showdown with the Capital City Go-Go in Washington, D.C. This game marked the return of Brooklyn two-way player EJ Liddell, who missed the last three games due to a knee injury. Liddell, a 6’7” 23-year-old forward, notched 17 points in 24 minutes his return, adding nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks to help push Long Island past Capital City in a close one, 104-101.

The win gave Long Island a 5-5 record in the G League regular season.

Liddell was the only one of the Nets three two-ways who was with Long Island. Both Tyson Etienne and Chaney Johnson were with Brooklyn Wednesday night. Ben Saraf also was on hand for Long Island and he finished with 14 points and four assists shooting 5-of-12 overall and 1-of-3 from deep. No word on when he might return to duty in Brooklyn.

The bigger story was Liddell. With just over four minutes remaining in the first quarter of last Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Clippers, Liddell went up for a shot and had an awkward landing. He immediately fell to the floor in front of his Brooklyn teammates, Jalen Wilson, Terrance Mann, and Haywood Highsmith. Things didn’t look right, and he left the game immediately. He never returned and proceeded to miss the first two games of the Canada trip, and Long Island’s next home game against the Stockton Kings.

Before his injury in that one, Liddell was in line for a huge game. He had 10 points, shot 80%, and made 66% of his shots from deep. This once again showed the player that the Nets signed to their two-way deal in the offseason and exactly why they liked him. He’s reliable, a good shooter, and above all else, a consistent player.

Now, Liddell hoped to build on that performance in tonight’s game, and he came very close to another massive game. Liddell finished this one with 17 points, connecting on four of his nine shots. He also continued to show he’s far more than a one-dimensional player. Liddell notched nine rebounds and one assist. He even had two steals to his credit.

However, once again, Liddell showcased his prowess as a blocker. He blocked two shots, including a game-saving block at the end of the game to keep the lead and momentum in Long Island’s favor. For the season, he’s averaging nearly two a game. After a recent home game, Liddell had this to say about his blocking ability to NetsDaily:

“It’s a God-given gift,” Liddell told ND. “The timing, the patience, I think it’s just me blocking out negativity. That’s how I look at it when I’m blocking shots. Blocking out bad vibes. That’s just a gift I’ve always had.”

In addition to his 14 points, Saraf also had two rebounds, four assists, and a block to his credit. Ball protection was a bit of a problem for the Brooklyn rookie yet again, as he had three in this one. He’s averaging 3.8 per game. Still, this is down from the eight he had a mere few games back. Overall, Saraf is having a decent season at the G League level, despite some ankle woes, averaging 15.5 points on 40/36/82 splits while handing out 4.2 assists in 24 minutes a game.

Coming off a career night on Monday, Grant Nelson only notched nine points in this one. This game marked Nelson’s third game back since November 26th. Nelson had returned on Friday night when the Nets were in Laval, Quebec. Despite the low-point total, Nelson connected on four of his six shots and connected on his only shot from the foul stripe. In his two starts since returning from his knee issues, Nelson has scored 30 points and grabbed 12 boards in 32 minutes as he appears to be on a minutes restriction.

Nelson only played 17 minutes in this one, as he’s still getting acclimated to minutes on the professional level after missing a month and a half of action. Despite not taking a lot of them, Nelson takes smart shots that will see him always have a good field goal percentage.

Nate Williams, Long Island’s 6’6”, 26-year-old wing led the team in points, scoring 21 against Capital City in 39 minutes. He maintained his status as one of the more consistent shooters on Long Island, as he shot close to 50% yet again in this one. He connected on seven of his 16 total shots and went two-for-five from deep. He also had two rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block.

Malachi Smith, who was Liddell’s high school teammate in Illinois, continued his great play since joining the starting line-up for Long Island. He notched 18 points in this one, after racking up 36 last game. He also had five rebounds, eight assists, and a career-high of seven steals. The seven steals also tied the LI Nets franchise steal record, and his six takeaways in the second half tied Tre Scott’s franchise record for steals in a single half.

