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Jack's 20 points not enough, as Nets fall to 76ers in preseason matchup, 97-95

By Tom Lorenzo
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets fell to 1-2 on preseason play, after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in Albany, New York, 97-95. Jarrett Jack scored a team-high points, while Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson each added 13 points.

Bojan Bogdanovic (ankle) did not play, as the Nets shot just 6-of-21 from the three-point line. Others who missed th game included Andrea Bargnani (hamstring), who hasn't practiced or played in a week; Thomas Robinson (wrist) who fell hard last Monday but returned; and Willie Reed (sore calf) who went through a light practice Friday.  Markel Brown (quad) will miss the entire preseason and Chris McCullough continues rehabbing from ACL surgery.

On the other hand, Sergey Karasev was back on the court for the first time since fracturing his knee cap last March. He scored seven points in 16 minutes, including 2-of-4 from deep.

The Nets backcourt continued to be an issue with Jack, Shane Larkin and Donald Sloan combining for four assists. Justin Harper, a 6'10" camp invite, led the team with three.  Wayne Ellington, who had averaged 16 points in the first two games, fell to earth in Albany, failing to score in 12 minutes of action.

For the 76ers, Robert Covington led the way, scoring a game-high 23 points in 23 minutes, while rookie Jahill Okafor had 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting and 4 turnovers in 16-plus minutes.

The Nets and 76ers were tied at 95-95, after Jack hit a key 2-pointer with just under 30 seconds remaining in the game. With 6.5 seconds to play, though, rookie guard T.J. McConnell hit a 10-foot jumper to give the 76ers a 97-95 lead, and ultimately the win. Lionel Hollins drew up a play that led to Jack trying for a game winner, but it missed.

Asked why he had the starters in late, Hollins said it was about getting them ready for game situations.

"I wanted them to play down the stretch," Hollins said. "They hadn’t played down the stretch in the last game, and I just didn’t want to keep those other guys in there and I wanted to see if they could win. … But obviously the scoreboard showed we didn’t make enough plays."

Early in the 4th quarter, rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson twisted his ankle and left the game. Afterwards, Hollis-Jefferson said that he's "good," according to the team beat writers.


"It’s life. It’s basketball. Things happen," Hollis-Jefferson said. "You just have to keep a focused mind, just keep a straight path and just keep working."

Next up for the Nets is a home game on Wednesday against the Boston Celtics. It will be broadcast on the YES Network. YES!

For more in the 76ers, see: Liberty Ballers

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