The Brooklyn Nets (15-46) travel to Miami on Tuesday hoping for their first win since returning from the All-Star break, especially since the Miami Heat (33-29) are without All-Star forward Norman Powell. Brooklyn even got back center Nick Claxton, who missed one game with a sprained right thumb, but the Nets were unable to get anywhere on either end of the floor.
The Nets lost to the Heat 124-98 due to poor performance on both ends of the floor, coupled with arguably the worst game of the season from forward Michael Porter Jr. Porter scored nine points on 3-for-17 shooting and 0-for-9 3-point shooting in 27 minutes against one of the league’s best defenses in Miami.
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Brooklyn didn’t trail far after trailing Miami 34-28 in the second quarter, but the Heat built a 16-point lead in the second quarter and the Nets were unable to recover. The offense was a struggle for Brooklyn, but the defense was even more of an issue as they held center Bam Adebayo to 23 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
The pace of the game was also an issue for the Nets, who trailed 23-13 in fast-break scoring battles given Miami’s determination to attack up and down the court. Forward Noah Clowney had his best game in recent memory with 17 points and seven rebounds, while forward Ziaire Williams came off the bench to score 16 points and two steals in 23 minutes.
In addition to Adebayor, the Nets’ defensive back Tyler Herro (22 points) and forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (20 points, 4 assists) are also questionable. Brooklyn will have another chance to beat the Heat in the final game of the season series on Thursday, but if they want to beat Miami, they’ll have to be better on both ends against playoff-caliber teams in the Eastern Conference.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Bam Adebayo, Noah Clowney scores 17 points as Nets lose 98-124 to Heat
