Three Takeaways From the Nets' Lopsided Loss to the Heat

The Brooklyn Nets (15-46) hit the road for South Beach and a conference matchup with the Miami Heat (33-29).

The Nets were losers of eight straight games entering Miami, looking to snap the streak and get back into the win column. They would have to do so without Egor Demin (foot), who missed the game. It ended up being more of the same for Brooklyn, who dropped the game 124-98.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets road loss to the Heat.

Late Second Quarter Collapse

The Nets trailed 52-47 after a Noah Clowney free throw with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter. And then it happened again. Another long offensive lull turned a close game into a blowout. In the final minutes of the first half, the Nets made just one field goal and saw their deficit balloon from five to 15.

These late-half offensive lulls have become a concerning pattern for Jordi Fernandez's team lately. They ruin decent halves for Brooklyn, turning winnable games into no-contests in the span of a few minutes. Eliminating these consistent lulls needs to be a priority for this franchise heading into next season.

Michael Porter Jr. Struggles

Tuesday night might've been Michael Porter Jr.'s worst game in a Nets uniform. He finished the game with nine points on 3-17 shooting from the field, including an ugly 0-9 from behind the arc. He had seen a dip in efficiency over the past few weeks, and the loss in Miami saw him reach a new season-low.

Porter has been a revelation in his first season as a Net, almost making the All-Star team after averaging an efficient 25 points a game in the first half. But he hasn't been quite the same player since the break, which is a big reason why the Nets have yet to win a game in that span. Brooklyn needs him to find his rhythm again soon if they want to find the win column again.

Nets Veterans Let Them Down

Normally it's the other way around, but on Tuesday night, Brooklyn's young core was let down by a dismal performance from its veterans. Porter had his struggles, as mentioned above. But Nic Claxton looked rusty as well, coming off an injury. He ended the night with just four points on 2-7 shooting. Throw in a eight point performance from Terance Mann, who got the start, and it's easy to see why the Nets lost this game.

It was jarring to see both Porter and Claxton struggle on the same night. Despite nice games from Noah Clowney, Nolan Traore, and Ziaire Williams, the Nets got blown out again because they didn't get enough from their pricey veterans. They'll need way better games from those guys on Thursday night when these two teams meet again.