© Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Nets get another disappointing result with a loss to the Detroit Pistons
The Nets were the favorite to win this game against the Detroit Pistons, especially after a superb performance against the 76ers a few days earlier. Brooklyn lost the game 118 to 112 in arguably the most demoralizing defeat of the season for Coach Kevin Ollie and his team.
Dennis Schroder tried his best to carry the Nets, scoring 31 points. Lonnie Walker IV was his primary support, as the former Miami Hurricane scored 21 points while dealing with an illness. Detroit was superb, as they pulled off the upset with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey combining for 66 points.
“We gotta fight; we have guys that are hurt. We gotta step up, and we gotta do it collectively. I was proud of our guys for hanging in there. Coming out in the second quarter and having a 41-point quarter,” Coach Ollie said after the game in his interview. “It showed a lot of resilience, but we cannot put ourselves behind like that in games and expect to win, especially on the road.”
Mikal Bridges struggles again
Despite playing a game-high 43 minutes, Mikal Bridges struggled again. He only scored 13 points on 4-for-11 shooting. The former Villanova Wildcat mostly deferred to Schroder and Walker, who both had strong performances.
Mikal contributed in other ways, as he dished out seven assists. However, that is not enough to win games, considering he’s the team’s go-to scorer. Cameron Thomas is still injured, which has led to Brooklyn’s opponents focusing their defensive schemes on stopping Bridges.
The Play-In Tournament is looking unlikely
With this loss to the Pistons, the Nets are now 3.5 games behind the tenth-seeded Atlanta Hawks. It is a devastating result for Brooklyn, considering the team beat the Hawks twice last week.
Before this game, Detroit only had nine wins, which should’ve meant Brooklyn would cruise to a win. That was not the case, as Coach Ollie’s team struggled throughout the game. Combine this loss with the defeat to the Grizzlies a few days ago, and the Nets have undone the good work they did against Atlanta and have lost further ground in the Play-In race.
