Three Takeaways From the Nets' Blowout Loss to the Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets (12-30) renewed a cross-town rivalry on Wednesday night, heading about 40 minutes north for a matchup with the New York Knicks (26-18).

Brooklyn had lost ten of their last 12 games heading into this one, desperately trying to get back to winning ways. The Knicks had lost nine of their last 11 games, also trying to get back into the win column. This game meant a lot to both teams. However, only one team decided to show up at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks did whatever they wanted to all night long, cruising to a SCORE win.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets big loss to the Knicks.

1. Nets Came Out Flat

With an opportunity to break out of a funk and a cross-town rivalry reignited, this should've been the game where Brooklyn came out with a ton of energy and was ready to play. Instead, the Nets came out flatter than a piece of paper. They quickly fell behind 18-6 and trailed by 18 at the end of the first quarter. That deficit ballooned to 22 at the half.

Brooklyn's first-half offense was subpar, as they shot 33% from the field, were dominated on the glass, and committed seven turnovers. Michael Porter Jr. was just 3-9 from the field, and only two other Nets had more than one field goal made. If MPJ doesn't have it, there's nothing to fear consistently from this offense.

2. Brooklyn Got Dominated In The Paint

So often, winning in the paint can lead to victory on the scoreboard. Controlling the glass, getting second-chance possessions, and preventing easy shots at the rim sway games. On Wednesday, the Knicks did all of that with ease. The Nets did not. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson combined for 21 points and 15 rebounds and were a +39. Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe combined for ten points and six rebounds and were a -61.

The Nets were out-rebounded 56-27, and never stood a chance in this game. Struggling in the paint is one thing. Getting dominated this badly is another. This was an embarrassing effort from Jordi Fernandez's team, who will need to start fast on Friday to wipe away the stench of this loss.

3. This Was Unacceptable

Most Nets fans don't mind the losses piling up, as it will help Brooklyn land a better draft pick in June. But this kind of loss does nothing good for the franchise. They didn't belong on the same court as the Knicks, and this game showed just how big the disparity is between the two NBA teams in New York City. Even when they're mired in a bad stretch of basketball, the Knicks can still do whatever they want to against Brooklyn.

Brooklyn scored 66 points in this game, the eighth fewest points in a single game in franchise history. If not for a few garbage-time makes in the final minute, it would've been way worse. They were outscored 32-10 in the fourth quarter. The Nets shot an abysmal 29% from the field. This was the worst loss of the season by far, and one of the worst losses in the history of the franchise. This effort was completely unacceptable for an NBA team. Nets fans deserve better.