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The Nets' losing streak reached four games with a down-and-up (mostly down) performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, a 97-88 loss at Barclays Center.
The Nets had a 13-6 lead early on, but things went straight downhill from there. The Bucks were up seven by the end of the first quarter and up 17 at the half. If the Nets' comeback started then, they might have won the game. But a 20-8 Bucks run to start the third quarter put Brooklyn in a 29-point hole. Fueled by a stunning effort from Gerald Wallace, the comeback finally came, and the Nets closed to within six with three minutes to go in the fourth, but it was too little, too late.
"We've got our backs against the wall right now, and we've got to fight our way out of it," Deron Williams said after the Nets (11-8) lost their season-high fourth game in a row, 97-88.
"It's unfortunate," Joe Johnson added. "We're in a tough spot right now. We've got to put it behind us."
The Nets shot 41 percent and turned the ball over 22 times. Williams led them with 18 points and eight assists, but shot just 8-for-19. Johnson was 2-for-8 and didn't score his first basket until early in the fourth quarter. Wallace finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while MarShon Brooks scored 14 points in 21 minutes, all in the second half after Avery Johnson decided he needed some offense on the court.
"We need Joe’s production," the coach said of Joe Johnson. "I just think when he gets his shot, he just needs to take it. Don’t ever be hesitant. I would rather him shoot and miss than to ever hesitate."
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Links:
- Boxscore - NBA.com
- Bucks vs. Nets (Video) - NBA.com
- Bucks vs. Nets: First half (Video) - NBA.com
- Gerald Wallace Dunk vs Milwaukee (Video) - NBA.com
- Notebook: Bucks 97, Nets 88 - Jake Appleman - NBA.com
- Jennings, Ellis lead Bucks in 97-88 win over Nets - Adriano Torres - AP
- Post-Game Plus: Bucks@Nets (Video) - Sarah Kustok - YES Network
- Avery Johnson on Sunday's loss to Bucks (Video) - YES Network
- Joe Johnson on loss to Milwaukee (Video) - YES Network
- Humphries talks about the Nets' defensive issues (Video) - YES Network
- Avery Johnson discusses Andray Blatche starting (Video) - YES Network
- Nets play like trash in loss to Bucks - Stefan Bondy - NY Daily News
- New reality show; Humphries on bench - Kristie Ackert - NY Daily News
- Bondy: No chance for Nets without Lopez - Filip Bondy - NY Daily News
- For Nets, Any Adjective Suits if It Means ‘Bad’ - Howard Beck - New York Times
- Nets lose fourth straight, 97-88, to Milwaukee Bucks - Rod Boone - Newsday
- Brook Lopez continues slow healing process - Rod Boone - Newsday
- Nets snooze as skid hits 4 - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Nets' Avery admits Lopez return 'slower than we thought' - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Evans starts over Humphries - Anthony Sulla-Heffinger - New York Post
- Rapid Reaction: Bucks 97, Nets 88 - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Performance vs. Bucks is unacceptable - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Rapid Recap: Bucks 97, Nets 88 - Moke Hamilton - SNY
- Joe Johnson Disappears, MarShon Brooks Appears But Nets Still Lose - Moke Hamilton - SNY
- One Glass Half-Full Way To Look At This Losing Streak - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
- The Brooklyn Nets Miss Brook Lopez For His Defense - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
- Bucks 97, Nets 88 - Jennings steps up with 26 points - Charles F. Gardner - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
- Sunday game report: Bucks at Nets - Charles F. Gardner - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
- Bucks final score: Milwaukee holds off Brooklyn, 97-88 - Dan Sinclair - Brew Hoop