Nets sorely miss a finishing kick in two losses to open season
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie brings the ball up during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Dallas. Credit: AP/Gareth Patterson
Mavericks play-by-play broadcaster Mark Followill spoke for many with his reaction to Luka Doncic’s latest dose of “Luka Magic” on Friday night. His turnaround hook shot three-pointer with 26.6 seconds left sank the Nets’ chances of winning.
Said Followill: “I don’t believe what I just saw.”
Neither could the Nets. For the second straight game, they watched an All-Star player hit a late three-pointer that proved to be the game-winner.
They could respect Donovan Mitchell’s wide-open shot in Wednesday night’s loss to the Cavaliers.
Doncic’s make? Only disbelief as they fell to Dallas, 125-120.
As Spencer Dinwiddie noted, the Nets forced Doncic into a tough shot compared to what Mitchell made Wednesday.
“Nine times out of 10, Luka ain’t hitting that,” said Dinwiddie, who played two seasons for Dallas. “I get the ‘Luka Magic’ thing and all that. Again, top-five guy, MVP [candidate], but like even he smiled at that one. Donovan had, like, a quality look. Luka banked in a hook shot from the hash mark.”
Coach Jacque Vaughn and Mikal Bridges gave Doncic credit for making a tough shot but knew they had to move on quickly. However, it symbolized an early difference in two close losses to start the season.
Doncic’s shot was just another amazing play in his catalog of highlights. He also showed what the Nets lack now and hope to find eventually.
The Nets (0-2) have a star in Bridges, and on Wednesday, he went back-and-forth with Mitchell in fourth-quarter scoring. Yet while Bridges is growing into being a No. 1 option, there’s a difference between him and established stars such as Mitchell and Doncic who are known for delivering in close games.
“What makes teams very special at the end of the day is they have dudes who can make tough shots just like Donovan did against us the first night, Luka did tonight,” Vaughn said. “That’s the difference in layers of the league, in my opinion, and we’ll grow to understand how to make plays like that at the end of the night.”
Despite missing two starters because of injury, the Nets’ late-game execution improved Friday. They led during most of the fourth quarter and had fewer second-half turnovers (seven) than the season opener (11). Royce O’Neale scored 10 points in the final period and the Nets led 118-113 with 2:36 remaining.
Cam Thomas earned more trust with his play down the stretch. Twelve of his 30 points came in the fourth quarter and his final basket tied the game at 120 with 50.7 seconds left. After his 36 points in the season opener, it’s encouraging growth for the third-year player, who couldn’t stay in the rotation last season despite his prolific scoring.
But as Vaughn hinted, the Nets don’t have that finishing kick yet. Twice they’ve lost leads in the final three minutes. Thomas missed a game-winning shot Wednesday on a play initially designed for Bridges and a tough potential go-ahead three-point attempt Friday after Doncic’s hook shot.
That’s one of the things that separate the Nets from the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks, Celtics and Heat have stars who are closers. The Cavaliers and Knicks do, too.
The Nets? Still to be determined.
“It’s only two games. Can’t overreact. But we got to get better,” Bridges said. “We know we’re going to be in tight games and we got to learn how to win and execute on both ends.”
The next eight games will be more of what Vaughn called “on-job training.” After the Nets face Charlotte on Monday, the next six opponents are teams that made the playoffs or play-in tournament last season.
It’s more proving ground for a team learning to finish games.
“Two nights now, a game decided by one point, tonight decided by five, you continue to build a callus of being in these positions and knowing how to respond to it,” Vaughn said. “I think we were much more organized tonight at the end of the game, which showed, and so you just continue to grow from there.”
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.
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