Nets get off to better start but falter in second half, lose to Jazz
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie looks at the scoreboard as he sits on the bench during the second half of an NBA game against the Jazz on Monday in Salt Lake City. Credit: AP/Rick Bowmer
SALT LAKE CITY — Before the Nets left for this five-game road trip, Mikal Bridges had a simple goal. Don’t come back under .500
The Nets accomplished that goal at least. But they failed in others Monday as they lost to the Jazz, 125-108, for their third consecutive defeat.
They not only lost to a sub-.500 Jazz team, they wilted in a barrage of threes at Delta Center just like how the trip started in Sacramento. The Jazz made only 14 threes compared to the Kings’ 25 against the Nets on Dec. 11, but the Jazz shot 10-for-16 in the second half Monday.
It added a thud to a brutal 1-4 trip for the Nets (13-13). Bridges blamed himself for the loss after shooting just 4-for-16 from the field and grabbing just one rebound.
“Just did everything bad today. Missing shots, free throws, not defending, not rebounding,” said Bridges, who had 13 points. “Just a bad one, you know? Pretty much just out there and letting my teammates down, coaches down, playing five-on-four out there basically while I'm out there.”
Bridges was far from alone. Cam Johnson shot just 2-for-9, his worst shooting night of the trip, and had just seven points. He also was hit in the face with an elbow in the fourth quarter, which had him on the floor for a few minutes before he walked to the bench and later returned.
The Nets were outrebounded 51-36, gave up 30 fast-break points and scored just 10. They also gave up a 15-4 run to end the third quarter that turned a five-point lead into an 88-82 deficit they never recovered from.
“I don't think we played well the entire game really,” coach Jaque Vaughn said. “Even though we were up five at half, the rebounding piece again staring us in the face, them getting out in transition again staring us in the face. So those two things, they add up for a bad recipe, because those are paint points and those are extra opportunities for them.”
During the run, the Jazz made three-pointers on three consecutive possessions Collin Sexton gave the Jazz the lead at 80-78 with a three and he was followed by threes from John Collins and Lauri Markkanen.
They also threw multiple defensive looks at the Nets, who had just 23 third-quarter points. The Jazz went from playing zone to even playing box-and-one to slow down Cam Thomas.
Thomas had a game-high 32 points, his sixth game with at least 30 points this season.
“Today was the first time I've seen a box-and-one since AAU, in high school, so that was different,” said Thomas, who shot 12-for-23, including five three-pointers. “So I guess, got to get used to most teams gonna try to mix it up on me."
Instead of another loss defined by a slow start, the Nets were done in by a rough finish as they felt the weight of a long trip. They led 59-54 at halftime and forced nine turnovers but gave up 71 second-half points.
The Jazz also defended the interior well as Walker Kessler had five blocks, four at halftime, and the Nets missed eight of their first nine shots in the paint.
“They just played harder than us,” Bridges said. “Rebounding, getting out, mucking up on defense. But yeah, they played harder than us.”
Spencer Dinwiddie had a near triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Sexton and Talen Horton-Tucker led the Jazz with 27 points and Markkanen had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Kessler added a game-high 14 rebounds with 14 points.
The Nets may not be under .500 but coming back at .500 isn't any better. While there are newer issues to address, Bridges didn’t want to dwell on them as much as start fixing them.
“The more you soak on it, the worse it.s going to get,” Bridges said. “So you just got to let it go and learn what you’ve got to, learn from it and get ready for the next one.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
