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<\/p>\nThe Brooklyn Nets had their first game on the other side tonight. The other side of the trade deadline. The other side of weeks spent wondering whether Michael Porter Jr. would still be here. The other side of the Cam Thomas \u201cera,\u201d if you can even call it that. Now, it\u2019s about Egor Demin and Nolan Traore and the Flatbush Five!<\/p>\n
But while the moves made today brought a collective sense of renewal to Brooklyn and the league at large, the Nets gave us more of the same tonight.<\/p>\n
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In fairness, Brooklyn did make some incremental improvements early on here in game no. 50. The Nets only trailed their opponent, the Orlando Magic, 27-19 after the first period. They ran with the same five they opened with against the Lakers on Tuesday night, which got beat down through the hardwood and into the Atlantic Yards ruins in the first quarter.<\/p>\n
While Egor D\u00ebmin led all Nets after one with eight points, the eye test argues Nolan Traor\u00e9 played the largest part in helping us get a different solution this time even with a similar formula.<\/p>\n
Most conversations about the French ball-handler start with his quickness, but tonight, he channeled it more decisively. Much like Dennis Schr\u00f6der used to do in Brooklyn, he did well leveraging his speed around the Orlando defense, slamming and softening on the gas pedal at all the right times.<\/p>\n
The Magic shooting 3-of-12 from deep in the first also helped. They sure as hell had the looks, though they\u2019re not known for having laser-like accuracy as the league\u2019s fourth-worst 3-point shooting team. Still, Desmond Bane, who\u2019s shot 49.3% against the Nets in his career, began 0-of-4 from downtown.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s not like the Nets were any better way out there in logo land. Even with the aforementioned contributions from Traor\u00e9 and D\u00ebmin, Brooklyn\u2019s offense began 7-of-22 from the field and 3-of-15 from outside. When the Lakers shut down the Brooklyn offense for the length of a commercial break two nights ago, multiple Nets attributed their lack of production to LA\u2019s zone. However, Orlando played man and stayed in the drop for much of first half, and the Nets didn\u2019t fare any better. They missed the basket \u2014 and each other \u2014 over and over again.<\/p>\n
Then, things got magical for Orlando as the first two periods crossed over, as they enjoyed a 22-6 run. With 6:52 to go in the frame, they found themselves up by a 44-25 score. At that point, Michael Porter Jr. had only three points to his name while shooting 1-8 from the field. He finished with just nine points tonight while shooting 2-13 from the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that we were not connected at all throughout the whole game,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez said. \u201cI know our guys are willing to do the right things. And, you know, just find that connection at some point. When you\u2019re always half a second late or not talking when you\u2019re supposed to, all those things are, it\u2019s really hard to win a game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Nets did put together a 9-2 run in the second period\u2019s final two minutes, but that only made the first half deficit slightly less embarrassing \u2014 more along the lines of how it feels to get blown by on defense rather than putting up an air ball at the charity stripe. Neither are good, and both things had already happened to Brooklyn by halftime. The Nets went into it down 56-40.<\/p>\n
Orlando later scoffed at Brooklyn\u2019s subtle attempt to claw back into it, pushing their lead up to a then game-high 21 points less than four minutes into the third. The Magic kept it there until the start of the fourth as well. They also bullied Brooklyn inside like Flash Thompson on a rainy day, outscoring the Nets there 18-6 during the third period.<\/p>\n
D\u00ebmin did his best to fight back, putting down three \u201cEgor bombs\u201d in the period to give himself 21 points going into the fourth. Although they weren\u2019t enough to make this a competitive watch, they gave us a chance to see D\u00ebmin chase down the career-high scoring mark he posted less than a week ago in Utah.<\/p>\n
He eventually got there, and had company.<\/p>\n
