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What "Force?" Magic defeat Nets, 105-82, on "Star Wars Night" in Brooklyn

By Anthony Puccio
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Force wasn't with the Nets on Star Wars Night. Actually, it was quite the opposite.

The Nets lost their second straight game, 105-82, to the Orlando Magic Monday night in Brooklyn. The Nets hoped the Return of the Jedi would happen for Brook Lopez on his Jedi bobblehead night, but the big fella struggled yet again with 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Along with Brook, Joe Johnson did his best trickery of magic with a disappearing act. We've seen it often this season. Joe put home six points on 2-of-8 shooting in what continues to be a very disappointing season for number 7.

If these two continue to struggle, it's hard to imagine the Nets will get it together. Whatever IT may be.

The Nets are now 7-17 on the season. We've seen this team struggle in years past early in the season, but none have looked as grim as this. And Monday night didn't make anything better.

The game was a battle in the first half, but once the third quarter started, the Nets looked like a deer in headlights.

The offense grew stagnant and the defense was nonexistent. They allowed Nikola Vucevic to torch them with 10 of his 18 points coming in the third. Bojan Bogdanovic did all he could to keep the Nets afloat with 10 points in the quarter, but the Nets were simply outmatched and outcoached again.

Orlando scored 31 points in the third and extended the double-digit lead to 26 in the fourth quarter. Unlike Saturday's game against the Clippers, there would be no late comeback. No fight. No battle.

"We put in a lot of work," Jarrett Jack said. "Too much work to come out with an effortless showing like that and be embarrassed."


"It’s hard when you lose that way," Nets coach Lionel Hollins said. "But when it happens, the best thing to do is just put on your boot straps and your hard hat and go back to work. And that’s what we’ll do."

Thaddeus Young did his usual thing and notched his 12th double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Jarrett Jack went for 15 points and seven assists, while Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 10 (all in the third quarter).

For Orlando, Elfrid Payton put home 17 points, while New York native Tobias Harris chipped in 15.

The Nets will play the Miami Heat this Wednesday at Barclays Center. We'll see if the force will indeed awaken anytime soon, because whatever force the Nets own, seems to still be asleep.

For more on the Orlando Magic, check them out at Orlando Pinstriped Post.

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