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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...
First time in Nets history they have lost four straight games by 19+ points. 13th time it has happened in NBA history (in a single season)
— Jeff Quagliata (@yestoresearch) November 26, 2016
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.
- Box Score - Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers - NBA.com
- Ellis leaves defense (Video) - NBA.com
- Young hits hook shot (Video) - NBA.com
- Turner rises up (Video) - NBA.com
- Young hits floater (Video) - NBA.com
- Turner gets the block (Video) - NBA.com
- Turner throws it down (Video) - NBA.com
- Nets vs. Pacers Highlights (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Yogi Ferrell steal and score (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Lopez from deep (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Bennett throws it down (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- McCullough scores (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Bogdanovic shoots and scores (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Foye from long range (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Lopez highlights (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Kenny Atkinson talks turnovers after loss to Pacers (Video) - YES Network
- Brook Lopez on loss to Pacers (Video) - YES Network
- Brooklyn Nets, overpowered by Pacers, drop sixth straight game - AP
- Pacers whack Nets without George - Reuters
- Nets just can’t keep up with Pacers, lose sixth in a row - Laura Albanese - Newsday
- Yogi Ferrell and family happy about his return to Indy - Laura Albanese - Newsday
- Nets drop sixth straight in ugly loss to hobbled Pacers - Brian Lewis - New York Post
- Nets rookie’s Indianapolis return special despite lopsided loss - Brian Lewis - New York Post
- Turnover struggles squander opportunity in landslide loss to Pacers (Game Grades) - Benny Nadeau - The Brooklyn Game
- Pacers stop Nets 118-97 following team meeting - Nate Taylor - Indianapolis Star
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