Next Up​

The Long Island Nets (5-5) return to the court on Sunday night, January 18th, as they travel to Iowa to take on the Iowa Wolves. The game tips off at 4:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on NBA TV.

• Boxscore: Long Island Nets 104, Capital City Go-Go 101 – G League
• Game Highlights: Long Island Nets 104, Capital City Go-Go 101 (Video) – G League

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/longislan...nts-in-his-return-to-court-in-long-island-win

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

LIVE DISCUSSION: Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:00 PM ET

Rev ‘em up! The Nets come into this one having lost four straight, while the Pelicans arrive with the worst record in the NBA at 9-33. They don’t have their pick so we can’t call this an official tank-fest.

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KEY INFO​

• WHO: New Orleans Pelicans at Brooklyn Nets
• WHEN: 8:00 PM ET
• WATCH: YES Network, Gotham Sports App
• WHERE: Barclays Center | Brooklyn, NY

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NETS INJURY REPORT​

• Ziaire Williams: OUT – Illness
• Haywood Highsmith: OUT – Right Knee Surgery (Injury Recovery)
• E.J. Liddell: OUT – G League Two-Way
• Ben Saraf: OUT – G League Assignment

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Discussion​

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. 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/nets-disc...ooklyn-nets-at-new-orleans-pelicans-800-pm-et

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets survive near-collapse vs. Chicago Bulls, win 112-109

Ishika Samant/Getty Images

The Brooklyn Nets returned home to face the Chicago Bulls on Friday night after completing a miraculous 3-game road trip. Miraculously, the Nets lost all games to teams with a combined 39-70 record. Perhaps it’s a sign that this year’s attempt at tanking is blessed by the basketball gods, but that’s no consolation to Head Coach Jordi Fernández.

“I don’t think I really move on [from tough losses],” said Jordi with half a smile pregame. “It’s what I tell the players, but me personally, it’s a different story.”

The trip began with the Nets blowing a late eight-point lead to the Memphis Grizzlies as the hosts closed on a 13-0 run; it ended with Saddiq Bey hitting a 30-foot prayer and the New Orleans Pelicans winning a contest they only led for five minutes. But while those losses featured late-game heartbreak, their loss to the Dallas Mavericks may have been the most improbable. Dallas, the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, shot 44% from deep compared to just 24% for the Nets. It still came down to clutch time.

The Chicago Bulls have survived Josh Giddey’s absence, a respectable 4-4 since their leader injured his hamstring, but they would need similar luck to hand Brooklyn their sixth straight loss. Early on, they didn’t get it. Six different Brooklyn Nets hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter, then Danny Wolf opened up the second quarter by going glass at the end of the shot-clock…

Danny Wolf uses the glass to connect from deep and beat the shot clock

Nets leading the Bulls in the 2Q on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/ewviUbb9qw

— NBA (@NBA) January 17, 2026

It seemed like it was just one of those nights. For both teams. Ten Nets played, ten Nets scored, and the team as a whole shot 19-of-40 from deep. Conversely, the Bulls committed just eight turnovers and shot 58.8% inside the arc, playing a respectable offensive game without Giddey … aside from the fact that they couldn’t throw a seashell in the ocean, shooting 5-of-23 from deep through three quarters.

As such, the Nets were in cruise control, beginning with a dominant second quarter. Wolf’s bank shot certainly helped, but he had a solid night overall. After entering the night shooting under 38% from the floor in the new year, Wolf put up 13/4/4 on 5-of-8 shooting. Crucially, he didn’t turn it over once…

.@Daniel_Wolf6 did just about everything in the final 2:41 of the third:

3-pointer then
Steal then
Assist then
Block then
Rebound then
Layup then
Rebound then
Rebound then
Layup pic.twitter.com/xjsoffP1Ec

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 17, 2026

The rookies in the starting lineup, Egor Dëmin and Drake Powell, weren’t as impactful, combining for eight points on 2-of-11 shooting. However, Nolan Traore picked up the slack off the bench, hitting a couple 3-pointers and dishing six assists…

