Three Takeaways From The Nets' Road Loss To The Heat

The Brooklyn Nets (15-47) stayed in Florida for the second half of a road back-to-back with the Miami Heat (34-29) on Thursday night.

The Nets lost by 26 to the Heat on Tuesday, and had revenge on the mind. They would be without rookie point guard Egor Demin (foot) once again, but had the rest of the roster healthy and ready to roll. It was more of the same for the Nets, as a third-quarter collapse led to a 126-110 Miami win.

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

1. Nolan Traore Belongs

Any questions about Nolan Traore's ability to play high-level NBA hoops keep getting answered every time the young Frenchman steps on the court. Traore turned in another great performance on Thursday against Miami, finishing the night with nine points and nine assists in 25 minutes.

He's scored in double figures in nine of his previous 13 games. Across those 13 games, he's also dished out at least five assists eight times, showcasing an ever-growing and evolving skillset as a passer. While the selection of Traore drew the ire of some fans and analysts back in June, the young guard is paying off the front office's trust in him this season.

2. Veterans Bounce Back

After a tough game against the Heat on Tuesday night, the Nets veterans had a much-needed bounce-back performance on Thursday. Michael Porter Jr. poured in 27 points, shooting 9-24 from the field and knocking down seven threes. Nic Claxton turned in 16 points and eight boards. Even Terance Mann found a way to affect the game, with seven points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Brooklyn needed much better from their veterans after a disappointing game on Tuesday, and they got it. While it didn't lead to a win, it was still great to see those guys find a rhythm again. Hopefully they can carry that with them into Saturday's game.

3. Bench Really Struggled

Brooklyn's starters turned in a nice performance on Thursday, keeping the game pretty close when they were on the court. Where Miami found a lot of success was when Jordi Fernandez called on his bench unit to enter the game. The Heat's bench outscored Brooklyn's bench 54-34, which was the big difference in this game.

Ziaire Williams was fine, but the rest of the bench really struggled. Danny Wolf went scoreless in 14 minutes, while the normally reliable Day'Ron Sharpe wasn't at his best. A better performance from that group could've led to a win. Instead, it's another what-if game for the Nets this season.