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Nets blown out and embarrassed in Indy, lose 118-97

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By Tom Lorenzo
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NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Indiana Pacers Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets entered Friday night on a 5-game losing streak, hoping to turn things around in Indiana where they played a Pacers team who was without Paul George, the team’s leading scorer.

Brooklyn beat the Pacers, 103-94, back in October, in the team’s season home opener. On Friday night, however, the magic was gone, and the Nets got blown out in Indiana on their way to losing their sixth straight game, 118-97.

How bad is this losing streak? Jeff Quagliata, the YES research manager, put it in perspective...

It’s just one of several miserable milestones Quagliata has chronicled during the losing streak. The 129 points given up vs. the Blazers is the most ever recorded at Barclays Center. And the last time a Nets team gave up 125 points in back-to-back games (Clippers and Lakers) was 25 years ago. They gave up 124 in the next game.

Friday happened to be Trevor Booker’s 29th birthday, and early on he played as if he was looking to “score his birthday,” leading the first quarter offense for the Nets. He scored 8 points and pulled down 4 rebounds in the first, while Sean Kilpatrick dished 5 dimes in 5 minutes.

The Pacers, however, ended the first quarter on a 14-3 run on their way to taking a 28-23 lead into the second quarter. Indiana had 8 first quarter turnovers, but shot 64% from the floor and held the Nets to just 44% shooting.

Yogi Ferrell returned home to Indiana, where he also played college ball, at the University of Indiana. He gave the Nets a much-needed burst of energy off the bench, especially in the second quarter, where he scored 7 points.

The rest of the second quarter played out like a bit of a nightmare for the Nets. Brook Lopez picked up his third foul late in the second, which sent him to the bench, while the Nets kept coughing up the ball — they had 12 turnovers in the first half, as the Pacers went off on a 19-8 run at the end of the quarter.

At the half, the Pacers led the Nets, 58-43.

Indiana started the third quarter going 6-for-6 from the floor, and essentially put this one away early, as the Nets started the quarter going 1-of-9 from the floor.

What more can I say about this game? Really, it was over midway through the third quarter, and the “positives” were nonexistent. Yogi Ferrell scored 10 points, with no assists, in 20 minutes. Trevor Booker went for 10 and 10, and Lopez scored 20 points. But, it was certainly an ugly one.

Brooklyn shot 45 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 19 times. Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 55 percent from the floor in this one, and out-rebounded the Nets 47-38, on their way to winning easily, 118-97.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (sore right ankle) didn’t play for the Nets, and neither did Jeremy Lin. Brooklyn is now 2-8 without Lin in the lineup.

Next up for the Nets, Sunday evening against the Sacramento Kings.

For more on the Pacers, see Indy Cornrows.

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