Nolan skip passes. pic.twitter.com/Jt9L6UrOAh

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) January 17, 2026

As a reward, Nolan closed the game over Dëmin, and somehow, the pressure was on. What had been a comfortable game for two hours turned sweaty in the fourth quarter as the Bulls finally woke up from three, with four makes from Jalen Smith. That uneasy feeling swept through Barclays Center with the Nets looking down the barrel of another excruciating loss, missing layup after layup and turning it over anytime Chicago needed a boost…

TRE FOR THE LEAD.@Tre3Jones | @CHSN__ pic.twitter.com/kS2389oXdB

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 17, 2026

Fernández’s nightmare quickly turned reality; suddenly, the Nets were inbounding, trailing by one. He didn’t draw up anything too complex — a simple pin down for Michael Porter Jr. — but the Bulls were confused nonetheless. Coby White switched onto the much taller MPJ, who curled the screen, bounced off White’s hip downhill, and finished a layup with 5.4 seconds left.

Did Jordi draw it up exactly like that, down to the last detail? Not exactly: “No, I just need him to catch the ball after that. He knows what he’s doing.”

Michael Porter Jr., likely All-Star, was a worthy hero as any. Noah Clowney got off the schneid, hitting four threes to notch a 23-and-11 double-double while Nic Claxton put up 7/14/5, his season-high in rebounds. Still, it was MPJ who led all scorers with 26, scoring 12 of Brooklyn’s 23 fourth-quarter points.

But the Nets did need one final stop, and it was here the Drake Powell erased any concern about his quiet offensive night. Tre Jones attempted to enter it to Nikola Vučević, who led them in scoring with 19, at the top of the key. It appeared the visitors were setting up a handoff with White, simply trying to put their two most dynamic threats in an action together, but they never got there…

STOLEN by Drake Powell pic.twitter.com/AZvVwYyDoz

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 17, 2026

Powell pogo’d, reached out, deflected the pass, and secured the loose ball. Clowney then made his free-throws, while Vooch missed a desperation heave as the buzzer sounded. To Drake, it seemed simple: “Just trying to have active hands, high activity on the ball, and just do my best to make a tough entry pass. That was the main thing.”

The Nets did juuuust enough, buoyed by a couple heroic plays from a vet and a rookie. The Nets mercifully won a close game, and Jordi Fernández could exhale: “The lesson is that there’s no safe lead in the NBA. Teams will always punch back and obviously, give them credit … but it’s way better to learn that winning than losing, right?”

“It was a little bit of déjà vu, just seeing the game kind of slipped away, but it’s nice figuring out ways to win those games as opposed to figuring out ways to lose them.” — Nic Claxton

Final Score: Brooklyn Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 109

Milestone Watch​

• Michael Porter Jr.’s game-winning layup with 5.4 seconds remaining tonight was his second career go-ahead field goal with under ten seconds remaining.
• This was Clowney’s 10th career game with 20 points and his sixth of the season, his 11 rebounds were also a career-high. This was his second career double-double.

The win didn’t move the Nets up in the Tankathon rankings. They remain in fifth but now two games behind Washington and Utah who are tied for third and fourth. So not big deal.

Next Up​

This was the first half of a home-and-home, so next up for the Brooklyn Nets is the Chicago Bulls over at their place. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday evening.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 109 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 112, Chicago Bulls 109 (Video) – NBA
• Final 4:47 Crazy Ending (Video) – NBA

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...-bulls-112-109-michael-porter-jr-drake-powell

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

LIVE DISCUSSION: Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 PM ET

Brooklyn is back home after losing their last three on the road to Memphis, Dallas and New Orleans — extending their skid to five straight. Tankers unite. The Bulls come in winners of two straight and beat the Nets 113‑103 in the first meeting.

