The Brooklyn Nets are heading into Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns looking to bounce back from a brutal 37-point loss to the Clippers - but they’ll have to do it shorthanded once again.
Noah Clowney will miss his second straight game with lower back soreness, and that’s a big blow for a Nets team that’s already struggling to find its footing. Clowney, just 21 years old, has been one of the few bright spots this season.
Since stepping into the starting lineup early on, he’s been a steady contributor, averaging 14.5 points (second-most on the team), 4.3 rebounds, and nearly two assists per game across 36 starts. He’s not just filling a role - he’s become a key piece of the Nets’ offensive engine.
Without Clowney, along with Nolan Traore and Cam Thomas, Brooklyn’s offense completely stalled on Sunday against the Clippers. The 126-89 loss wasn’t just lopsided - it was one of the worst offensive showings of the year for the Nets.
There is some hope on the injury front, though. Both Traore and Thomas are listed as probable for Tuesday’s game.
Traore, in particular, is coming off a strong showing - his best of the season - with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting in Friday’s double-overtime thriller against Boston. That performance was a reminder of the upside he brings when healthy and in rhythm.
Thomas, on the other hand, has been in a rough stretch lately. Over his last eight games, he’s averaging just 8.1 points and 4.1 assists while shooting under 30 percent from the field and struggling from deep as well. If Brooklyn’s going to turn things around, they’ll need Thomas to find his groove again - and fast.
The injury list doesn’t stop there. Tyrese Martin is questionable for Tuesday with left knee soreness, adding another layer of uncertainty to a rotation that’s already been in flux.
Zooming out, the Nets’ recent slide has been hard to ignore. After a promising 7-3 run in December, they’ve dropped 14 of their last 16 games.
The numbers during that stretch are rough: last in the league in offensive rating, second-to-last in defense, and dead last in net rating at -14.0. It’s not just that they’re losing - it’s how they’re losing.
Blowout losses to the Knicks (by 54) and Clippers (by 37) in two of their last three outings have highlighted just how far this team has fallen off.
As it stands, Brooklyn now sits fifth in the draft lottery standings - just a game and a half behind Sacramento for the fourth spot and two games behind New Orleans for third. It’s not the position they hoped to be in, but it’s the reality they’re facing.
The Suns, meanwhile, have their own issues to deal with. Phoenix is riding a two-game skid and will be without both Devin Booker (ankle) and Jalen Green (hamstring) on Tuesday. That levels the playing field a bit, but make no mistake - the Nets have a long way to go to get back on track.
Tuesday’s game won’t fix everything, but it’s a chance for Brooklyn to show some fight, get healthier, and maybe start building toward something more stable in the second half of the season.