After the timer expired on Tuesday night, cementing another disappointing game for the Brooklyn Nets, coach Steve Nash pleaded with his players to look inside and ask themselves “what kind of team do they want to be”.
“I don’t think we go out every day of our lives and sacrifice time to be average in anything,” said Kyrie Irving after the third straight loss in Brooklyn. “And we look very average. And we have the talent that the eye exam shows that we must master.”
Brooklyn has developed a pattern this season of playing incredibly hard – and often defeating – teams at the top of the standings, but losing to the last inhabitants of the league. In fact, with the 122-111 defeat in Detroit on Tuesday, the Nets are now 7-11 against teams with a record below 0.500 – the highest number of defeats in the league.
Jerami Grant tied his career with 32 points for the Pistons. Irving, who was playing with a twisted index finger, finished with 27 points and seven assists. James Harden added 24 points and 12 assists.
Brooklyn remains without Kevin Durant, who is on the NBA’s coronavirus contact tracking protocols until at least Friday, after being exposed to a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
Detroit jumped to a double-digit starting advantage and controlled the game for almost every 48 minutes. During a timeout in the first quarter, Harden appeared to be having a lively conversation with DeAndre Jordan about the team’s defensive effort. Throughout the game, Nash pulled Jordan several times.
“I don’t think they were necessarily messing with him,” said Nash. “It is an exciting sport. We met at the hole and then we were a little moved.”
Jordan, who said he did not remember what Harden said specifically, admitted that he needed to be better defensively overall.
“I have to be better for us, defensively,” said Jordan. “We all have to be better. But I only take a little more control over the ball because that is something I love and for the most part I think I am there for us. it has to be better, but I can take a lot of it. “
As the Nets switched to James Harden in mid-January, they took last place in defensive efficiency, according to ESPN Stats & Information. And while the Nets were able to reduce the Pistons’ lead to one digit, they were never able to overcome the obstacle.
“Many teams are very comfortable against us,” said Irving. “And so that is the feeling for the rest of the game is that we are playing ketchup and that is not the way to play as a competitor, just always going down.”
“We just have to turn this corner. And we haven’t done that yet, but we will. And I’m telling you that the league will be notified when that happens.”