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KEY INFO​

Chicago Bulls (19-21) @ Brooklyn Nets (11-27)

Tip-off: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES Network
Radio: WFAN Sports

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INJURY REPORT​

Brooklyn Nets​

Ziaire Williams — OUT (illness)
Haywood Highsmith — OUT (knee)

Chicago Bulls​

Josh Giddey — OUT (hamstring)
Noa Essengue — OUT (shoulder, season)
Zach Collins — OUT (toe)

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Discussion​

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. 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/nets-disc...sion-chicago-bulls-at-brooklyn-nets-730-pm-et

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Noah Clowney’s extension is a looming question for Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets’ youth movement has been well documented this year. How could it not? In any conversation involving the team, you can’t get more than a minute or two without someone mentioning it. After all, Brooklyn made history seven months ago when it picked five players in the NBA draft, which we’ve since dubbed the Flatbush Five.

Indeed, the kids at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush have received more attention than anyone this year. But while Brooklyn’s youth may start with the 2025 Draft class, it certainly doesn’t end there. Like the Flatbush Five, Noah Clowney is also on his rookie deal and that means this coming Summer, he’ll be eligible for an extensive and say sources, he’s likely get multiple offers and not insignificant ones. That of course is evident to Nets fans and the organization after games like Friday night when he had a double-double, 23 points and 11 rebounds, and some clutch moments..

Clowney, drafted by the Nets now two summers ago, entered this season at just 21 years of age. His birthday is in July. Danny Wolf, who the Nets drafted with their last pick this past summer, is also 21, though 70 days older that Clowney with a birthday in May.

But while Wolf may have extra months of life, Clowney has two NBA seasons on him, and it’s shown so far during Brooklyn’s 2025-26 campaign. Through 39 games, Clowney is averaging 13.3 points, 1.9 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. All clock in as career-highs, as do his 4.0 free throw attempts per game. Teams are also scoring less with him on the court for the first time in his career. Brooklyn is +9.3 point per 100 possessions better with him on the floor vs without.

Noah Clowney just obliterated Ryan Kalkbrenner.

For anyone wondering, Clowney is two years younger than him. pic.twitter.com/9wG6Y4OL58

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) December 2, 2025

But the “eye test” signals progress as well. For two seasons, he seemed to be nothing more than super-sized sharpshooter at the offensive end, but the Alabama product’s made an extra effort this year to put the ball on the floor, attacking closeouts and set defenders alike.

Noah Clowney REALLY making the leap (literally and figuratively) here.

Absolutely destroyed Sandro Mamukelashvili. pic.twitter.com/UeE8l2mnve

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) November 24, 2025

He also appears to have put on more muscle. By all accounts, the improvement for Clowney has been no joke.

But for all that, there’s been little, if any attention to Clowney’s being eligible for an extension this coming summer. The basics are these: Brooklyn has him under contract until the summer of 2027. He’s eligible to sign a multi-year extension this July, which would kick in during the 2027-28 season. Clowney will be a restricted free agent meaning the Nets can match any offer.

Given his rise, a number of teams are likely to have interest in Clowney. A league source who’s familiar with their thinking has told NetsDaily that the San Antonio Spurs could be a part of that group, with an extension around $50 million over four years, an average of $12.5 million a year, a significant number in the Nets rebuild.

While Clowney has dramatically improved his offensive, some in the league think that his defense could hurt him when talks begin whether with the Nets or another team. That might be less of a concern for San Antonio who have Victor Wembenyama behind him.

While expected to compete in the Western Conference this year, the Spurs could be attractive. They represent one of the NBA’s surprise teams this year. They’re currently tied with the Denver Nuggets for the league’s third best record at 28-13 and are moving quicker toward title contention perhaps sooner than they intended.

If they have a gap anywhere in their rotation, its at the position Clowney plays as well. Harrison Barnes has started every game for San Antonio at the four this year, but is averaging his fewest points per game in over a decade. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton also recently named Jeremy Sochan as a trade deadline “player to watch.”

