Thursday’s blowout in Cleveland was a tough pill to swallow, but Friday brought a fresh opportunity for the Nets to bounce back against the reigning NBA champions. And for parts of the game, Brooklyn showed they were up for the challenge.
However, it wasn’t quite enough.
Despite a sharper start and a spirited third-quarter surge, the Nets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-86 at Paycom Center. This loss extended their skid to three games, dropping their record to 15-40. The effort was visible, but the execution-particularly on offense-was lacking.
Brooklyn managed to hold the Thunder to 42.2% shooting, but they couldn’t capitalize, shooting just 36.7% themselves and committing 21 turnovers. Their bench was outscored 55-24, a disparity that underscored the night’s struggles between resilience and missed opportunities.
Michael Porter Jr. led the charge for the Nets with 22 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, stepping up in the absence of Nic Claxton and Ziaire Williams. Nolan Traoré, making his 10th consecutive start, contributed 17 points and three assists, while Day’Ron Sharpe added 12 points and eight rebounds at center.
For the Thunder, Jared McCain led four players in double figures with 21 points and four rebounds.
Porter and Egor Dëmin, who hadn’t played back-to-back games in over two months, were available and their freshness was evident early on. The Nets came out with an energy that was missing the night before.
Traoré pushed the pace with six quick points, and Porter found his rhythm, helping Brooklyn gain an early edge in the paint despite struggles from beyond the arc. Defensively, they were locked in, holding an Oklahoma City team missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to 27.3% shooting in the first quarter.
They carried a 23-21 lead into the second quarter after leading by as much as six, even weathering a brief surge from Chet Holmgren.
But then things unraveled. Brooklyn started the second quarter 0-for-9, with turnovers and even a shot-clock violation, as Oklahoma City quietly built a 10-point lead.
The Nets didn’t score their first field goal of the period until Sharpe’s dunk with 3:30 left in the half. Despite the Thunder’s own shooting woes, the game remained within reach.
The numbers, though, told a stark story. Brooklyn shot just 3-for-17 in the second quarter and a frigid 2-for-23 from three-point range in the first half.
Their 33 first-half points were tied for the third-fewest by any team in a half this season. Oklahoma City’s late surge, fueled by 10 bench points from Alex Caruso and 52.9% shooting in the quarter, sent Brooklyn into halftime down 17.
The second quarter’s 10 points matched the Nets’ season low for a period, reminiscent of their fourth-quarter performance in a 54-point loss at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 21.
For a moment, it seemed like the game might slip away. But the Nets had other plans.
After Holmgren’s second three-pointer pushed Oklahoma City’s lead to 18, Brooklyn found a spark against the Thunder’s second unit. Noah Clowney converted a three-point play, consecutive steals built momentum, Porter hit a three, and Danny Wolf’s breakaway dunk cut the deficit to 10 with 6:29 left in the third. This fueled a 19-10 run to start the quarter.
Even when Oklahoma City extended their lead back to 17, Brooklyn didn’t back down, responding with a 9-0 run to make it 71-63. The third quarter was Brooklyn’s, as they shot 57.1%, outscored the Thunder 34-26, and held them under 40% shooting, entering the final period down 77-67 but with momentum on their side.
Wolf led the bench with eight third-quarter points. Traoré added 13 points and two assists entering the fourth, while Porter scored nine in the period, mostly from the line. Jalen Wilson’s brief third-quarter appearance brought noticeable defensive energy.
But the momentum was short-lived.
Oklahoma City opened the fourth with a decisive run. Quick baskets from Nikola Topic and Isaiah Hartenstein shifted the momentum, and a Brooklyn turnover led to a Cason Wallace layup, extending the Thunder’s lead back to 18 with 8:59 remaining. From there, the gap held firm.
The effort was undeniable, and the response to adversity was genuine. Yet, stretches of cold shooting and untimely mistakes left too much ground to cover-a recurring theme for a team still learning how to produce consistent results.
The Nets will look to regroup as they head to Atlanta to face the Hawks at State Farm Arena on Sunday.