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Nets fall to 0-4 as they lose to Jason Kidd and the Bucks, 103-96

By Tom Lorenzo

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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kidd and the Milwaukee Bucks were in town on Monday night looking for their first win of the season. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Brooklyn Nets were also looking for their first win of the season and looking to pick it up against heir former coach.

It wasn't meant to be for the Nets, however, as the Bucks were able to hold off a Brooklyn second half run and took the win, 103-96, in a game where neither team showed much on the defensive side of the ball.

The Nets entered the game having shot 21 percent from the three-point line. On the night they went 6-of-19. Better, but not good enough.

Former president Bill Clinton as on hand watching alongside his good friend, Bucks owner Marc Lasry.

Giannis Antetokounmpo lived up to the hype, scoring 21 points with 8 rebounds. Greg Monroe was a force as well, scoring 23 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Jerryd Bayless got the start at point guard for the Nets and scored a game-high 26 points with a career-high 6 three pointers.

For the Nets, Brook Lopez led the way with 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Jarrett Jack scored 15 points in 34 minutes.

On the bright side, the Bucks came with hard double teams all night, forcing the Nets to shoot jumpers, however, the Nets swung the ball to the weak side and found open shots.

In the first quarter, Lopez, Joe Johnson and Thaddeus Young combined for 23 points. Three straight and-ones put the Nets up 6, but they ended the quarter tied 33-33 after shooting 12-20 from the field. The offense looked great, but the defense was shaky yet again.

The Bucks went on an 18-5 run behind Antetokounmpo in the second quarter, and led by 10. They Nets really had no answer on the defensive side of the ball against the young, athletic Milwaukee team.

At halftime, the Nets trailed 59-48.

Brooklyn went on a run in the third, behind Johnson, Lopez and Markel Brown, and with the help of an and-one from Andrea Bargnani, they were able to tie the game at 80-80.

The Nets out-scored the Bucks in the third 32-21, shooting, which was impressive, considering that in the first three games of the season they had been out-scored in third quarters by an average of 9-plus points per game.

Brooklyn and Milwaukee went back and forth in the final 12 minutes, taking the lead as Shane Larkin -- yes, Shane Larkin -- and Bojan Bogdanovic started to catch fire. The duo combined to score 13 points in the fourth, while Lopez sat on the bench with five fouls.

The Nets, however, trailed by two with under a minute to go when Joe Johnson missed an open three. Larkin and Thomas Robinson both went to save the ball as it caromed out of bounds, but that led to a Bucks opportunity on the other side of the court for the Bucks. The Nets had a second chance, down three, but Jack missed a drive to the hoop and the Bucks ended up winning the game, 103-96.

Lionel Hollins said he's not blaming Jack,

He’s out there playing, he has to make decisions," Hollins said of Jack’s final shots. "I can’t make all the decisions for guys. He made one. If he makes the layup it’s a good play, but he didn’t make the layup and they got the ball. I can’t criticize every decision these guys make. Plus, it’s a game of improv. You have to have the freedom to make decisions, and he made that decision and he got to the basket. He just didn’t finish."

The Brooklyn Nets are now 0-4.

In other news, congrats to Herb Turetzky who scored his 2,000th game tonight. Really, really happy for Mr. Turetzky.

For more on the Milwaukee Bucks, check out Brew Hoop.

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