Historically, the Nets have not waited till to the last minute to negotiate. They signed Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson to extensions well before things got hairy. In both cases, the contract was front-loaded. In the case of Day’ron Sharpe last summer, they were able to use the lack of cap space in the NBA to negotiate a surprisingly team-friendly deal.

Of course, if Michael Porter Jr. stays with Brooklyn after the trade deadline and draft, he too will be eligible for an extension that will also kick in in 2027-28. Maximum: four years, $243 million. Would that complicate the Clowney negotiations? Unlikely … at the moment.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-free...nsion-is-a-looming-question-for-brooklyn-nets

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Nets vs. Bulls preview: a busy Sunday in Chicago

Let’s do it again. The Chicago Bulls almost pulled off an improbable comeback, but the Brooklyn Nets escaped with a 112-109 win on Friday night. The W snapped their five game losing streak.

Where to follow the game​

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Amazingly, this game will tip off after 7 PM. More on that in a bit.

Injuries​

No Ziaire Williams, Michael Porter Jr, Drake Powell, or Haywood Highsmith.

Zach Collins and Noa Essengue are out. Patrick Williams is questionable. Josh Giddey has been upgraded to doubtful as he recovers from a left hamstring strain.

The game​

Brooklyn won games one and two. They’ll wrap up the season series in February.

Noah Clowney continues to impress. The kid collected a double-double as his 23 points and 11 rebounds paced the Nets frontcourt. The more he plays well, the more he becomes an integral part of the Nets future when they return to playoff contention. Keep at it and the results will be there.

The Bulls found their three point shooting at the right time on Friday night. They went 6-12 from deep as they made their furious comeback. They’re tenth in threes attempted and 14th in efficiency, which is pretty respectable. For the Nets, they’ve got to make sure they make things tough on the Bulls and limit any quality looks they can generate.

Nolan Traore got the bulk of the point guard minutes over Egor Dëmin, and it shows the importance of having two decent young guards on the roster. When one doesn’t have it, you can turn to the other one and see if he can bring home. Either way, it serves as a valuable learning lesson for both of them and should help as they continue their careers.

Without Porter Jr in the lineup, look for Cam Thomas to be one of the team leaders in field goal attempts. If all else fails, Thomas can get shots up at the rim. And with him being unlikely to play on Monday due to the back-to-back, he’ll have even more incentive to hunt for his shot tonight.

Player to watch: Nikola Vucevic​

When Vucevic has it going, he’s hard to slow down. Vuc has a great touch, is solid in the post, and can stretch the floor. There’s a reason why he’s always given the Nets hell over the years and Chicago will make sure he gets the ball as much as possible this evening.

Nic Claxton will keep on keeping on. Clax grabbed a season high 14 rebounds on Friday as he helped the Nets to a +6 advantage on the boards against the Bulls. Securing possessions matters a ton in close games and if we have another one that goes down to the wire, Claxton’s work on the glass will go a long way in pushing the Nets to a win.

From the Vault​

I feel very safe saying that just about everybody at the United Center will have their attention on the LA Rams vs. Chicago Bears at Solider Field this evening. It’s the first time the Bears have been in the divisional round in 15 years. With that in mind, let’s take a trip back in time.

More reading: Blog a Bull, The Bigs, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter, City of Nets

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Chicago Bulls Game Notes – Chicago Bulls
• Brooklyn visits Chicago on 4-game road slide – AP

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-game-previews/104641/nets-vs-bulls-preview-a-busy-sunday-in-chicago

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Two-Ways notch 60 points in Long Island win

The Long Island Nets returned to the court on Sunday evening for a showdown with the Iowa Wolves on the road. While Grant Nelson was inactive for this game due to injury management, the three Brooklyn Nets two-way players — Tyson Etienne, Chaney Johnson, & EJ Liddell — were out in full force as they combined for 60 points. In the end, Long Island walked away with the victory, defeating Iowa, 124-115. In addition, Ben Saraf, assigned to Long Island by Brooklyn, added 15.

