The Brooklyn Nets snuck into the All-Star break in an optimal lottery position and without a crowd of accusers behind them, alleging they’ve compromised the game’s integrity and warped its competitive nature. The latter without the former is a rare thing today, especially this season.
Tonight, they reemerged from it in a far less enviable spot. They visited the revamped Cleveland Cavaliers, and while the uneven matchup reinforced their advantageous draft position, it was no easy watch.
The Cavs started the game with a 14-3 burst after the Nets opened shooting 1-7 from the floor. Cleveland’s initial offensive fluidity warranted an early timeout for Jorid Fernández, even by his standards. The second year coach called for one with the Cavs up just 4-0.
However, early didn’t mean effective. On Brooklyn’s next defensive possession, Evan Mobley got free for a wide open running dunk. That was the easiest of Cleveland’s first six shots of the game, all of which they made. Less than 10 minutes deep, the Cavs were already up 15.
One of our new Nets Ochai Agbaji again checked in toward the end of the first, followed by Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, Terance Mann, and Ziaire Williams. That group looked a tad less lost at the offensive end, but still wayward. The Nets shot just 2-13 on from deep in the first, and as a result, trailed 36-14 after it.
Less than three minutes into the second, the Cavalier lead had boiled to 20. Whether rising up to defend the rim or chasing Dennis Schröder into the backcourt for loose balls, Day’Ron Sharpe and Agbaji did their best to will Brooklyn back into it, and while I can’t call being down 14 “in it,” the team did respond.
As the second frame progressed, MPJ had an easier time getting to his spots and leveraging around the pressure of a defense well aware of his shooting prowess. They also pushed for more points in transition, at one point enjoying a 14-6 run…
But as the offense found it’s footing, the defense slipped further. No Nic Claxton to defend the rim essentially made this a matchup nightmare for Brooklyn vs James Harden and Jarrett Allen as a pick-and-roll dance partners. The Cavs kept the music going for the entirety of the first half, going for 36 points the paint, outscoring the Nets there by 18 in the process. They posted .643/.571 splits, while Brooklyn shot .365/.269. That’s a -27.8 and -30.2 difference in percentage points.
So, Brooklyn started the second half down 70-48, once again in a battle against public embarrassment rather than their opponent on the court.
No one told the Cavs that. They started the third on a 12-5 run after making their first four shots. Brooklyn didn’t hit a field goal until Danny Wolf splashed a corner three at the 6:43 mark of the third. Amid their cold streak, Donovan Mitchell hit a transition triple that might’ve nicked the area ceiling, putting his team up 85-50 at that point. After that, when Spida pulled out his web-slinger celebration, it became even more clear who was having fun tonight and who wasn’t.
The Nets then bled out in the street like Uncle Ben, except but this time there were little-to-no lessons to take away. Cleveland outscored Brooklyn 32-19 in this frame, inflating their lead to as many as 43 at one point.
However, there were a few silver, check that, _bronze_ linings down the stretch. And honestly, that’s all we’re in business for at this point.
In the final minute of the third, Powell and Agbaji gave a look at at what their athleticism can do on the floor at the same time, chipping away six points to make it a 102-67 score entering the fourth…
Larry Nance Jr. and Tyrese Proctor both checked in to begin the fourth, giving us an abrupt, but just introduction to early garbage time. There, Agbaji continued to play tough, adding another handful of transition points to help the Nets extend a 15-2 run between the periods. They rotated well to shut down Cleveland’s reserves, who went 0-12 from deep in the fourth. Nolan Traore also extended his streak to six consecutive games with at least four assists, tying Kerry Kittles for the fourth-longest streak by a rookie in franchise history.[](https://x.com/BKN_NETSPR/status/2024669222236758394)
It was all very “Chris Paul hit’s a [huge three](http://youtube.com/watch?v=ceOYZibzwu4&themeRefresh=1),“ but I’ll say it again, there’s not much out there for these Nets other than little wins. In terms a literal one, they weren’t even close. At least tomorrow’s another day, even if it is against the champs.
**Final: Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Brooklyn Nets 84**
Brooklyn’s rocky road out of the All-Star break takes its toughest turn tomorrow night as the Nets will travel to Oklahoma City for a date with the reigning champs. The Nets haven’t beat the Thunder in over two years now. If anything, the size of the game’s spread should be interesting. This one tips off at 8:00 p.m. EST.