A month ago, the Nets cruised past Indiana.
How quickly everything changes.
The Nets, with a roster stripped bare by injuries and trades, fell behind and couldn’t rally in a 113-99 loss to the Pacers before 16,088 at Barclays Center.
The Nets (13-23) have lost five of their previous six games and ten of their last thirteen. They have the NBA’s seventh-worst record — a half-game better than the Trail Blazers — and are plagued by injuries, which appear to be getting worse.
They trailed by 24 points before closing to eight in the fourth quarter. But they came no closer.
“There is a little bit of everything. I need to find a way to help them. Most of the time, it is on me. “I have got to be clean with calls and simplify things,” coach Jordi Fernandez explained. “I am not concerned about who is playing. I am just concerned with how hard we play because if we support each other and have a positive attitude, we will make those runs.”
Playing without Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, Ben Simmons, and D’Angelo Russell, they shot 41.8 percent overall and 30.3 percent (10 of 33) from three.
According to HoopsHype, the Nets had the most injured players in the league, costing them a staggering $103 million. It certainly looked like it.
It is difficult to see how Fernandez can get past the fact that the Nets are threadbare and shorthanded.
“Use whatever sets are actions we could run to our strengths, and find the quality of the shots that we have taught and the ones that have worked very well for us,” Fernandez instructed. “You need to look for it in various ways because there are different groups out there. So the blame does not lie with the players. It is on me and the other coaches.”
Day’Ron Sharpe recorded season highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds. However, offense is difficult to come by when their best playmaker is a bull in a china shop backup center, who has a career-high five assists.
“For sure, that is my best game, it seems so far,” Sharpe was saying. “Physically, that is what it is. To be honest, I am confident that I can do it again. I have always been a playmaker. My guys just hit more shots or made more cuts tonight, and I just found them. “I have always had that.”
Nic Claxton finished with only four points on 2-of-10 shooting.
“We have just got to finish. I think we got some pretty good looks. “We just did not take enough shots,” Claxton explained. “I do not have the box score in front of me, so I am not sure if that was really on the coaches. I believe it was more focused on us. We got to take shots.”
While Johnson is on the market and there have been reports linking him to the Pacers in exchange for Obi Toppin (11 points), Aaron Nesmith (DNP, left ankle sprain), at least one unprotected first-round pick, and other draft assets, a source told The Post that it is “all noise.”
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 23 points and 8 assists. A month ago, the Nets led this team by 21 points on their way to a 99-90 victory — but these are not the same Nets.
The Nets trailed 55-39 at the half. Their season-low total for a half was lower than the 41 they scored against San Antonio on December 27.
Thanks to their hustle and grit, the Nets crashed the boards like their lives depended on it. Their only offensive strategy was to miss and hope for putbacks. They outscored Indiana 33-8 in second chance points, setting a season high before the end of the third quarter.
Sharpe outscored the Pacers 9–5 on the offensive glass. He became only the fourth player in team history to record at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, five offensive boards, and five assists off the bench.
His offensive rebound of a cutting Tosan Evbuomwan brought the Nets within 78-70 at the end of the third quarter.
However, they were unable to overcome the fourth-quarter deficit and fell behind by double digits.