BROOKLYN - The Nets returned home on Monday to take on a red-hot Portland Trail Blazers team that entered the night having won six straight games. While, on the Brooklyn side of things, the Nets were playing without Deron Williams, Brook Lopez or Andrei Kirilenko. After a 1-2 road trip things weren't going to get any easier.
What started off as a thing of beauty turned ugly, really quick. After Brooklyn played one of the most impressive 12 minutes of basketball to start the game, thereafter things just didn't click. The Nets struggled mightily, especially in the second half, and fell to the Blazers, 108-98.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce returned to the lineup for the Nets, with Garnett's presence paying early dividends. He hit his first six shots of the game, scoring the Nets' first 10 points. It was vintage KG, for sure. As a team, the Nets shot 73.7 percent from the floor and scored a season-high 40 first-quarter points.
The Blazers came out firing as well, with Wesley Matthews hitting four three pointers in the first five minutes of the game. Even as the Nets' offense was clicking early, they couldn't get stops defensively, which allowed the Blazers to hang with them, as Portland shot 72.2 percent in the first.
Things slowed down significantly from there, as was expected, though the Nets were able to maintain a lead throughout the second quarter, going up 63-56 at the half.
In the second half, Garnett couldn't buy a bucket, as they say in the business. He missed 10 of his next 12 shots, in just an unbelievable turn. What started off as a clinic from the future Hall of Famer turned into a disaster of a second half.
Brooklyn faced their usual third quarter struggles, scoring just six points in the first 7-plus minutes, and ended up shooting 3-of-18 in the quarter, while the Blazers continued to chip away. In the end, the Nets found themselves down 83-78 after three.
In the fourth, it was more of the same. The Nets found the Blazers building on their double-digit lead and, before they knew it, they had fallen to the Blazers, 108-98.
In sum:
Nets have made 15 of their last 63 shots.
— devin kharpertian (@uuords) November 19, 2013
Shaun Livingston was once again asked to take on a tall task. First it was Chris Paul, on Saturday, while tonight he was up against Damian Lillard. Livingston was a nice spark in the first half, but like every other Net, he was essentially a no-show in the second half. He finished with 23 points and two assists in 29 minutes.
Lillard was as advertised, scoring 19 points to go along with nine assists and just one turnover. He teaming up with LaMarcus Aldridge (27 points) and Wesley Matthews (24 points) to keep the Blazers offense humming.
After the game, things turned even uglier. Jason Kidd took responsibility of the loss, saying it was due to, "Bad coaching...I take the blame." Then, the media was kept waiting outside the locker room for nearly a half hour. Once inside, they found few players and even fewer willing to talk. All in all, an embarrassment.
Up next: Wednesday night at the Charlotte Bobcats.
For more on the Blazers, see: Blazers Edge
- Trail Blazers at Nets - November 18, 2013 - Box Score - NBA.com
- Game Thread: Brooklyn Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 7:30 PM - NetsDaily
- 2nd Half Game Thread: Nets vs. Blazers - NetsDaily
- Roll Call: Brooklyn Nets fall to the Portland Trail Blazers, 108-98 - NetsDaily
- Final: Blazers Torch the Nets, 108-98 - Blazer's Edge
- Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets: Blazers Win in Unusual Style, Extend Streak to 7 Games - Dave Deckard - Blazer's Edge
- Blazers surge past Nets for 7th straight victory - AP
- Blazers vs. Nets: First half (Video) - NBA.com
- Rack Attack (Video) - NBA.com
- Kidd discusses the Nets' loss (Video) - YES Network
- Plumlee on Brooklyn's loss to Portland (Video) - YES Network
- Kevin Garnett bursts into basketball flames (Video) - The Brooklyn Game
- Shaun Livingston posterizes Robin Lopez with lefty slam (Video) - The Brooklyn Game
- Rapid Reaction: Blazers 108, Nets 98 - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Starting Five: Nets need second-half boost - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Nets flame out, Kidd takes blame - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Jason Kidd's Competence Quickly Becoming Brooklyn Nets' Biggest Question Mark - Howard Beck - Bleacher Report
- After 10 games, it's too early to write off the Nets - Ken Berger - CBS Sports
- Still the same old Kidd - Mike Vaccaro - New York Post
- Nets sputter again in third quarter - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Nets sputter again in third quarter - Brian Lewis - New York Post
- Pierce, Nets had no ‘shot’ to win - Brian Lewis & Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Nets go quietly against Blazers - Tim Bontmps - New York Post
- Undermanned Nets collapse after fast start, lose to Blazers - Barbara Barker - Newsday
- Shorthanded Nets drop to 3-7 after loss to surging Trail Blazers - Mitch Abramson - New York Daily News
- Nets Start Fast but Sputter in the Third Quarter - Andrew Keh - New York Times
- Don't Hop Off The Nets Train Yet - Alex Raskin - Wall Street Journal
- Second-half collapse sinks Nets - Andy Vasquez - The Record
- Nets notes: Shaun Livingston impressive - Andy Vasquez - The Record
- Nets fall to 3-7 with poor second half against Portland - Larry Fleisher - Metro
- Nets Notebook: Jason Kidd dealing with rash of injuries - Larry Fleisher - Metro
- Three Quarters Loss: Blazers 108, Nets 98 (GAME GRADES) - The Brooklyn Game
- Brooklyn Nets 108, Portland Trail Blazers 98 Recap: Ghost Town - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
- Blazers half-game away from NBA's best record - Portland Tribune
- Trail Blazers say their 'record is real' after win over Brooklyn Nets, but they want to 'get greedy' - Joe Freeman - Oregonian
- Trail Blazers 108, Nets 98: Beyond the box score - Joel Odom - Oregonian
- Portland Trail Blazers v Brooklyn Nets (Slideshow) - Yahoo! Sports