The Nets finally slammed the door shut - and not a moment too soon.
After five straight losses and more than a few gut-wrenching finishes, Brooklyn found a way to close one out, edging the Bulls 112-109 at Barclays Center on Friday night. It wasn’t perfect, but it was gritty, and for a team that’s struggled to finish games, it was a much-needed exhale. The win bumps the Nets to 12-27 on the season, and while that’s not a number to celebrate just yet, the way they got this one done is worth a closer look.
Michael Porter Jr. took center stage, pouring in 26 points and grabbing seven boards, including the game-winning bucket in the final seconds. But this wasn’t a one-man show.
Noah Clowney stepped up with 23 points, and Brooklyn’s bench delivered a serious punch, outscoring Chicago’s reserves 48-41. Day’Ron Sharpe led that second unit with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists in just 19 minutes of action - a strong, efficient outing that helped stabilize the game when it started to wobble.
And while the players battled on the floor, it was a milestone night behind the mic as well. Longtime Nets radio analyst Tim Capstraw called his 2,000th consecutive game - a remarkable run of consistency in a league that rarely sits still.
**Early on, it looked like another rough night was brewing. ** Brooklyn started cold, hitting just 40% from the field in the first quarter.
But they stayed afloat thanks to their depth. Eight different Nets scored in the opening 12 minutes, with Porter leading the way with five points.
Meanwhile, Chicago leaned on veteran big man Nikola Vucevic, who dropped eight in the first quarter as the Bulls shot over 56% from the field.
Still, turnovers haunted the Bulls. They coughed it up four times in the first quarter, and Brooklyn turned those mistakes into five points. The Nets also found their range early, knocking down six threes in the first, including a left-wing dagger from Danny Wolf with 9.7 seconds left that gave Brooklyn a four-point lead heading into the second.
**That’s when the game cracked open. ** The second quarter belonged to Brooklyn’s bench and defense.
Ten different Nets had scored by the 2:23 mark of the period as the team pushed the tempo and kept fresh legs on the floor. Clowney scored 10 in the quarter, while Wolf, Sharpe, Terance Mann, and Cam Thomas combined for 15 more.
Sharpe led that group with eight, continuing his strong night.
“They’ve been solid,” Nic Claxton said of the second unit. “They kind of been anchoring us a little bit because the first unit, we haven’t been great.
We haven’t been coming out to start games great. Today was better, but they’ve been doing really well.
And that group, we need those dudes to just keep growing and stay consistent, and the first unit, we will get better too.”
Brooklyn shot a scorching 61.1% in the second quarter and clamped down defensively, holding Chicago to just 25% from the field. The result?
A 30-17 second-quarter edge and a commanding halftime lead. The Bulls’ 40 first-half points marked the second-fewest the Nets have allowed in a first half all season, while Brooklyn’s lead at the break was their second-largest of the year.
The third quarter saw more of the same. Brooklyn stayed hot from deep, going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, and continued to force mistakes, turning four more Bulls turnovers into points. The lead swelled to 89-72 heading into the fourth, and it looked like Brooklyn might finally cruise to a stress-free win.
But nothing’s ever that easy - especially not for this Nets team.
**The offense stalled late, and the Bulls pounced. ** What had been a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter evaporated in a hurry.
Chicago kept coming, cutting it to four with five minutes to go. Then, after a back-and-forth stretch, Isaac Okoro picked off a pass and threw down a dunk to make it a one-point game with 14 seconds left.
Drake Powell missed a layup on the other end, and Tre Jones turned on the jets in transition, slicing through the Nets defense for a tough finish that gave Chicago a 109-108 lead with just 11.4 seconds left. Brooklyn called timeout. The game - and maybe the streak - was hanging in the balance.
That’s when Porter Jr. delivered.
He attacked the lane with confidence, knifing through the defense and finishing at the rim to put Brooklyn back on top with 5.4 seconds to go. On the ensuing inbounds, Powell jumped the passing lane and came away with the steal, sealing the deal. Clowney then calmly hit two free throws to push the lead to three with 2.5 seconds left, and Vucevic’s desperation heave came up short.
Claxton was a force on the glass, pulling down a season-high 14 rebounds. Nolan Traore chipped in eight points and a game-high seven assists in a steady floor game. For Chicago, Vucevic led the way with 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.
**The Nets will see the Bulls again on Sunday - this time in Chicago. ** And while this win doesn’t erase the struggles that came before it, it’s a step forward.
They closed the game. They leaned on their depth.
And they showed the kind of late-game resolve that’s been missing for much of the season.
It’s not a turning point - not yet. But it’s a start.