On December 8, Monday, they next had to suffer their first road loss after they came to the Pacific from the Atlantic, as they had to suffer a loss to the Trail Blazers 114–108 in Portland. Following this defeat, Brooklyn has fallen to 25–14 during the season and 14–4 while on the road.
Since Kyrie Irving tweaked his ankle during the fourth quarter of the game, this increases the chances for the Brooklyn Nets to face a couple of losses further in Portland as well. There isn’t any assurance that Irving will move forward because of his current situation, and Claxton has also left the game with hamstring tightness. The present situation of the Nets makes their beat to other teams more competitive.
The Brooklyn Nets face a loss against the Trail Blazers
Brooklyn’s five-game road-winning streak ended with the loss they faced against the Trail Blazers in their December 8, 2024, game on Monday.
Then the Nets have been on this road game after flying from the Atlantic to the Pacific for six hours, which made them fall short in depleting the Blazers by 114–108 in Portland, and with this defeat, Brooklyn has fallen to 25–14 on the season in addition to 14–4 on the road. It’s the fifth loss in the last seven games of the Nets.
There are chances that the Monday loss might not be the only loss for the Ne6ts, as they are, as of now, in a situation to suffer a couple of other losses in Portland as well, following the tweaked ankle of Irving after he fell in the fourth quarter. That’s not the only thing; Nic Claxton also left the game with hamstring tightness.
After the 6-hour flight, the Blazers were definitely heavily depleted, and there was also an absence of the backbone players of the team, Damien Lillard, C.J. McCullum, Norman Powell, and Larry Nance Jr., due to injuries or health protocols. Though their absence was well served by Anfernee Simons’ stellar gameplay, the Blazers sensed this absence as an opportunity, and in the moment where maybe the Nets were gassed, they served their opportunity.
After the post-game commentary, Steve Nash said, “The guys were gassed tonight. I thought there were some good stretches, but overall, I just thought we didn’t have the juice to follow through to finish the job enough,” whereas Kevin Durant didn’t make or was heard making any comments other than the travel woes and tight schedule of the Nets.
Relating to the loss, “Who cares? That’s what championship teams go through—a little adversity; everybody’s schedule is f***** up,” said Kevin Durant.
After Irving tweaked his ankle, Nash said he’s not sure whether Irving will go further with this situation, but in the post-game commentary, he said, “I’ll be available for Chicago,” following which he will be seen playing in Chicago against the Bulls Wednesday night.
The third quarter of the trials was a momentum period in which Portland continued to hang around while Brooklyn, instead of slamming it with a win, was left with 1:34 in the fourth quarter. The Trail Blazers tried to grow the game-high with nine points, daring the Nets to make a comeback, which they couldn’t.
Out of the timeout, Kevin Durant slammed home a Statue of Liberty dunk, and Day’ Ron tipped in a basket to cut the deficit to five with 46.0 seconds left after a defensive stop. Durand Hat concluded his loss with a double of 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in his high-minute play of 42 minutes. Irving had finished his game in 40 minutes, which included 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Post-game, Nash said, “I was proud of our guys wanting to try to win. I wanted to try to come out here and tough it out, but it felt evident to me that they didn’t have the pop or juice to get stops.”.
In relation to his consistent high-minute play, Durant said, “It is what it is. If I have to play 40, so what? Imma plays, but if they tell me to sit out, I am going to do the same.” Following the same game, Nash said, “We’ll find him a game. We’ll find him a game to miss somewhere here coming up,” on giving Durant a rest.
The Brooklyn Nets had to face a loss, but it gave a sharp view in regard to Brooklyn’s youth corps. The team’s four rookies finished with 42 points and 78 minutes, with Day’ Ron Sharpe and Cam Thomas standing out.
In this game, Sharpe made 14 points, 7 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in 24 minutes off the bench, followed by Thomas, who made a record of 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from three in 26 minutes.
The two rookies were gelled with Kessler Edwards and David Duke Jr., who combined 10 points along with strong defensive play. They all had heavy-weight pressure at the start of the second quarter, which helped Brooklyn take a 42-21 lead.
In the end, the Blazers’ kiddie corp, Anfernee, served and led the team with 23 points, followed by Robert Covington with 21 and McLemore with 20. This handed Brooklyn their first road loss since December 8, following the Blazers winning by six points.