Etienne led the team in scoring, tallying 27 points. It looked like he was going to be in for an even bigger scoring performance as he reached double-digits midway through the first quarter. However, another 40-point performance was not in the cards for Etienne who slowed down throughout the game. However, he shot the ball very well, connecting on seven of his 13 shots, including going 3-for-7 from beyond the arc. Etienne was perfect from the foul line, draining all four of his tries.

There was a downside. Etienne not only led the team, but the entire game in turnovers, turning the ball over five times. He was

Another player who is trying to find their way up to the big club is Chaney Johnson. The 6’7” way player on hand in this one was second on the team in scoring with 21 points. Johnson had a very impressive shooting performance, connecting on nine of his 13 shots, including 1-of-2 from 3-point land.

Scoring in the double-digits night in and night out has become a norm for the 23-year-old latest two-way signee. Johnson also had four rebounds, one assist, and a block. This was a very solid performance.

The third Brooklyn two-way player on hand for this one was 6’7” wing E.J. Liddell. Liddell, who has had several outstanding games, had a rather quiet game in this one. He finished with 12 points, connecting on five of his seven attempts from the field. He also went two-for-three from deep, so his shooting was pretty on key in this game. Not much to complain about, however, he didn’t find nearly as many looks as he has in previous games.

This also marked Liddell’s second game on the court since returning from a freak injury that had caused him to miss about a week of games. Uncharacteristically, Liddell didn’t pick up a single block in this one. However, Liddell finished with five rebounds, two assists, and even had a steal to his credit.

Despite getting off to a very rocky start in this game, Saraf turned it around and actually put up some respectable numbers. Saraf started the game connecting on one of his seven shots. However, he finished the game connecting on five of his 12 shots in total, including going 1-of-3 from deep. Overall, Saraf finished this one with a total of 15 points, which was much better than what we anticipated based on how he started Sunday’s game.

However, to Saraf’s credit, when he wasn’t hitting his shots, he began passing the ball more, which was very smart of him. He finished the game with eight assists, as well as six rebounds, slightly flirting with a triple-double. Another positive sign of improvement was that Saraf only turned the ball over twice, a big drop from his big issue this season. Earlier this season he registered eight turnovers in a game.

Grant Nelson, the 7’0” big man who recently returned for a seven-week layoff due to knew woes, was rested.

Trevon Scott, Long Island’s 6’8” big picked up 17 points in this one and had a five steals. Nate Williams rounded out the starters, tallying 15 points and flirting with a double-double, picking up seven rebounds. Malachi Smith continued his hot play off the bench, as he tallied 15 points. Smith made his presence felt in more ways than one as he also had five rebounds and five assists.

Next Up​

The Long Island Nets (6-5) return to the court on Monday afternoon for a rematch with the Iowa Wolves. The game is an afternoon game as it tips off at 2:00 p.m. EST. It can be watched on the NBA G League and Long Island Nets’ respective websites.

• Boxscore: Long Island Nets 124, Iowa Wolves 115 – G League
• Game Highlights: Long Island 124, Iowa Wolves 115 (Video) – G League

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/longislandnets/104694/brooklyn-two-ways-notch-60-points-in-long-island-win

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

LIVE Discussion: Phoenix Suns at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 PM ET

The Brooklyn Nets couldn’t get it done against the Bulls in the home-and-home. They’re back in Brooklyn on Monday where they’ll welcome former Nets assistant Jordan Ott and his new-look Suns. It’s Ott’s first season as head coach after he spent six years with the Nets, spanning from Kenny Atkinson to Jacque Vaughn.

Onto the game… these Suns are no laughingstock.

