Three Takeaways From the Nets Disappointing Loss to the Knicks

The Nets returned home on Monday night for a battle with the rival New York Knicks.

Brooklyn entered the game coming off a hard-fought loss to the Raptors on Sunday and was looking to give the Knicks a better game than the last time they faced off. While the Nets played slightly better than they did at the Garden, it still wasn't enough as the Knicks took care of business 113-100. Despite the loss, it wasn't all terrible for Brooklyn, whose now 3-14 on the season.

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

1. Noah Clowney's Career Night

.@NoahClowney....YOU BET! 👌

8 points in the 1Q for Stretch pic.twitter.com/HVPfxvUonm
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 25, 2025

Monday night was Noah Clowney's seventh straight game scoring in double figures as he continued a big recent scoring surge. Clowney poured in a career-high 31 points on 9-17 shooting from the field and 7-13 from behind the arc against New York. Coming off a then-season-high 22 points in Toronto, this was another huge performance from the 21-year-old former first-round pick.

Since entering the starting lineup on Nov. 3 against Minnesota, Clowney has failed to reach double-digit points in just one game while seeing his minutes explode. He's quickly turning into one of Brooklyn's more consistent options on both sides of the court, and he's establishing himself as a core piece of this rebuild.

2. Third Quarter Spells Doom

After falling behind early, the Nets were able to rally to make it a three-point game at halftime, taking all the momentum into the locker room with them. That momentum didn't carry over into the third quarter, as Brooklyn was outscored 38-27 in the frame. A three-point deficit at the half turned into a 14-point deficit at the end of the quarter.

The offense was stuck in the mud for a majority of the third, and the defense had no answers for a balanced Knicks offensive attack.

The Nets have done a great job avoiding quarters like that recently, but their bad habits caught up with them on Monday. That will be 12 minutes of play that Jordi Fernandez will want to flush as soon as possible.

3. Drake Powell Heats Up

In what was a terrible second half for the home team, there was one bright spot. Rookie Drake Powell exploded in the fourth quarter. After starting 0-4 from the field, Powell would finish with 15 points on 5-10 shooting. It's a new career-high for the former North Carolina Tar Heel, who's one of only two rookies in Jordi Fernandez's system at the moment.

In a rebuild, seeing your young players develop and take big steps forward is huge, and Powell grew up tonight. He was aggressive, looking for his shot, active on both sides of the court, and tried to bring some energy to a lethargic Nets squad. Despite the loss, Powell's performance was a great sign for the future.