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Nets Gain Early Momentum Against Warriors, Go Stone Cold in Second Half
The Brooklyn Nets faced a tough test on Thursday night as they hosted the Golden State Warriors in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Nets knew they would need a pristine offensive performance in order to hang with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. The Nets got off to an ideal start, as they led Golden State 12-8 in the early going.
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Brook Lopez got into a groove in the first half of the first quarter, as Lopez was able to hit two three’s to push Brooklyn’s lead to 18-12. Lopez then found a cutting Sean Kilpatrick for an easy layup, which forced the Warriors to take a timeout.
The Warriors demonstrated how dynamic their offense can be, as they then went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 20.
The latter portion of the first quarter went about as well as possible for the Nets, as Brooklyn wrapped up the first 12 minutes with a 34-33 lead. Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovic each led the Nets with 10 first quarter points.
The Nets opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 43-33 lead. Brooklyn looked determined and energized, as it was clear the Nets were not intimidated by the star-studded Warriors.
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Brooklyn, thanks in large part to three pointers, was able to create some distance on the scoreboard. The Warriors simply struggled to find a rhythm in the second quarter, and the Nets took advantage. The Nets led 61-47 with four minutes remaining in the half, as this was poised to be one of Brooklyn’s best first half’s of the season.
The Nets led 65-49 at halftime, as the Warriors as a whole had an abysmal first half. The Nets shot 48 percent from the field in the first half, compared to the Warriors’ 38 percent. Brook Lopez led the Nets with 23 first half points, while Klay Thompson led Golden State with 10. Jeremy Lin scored just three points in the first half, but dished out eight assists, which is the most by any Nets player in a half this season.
Golden State appeared to flip the script early in the third quarter, as the Warriors looked determined to prevent a Brooklyn upset. The Warriors opened the third quarter on a 12-0 run to cut Brooklyn’s lead to four. Kevin Durant then tied the game at 70 with a layup with 5:40 remaining. The Warriors upped their defensive intensity in the third quarter, and the Nets turned the ball over nine times in the first seven minutes of the third quarter.
The Warriors took the lead in the third, but Joe Harris kept the Nets afloat by making three shots from beyond the arc. Brooklyn trailed by four, 88-84, after three quarters, but the Nets had a chance heading into the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, the Warriors padded their lead in the fourth as the Nets’ offense went cold. Brooklyn all but conceded the game by turning to their bench unit at the three-minute mark. The Nets started well on Thursday night, but ultimately fell to the Warriors, 117-101.
As good as the Nets were in the first half, they struggled greatly in the second half, to the tune of just 36 total points in third and fourth quarters. With the loss, the Nets fall to 7-21 on the season. Brooklyn will have a quick turnaround, as the Nets will face the Cavaliers on Friday.
