Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBAE via Getty Images
Even in the middle of a mess, something positive can find a way to shine through.
The Brooklyn Nets entered the night looking to capitalize on the struggles of a Milwaukee Bucks team that had dropped seven straight games, but instead found themselves on the wrong end of yet another lopsided loss.
They were outmatched from deep, outmuscled in the paint, and undone by their own mental mistakes, finishing with their third-highest turnover total of the season.
The offense was just as stagnant, aside from a few surprise sparks off the bench. Not a single starter reached double figures.
When asked about his team’s defensive struggles, Nets head coach Jordi Fernández pointed to their turnovers as a major factor in giving up easy transition points
“We look at the fast-break points and a lot of it is from our turnovers. We knew that they were a very good three-point shooting team,” Fernandez said. “We probably lost the possession game by a lot. It’s impossible to win in the NBA when you give up 16 three’s, 19 second-chance points, 24 off turnovers and 18 fast-break points.”
Still, through the chaos, rookie Danny Wolf gave Brooklyn one of its brightest moments of the season.
Wolf’s Breakout Moment
The Michigan product knocked down two three-pointers in the first quarter to score the first two field goals of his career and didn’t look back, finishing with a career-high 22 points to go along with four assists and four rebounds.
He made his first four triples of the night and entered the half with 17 points as Brooklyn’s leading scorer.
His start from beyond the arc was impressive, but he was also willing to venture into the paint, working through contact and throwing down a dunk over Kyle Kuzma despite the foul.
It’s pretty clear the G League helped his development. The confidence is there, and so is the willingness to trust his unique skill set, even this early in his NBA career. Through seven games on Long Island, Wolf averaged 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 48.1 percent from the field.
“It comes down to being ready for when your name is called and taking advantage of the opportunity. Coach Jordi and the staff have been preaching to shoot when you’re open, just letting it fly,” Wolf said. “It’s just trusting my work and trusting the confidence that the coaching staff has in in me.”
It was the most points scored in a half by a Nets rookie off the bench since Cam Thomas in 2022. Wolf went 4-for-5 from three, tied for the second-most made triples by a Nets rookie off the bench in franchise history.
“He looked comfortable. His shot looked really good. I’m really proud of him for being ready and performing at at this level,” Fernandez said. “He was one of the reasons why that group came and punched back. It’s good to see because it can never be given to you. He’s been working and he’s been ready. He really took advantage of his minutes and I’m very happy for him.”
He also flashed the playmaking and mobility that made him such an intriguing prospect as a seven-footer, blowing past Giannis Antetokounmpo on the perimeter before finishing over Myles Turner at the rim.
Young Players Stepping Up
Wolf wasn’t the only rookie to turn heads. Ben Saraf logged a career-high 29 minutes and made the most of them. In just his eighth NBA game, the 19-year-old set new highs in both scoring and passing, finishing with 10 points and seven assists.
“He does a great job at touching the paint and finding his teammates,” Fernandez said. “Seven assists to three turnovers is a pretty good ratio. I still think he can get even better, but that’s what he does. I’m proud of him.”
Noah Clowney also continued to prove that he has expanded his outside shooting ability, knocking down both of his three-point attempts in the first half. One came curling around a screen set by Tyrese Martin. The Nets are designing plays for him to get open looks, which says a lot about their trust in his shooting development.
After attempting just 1.4 threes per game as a rookie, Clowney quadrupled that number to 5.7 attempts per game last season. Now, he’s ramped it up again to 6.6 attempts per game while maintaining efficiency, shooting 32.2 percent after shooting 33.3 percent a year ago.
While Clowney is now in his third NBA season, it’s worth remembering that he’s just 21 years old and two months younger than Wolf.
Reality Of the Night
Despite the individual flashes, Brooklyn was overwhelmed by Milwaukee’s outside shooting and Antetokounmpo’s dominance in the paint.
The Bucks knocked down 16 three-pointers, tying for the fourth-highest total the Nets have allowed this season.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo did whatever he wanted inside, finishing with 29 points on 80 percent shooting. Nic Claxton can at least give him resistance, but he spent most of the night guarding Turner, leaving Brooklyn without another real answer at the rim.
Ziaire Williams struggled to find any rhythm, confidently letting shots go but seeing very few connect. He finished 1-for-5 from three and scored just five points.
Brooklyn’s bench accounted for nine made threes, but against a Bucks team that controlled nearly every other phase of the game, even that burst of shooting was never enough to change the result.