Phoenix Suns (25-17) at Brooklyn Nets (12-28)​

Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
Tip-Off: 7:30 PM ET
TV: YES Network | Gotham Sports App
Radio: WFAN 101.9 FM

Injury Report​

Sharpe: OUT – Illness/Throat Contusion
Dëmin: OUT – Left Plantar Fascia Injury Management
Thomas: OUT – Left Hamstring Injury Management
Highsmith: OUT – Right Knee Surgery, Injury Recovery
Etienne: OUT – G League Two Way
Johnson: OUT – G League Two Way
Liddell: OUT – G League Two Way
Saraf: OUT – G League Assignment

Discussion​

Share thoughts and react, but please be respectful. 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/nets-disc...ssion-phoenix-suns-at-brooklyn-nets-730-pm-et

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets get burnt by Phoenix Suns, lose 126-117

The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Phoenix Suns at the Barclays Center Monday evening. It was the first time in a while where the two teams meeting didn’t feel like running into an ex out in public.

No Kevin Durant. No Cam Johnson. No Mikal Bridges. Not even any of Phoenix’s future first rounders were in the backdrop tonight — just a whole lot of buckets on a day to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Brooklyn and Phoenix collectively began tonight shooting 6-of-10 from deep. Two were put in Drake Powell, who returned to the starting lineup with Egor Dëmin held out for injury management…

Drake Powell drains back-to-back threes to start tonight's game. pic.twitter.com/eGRuiURHRd

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) January 20, 2026

Although Powell’s name fell into the point guard slot on the pregame lineup card, ball-handling was done by a committee for Brooklyn. Terance Mann got some reps, even dishing seven assists in the first half, as did Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton. (Cam Thomas was also out for injury management.)

Despite the group effort, the Brooklyn’s offense was overshadowed in the first, and for most of the game. While the Nets came out hot, the Suns were white dwarfs, posting 71/67 splits in the first quarter. Dillon Brooks added seven points while shooting 4-of-5 from the field. Phoenix also controlled the game’s pace, grabbing eight points on the break.

The Nets (naturally) caught up a bit when Nolan Traoré checked in at the 4:19 point of the period. He, Jalen Wilson, Danny Wolf, Tyrese Martin, and Ziaire Williams, who returned after missing a week of ball with an illness, cut the deficit to nine after it had ballooned to 15 at one point, yet Phoenix maintained a 40-26 lead after one…

Nolan Traoré just put Grayson Allen in the spin cycle pic.twitter.com/28YKzZkwOM

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 20, 2026

“I’m just grateful just to be out here,” Williams said of his return. “Woke up one morning feeling fine, and then I ended up sick, and missing games, and it was just a reminder of just how anything can be taken away from you by any time…I missed playing with these guys.”

It was the first time the Nets gave up 40 points in a quarter since November 9th. In the second, Michael Porter Jr. looked to get it all back.

After going scoreless in the opening frame, MPJ dropped 13 points while shooting 5-6 from the field. Traoré also continued his run of impressive play since coming up from Long Island. The sequel to his career night in Chicago on Friday started with 10 first half points while shooting a perfect 3-3 from the field. He didn’t get any more in the second half…but still finished the game as a +4.

Williams also hit two threes in the period’s final two four minutes. Mann also put one in for submission seconds before the deadline…

Terance Mann makes it a four point game at the half buzzer pic.twitter.com/6Vk4mZ0Lrz

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 20, 2026

But again, every positive at the offensive end doubled as a negative at the other. Rather than switching, Brooklyn played more of in a drop this evening. Devin Booker and company went to work with the extra space provided. The Suns added 32 more points in the second, maintaining 63/46/91 splits as a team at half, where theu led the Nets by a 72-68 tally.

The Nets also probably threw one too many high doubles at Booker, who had the poise and precision all night to pass out of them and find open shooters.

“We were kind of giving them that shot, trying to live with that rather than Booker ISO,” Mann said. “So, just the ability to make shots down the stretch. They’re a veteran team.”

Even as the shots continued to fall for Phoenix, the Nets did well to keep the deficit from fully reinflating in the third. But while the Phoenix lead didn’t boil, the frustrations for Brooklyn did. Booker and Dillon Brooks each found success baiting the Nets and befooling officials early in the period. The Suns drew nine free throw attempts in the quarter’s first eight minutes after getting 11 in the entire first half.