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Finishing with 26 points to beat his old mark by one digit, D\u00ebmin shot 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-10 from deep. Traor\u00e9 also tied his career-best in scoring with 18, going 7-13 from the field and 3-5 from deep. He did the same in the passing department, dishing seven assists. The 19-year-olds helped each other get to the top of their statistical mountains on a few occasions as well\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know he\u2019s a threat from the three point line,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez said of D\u00ebmin. \u201cEvery time he shoots, I think it\u2019s going in. He was 6-for-10, but I felt like he could have been 10-for-10. So, very good, right there. We needed that from him.\u201d<\/p>\n
But even before those two reached their milestones, the fourth proved to be a period dedicated to the rookies in a way we\u2019ve yet to see this season. Brooklyn played its final six minutes with all of its rookies \u2014 the Flatbush 5 \u2014 on the floor, doing so for the first time this year in Game 50. They played the bulk of those minutes against Orlando\u2019s deep bench guys, but it\u2019s still worth mentioning that they won them by a 19-13 margin.<\/p>\n
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\u201cEvery minute matters, and they won their minutes together,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez said. \u201cSo, their last seven minutes, they won those minutes, and I\u2019m proud of them for doing that, and that\u2019s what I expect from them every time they play.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Nets, of course, still lost the game.<\/p>\n
Brooklyn ended up going down without applying any real pressure for a third straight contest. The ended up losing by 24 in the paint. They also turned it over 19 times leading to 24 Orlando points. They lost by 15 or more for the third time this season.<\/p>\n
Sure, night like this are never fun, but growth rarely comes without aches. The Nets might as well pay that price now while it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n
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Final: Orlando Magic 118, Brooklyn Nets 98<\/p>\n
Milestone Watch<\/p>\n
Nolan Traore became the 12th rookie in Nets history with 20+ points and 7+ assists in a game and the first since MarShon Brooks on 3\/10\/12. He\u2019s also recorded multiple assists in 10+ games.<\/p>\n
Egor D\u00ebmin joined Kerry Kittles (30 points, 6-8 3PT) on 2\/17\/97 as the only rookies in Nets history with 26+ points and 6+ 3PM in a game.<\/p>\n
This was D\u00ebmin\u2019s third time making 6+ 3-pointers in a game this season, tied as the eighth-most by a rookie in NBA history.<\/p>\n
D\u00ebmin\u2019s 21 points through three quarters tonight are the most he\u2019s had in a game in his career through that stage of the game.<\/p>\n
Nic Claxton\u2019s first assist of the game tonight against Orlando was his 188th of the season, which passes Brook Lopez (187 in 2009-10) for the most assists by a center in a single season in Nets franchise history. Claxton has the fourth-most assists by a center in the NBA this season.<\/p>\n
Final Words on Thomas<\/p>\n
Jordi Fern\u00e1ndez spoke on Cam Thomas\u2019 exit with the YES Network\u2019s Meghan Triplett before tonight\u2019s game. The coach acknowledged how both sides can benefit from a fresh start and had some nice words for CT given the circumstances as well<\/p>\n
\u201cI think right now, at this point, it\u2019s a new opportunity for everybody, and I think that is extremely valuable,\u201d Fern\u00e1ndez said. \u201cObviously, appreciate his time with us. I\u2019m a better coach than I was before. It\u2019s been fun to coach somebody that can score the level that he can score, and now he has the opportunity to choose where he wants to go and make the impact that he wants to make. So, happy for him, and just we all want to wish him luck.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Since Thomas\u2019 previous contract was below the the non-tax payer mid-level exception, he can sign with any team, even if their in the first or second apron.<\/p>\n
Newcomers on the way<\/p>\n
With Cam Thomas, Haywood Highsmith and Tyrese Martin all waived Thursday, the Nets had three openings, but none of their replacements, shooting guard Ochai Agbaji and small forwards Hunter Tyson and Josh Minott, were eligible to play vs. the Magic. The Nets did confirm that Agbaji will wear No. 30.<\/p>\n
Next Up<\/p>\n