In a matchup between Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard – the NBA’s two best point guards – Lillard had more help and more health for his side.
The shorthand net did not have enough firepower at one end or defense at the other. And finally, he took a 128–109 loss to the Trail Blazers on the chin before 1,773 fans at the Bargain Center.
“[They’re] An incredible test for us, ”coach Steve Nash had already warned. “This team can really score. They took 3 and rise to the top five in efficiency. They aggressively cause all kinds of problems. So for us, [a] A little apprehensive, this is a great test of how we can come together.
“We have done a good job all year. And it’s going to be a huge test for us, back-to-back, getting up this morning or late, and seeing how focused we’ll be tonight, how professional we can be with a little tired legs tonight, but Hopefully a spark and a sense of focus on the game plan. “
This was a test that the net failed miserably.
With the game to the Graves – the Blazers get up just one point late in the third quarter – the Nets could not hold it. He saw an 18-4 Portland run and was never challenged again.
Lillard finished with a game-high 32 points, including 11 in a game-deciding run. Center Jusuf Nurkic (23 points, 11 rebounds) quickly punished the undersert nets and Lillard took over to finish them late.
Irving had a team-high 28 points, but with Kevin Durant and James Harden missing in the nets, they had little chance of rallying back-to-back on this tail end.
“this is [best] Very best point guard, two very special players, unique players, ”said Nash, who knows from the Hall of Fame point guard play.
“The way they attack is different. Dame has become such a dominant 3-point shooter with incredible range, and Kai has become a one-scorer in just three levels. So it’s a fascinating matchup. And are definitely the focal point for both teams to defend. “
The Nets (43-21) saw the Hawks drop to 76 after finishing second in the half-game after a cut in the Eastern Conference. And now, the Nets face the daunting prospect of playing in third-placed Milwaukee on Sunday and again on Tuesday.
Harden, Nicholas Claxon, Chris Chioza and Spencer Dinwiddie are all out for a long time. Durant (left hamstring) and Bruce Brown (right knee pain) could both return during the Bucks series.
They all missed out on Friday.
Jeff Green scored 16 for the Nets and Mike James scored 15.
The Nets were on the wrong end of the 11–2 run, trailing Carmelo Anthony (15 points), 43–37 with 5:16 left in the half. The Nets pulled within 59-57 at the time of the break.
Despite repeatedly knocking on the door, the Nets could not take the lead. Downs 72–66, 9–4, pulled them within a point on the Irving pullup, with 5:11 left in the third. But the Nets trailed the next seven unanswered points by eight.
Brooklyn could not shake the tide and Portland extended the run to 18-4. The Nets went ice-cold, shooting just 1-9 in the five-minute stretch, while the Blazers hit 7-10 – including 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
Lillard built a 32-foot rainbow around the Robert Covington 3-pointer and an even more impressive 33-foot jaw-dropper. Lillard’s subsequent shot by Logos put Portland ahead 94-79 with 58.7 seconds left in the third.
The Nets never went close to 99-91 for the rest of the evening and fell behind by 17 as Portland opened it up the stretch.
Leave a Reply