Fernández said the game was “called like a rugby match,” post game. Williams also noted he felt there were one or two wrongful whistles, but he also tipped his cap to his old teammate.

“I love Dillon to death, man,” he said. “That’s my guy. That’s my big brother. He taught me so much. It’s really dope to see him really flourish this year. I feel like he’s an all star, in my opinion…He’s a great teammate. I hate playing against them but love him on your team. His competitiveness is second to none and I definitely learned a lot of tips and tricks from him.”

The Nets made it a 112-105 game with 7:04 to go after Tyrese Martin connected on a transition three. Porter Jr. followed that up with a quick five, getting three with glam and two with grit…

Michael Porter Jr. gets a flashy one, then a gritty one next time down the floor. pic.twitter.com/A9A72fcuYd

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) January 20, 2026

But the mounting pressure from Brooklyn only caused Phoenix’s offensive crystallize and its ball movement to shine. As the Nets repeatedly looked to trap Booker, the Suns the rock with pace and precession, pulling the Brooklyn defense as if it were pizza dough before baking it with a bucket.

“They’re a good ball club, man,” Williams said. “They play really well together, ball was moving.”

The Nets had possesson down nine with a little over a minute to go, but could only draw up a Powell step back three out of the timeout. It clanked off the side rim. Down too much and too late to make playing the foul game acceptable, Brooklyn didn’t down quietly, but a bit quieter than usual.

Final: Phoenix Suns 126, Brooklyn Nets 117

Milestone Watch​

• Terance Mann’s seven assists in the first half against the Suns are tied for his most in a game this season (fourth time) and tied the most in a half in his career (2/8/22, LAC at MEM).
• This was Nolan Traoré’s second career half with 10+ points, joining his 14 points in the second half last night against Chicago.

Halfway There​

It’s a common misconception that the All-Star break marks the halfway point in the NBA regular season. That’s usually when we’re about two-thirds of the way there. Believe it or not, tonight was Brooklyn’s 41st game, meaning they’re now at that halfway point. Here was Ziaire Williams’ answer on what the Nets have learned and want to take into second half:

“Yeah, for sure, man, just a whole list of things. Off the top of my mind, we just got to start better. We start off 0-7 and we figured out, but even with tonight, we figured it out, and came up just short. But it’s all a growing process, growing pains, and the best part is, we have a full locker room of guys who want to win and wan’t to compete at the highest level. I feel like that’s the hardest part, is finding a group that loves each other and enjoys going to war with each other every night, and we have that, and that’s the culture that Jordi and the rest of the staff are building. So, we’ll figure it out, and there’s a lot of better days ahead, just got to stay in the process.”

No change in the Tankathon rankings. Nets still is sixth, still two games out of fourth.

Injury Report​

The only Net to miss tonight’s game not for injury management or a G-League assignment was Day’Ron Sharpe. The Nets tagged him with an illness/throat contusion injury designation pregame. We’ll monitor the situation and update as we learn more.

Next Up​

Brooklyn hasn’t beaten their cross town rival since January of 2023, and even with the Nets sporting the league’s fifth-worst record, it feels like they’ll have a solid chance to break that streak on Wednesday night. The Knicks are in one of their worst losing spells in the Leon Rose era right now, having dropped eight of their last 10 games. The quest for redemption tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.

• Boxscore: Phoenix Suns 126, Brooklyn Nets 117 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Phoenix Suns 126, Brooklyn Nets 117 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Ziaire Williams PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Terance Mann PostGame Interview (Video) – YES Network
• Brooks and Booker power Suns to a 126-117 win over the struggling Nets – Adry Torres – AP
• Suns bomb in 20 3-pointers, stave off Nets – Reuters
• Nets’ putrid defense far too much to overcome in loss to Suns – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• There’s no denying Cam Thomas’s Nets destiny at this point ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets torched from deep again in 126-117 loss to Suns – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets player grades: Michael Porter Jr. nets 23 in 126-117 loss to Suns – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...s-vs-suns-126-114-michael-porter-devin-booker