.@Dloading doing everything he can for this team, setting a new career high with 9 threes.
BKN 111-118 MIN
56.1 seconds left pic.twitter.com/4aGP1YPJ4q— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 13, 2018
The Brooklyn Nets dropped their second straight game, but more importantly, lose stud Caris LeVert in the process.
- Minnesota Timberwolves 120 (3-5)
- Brooklyn Nets 113 (4-3)
- NBA, Final, Box Score
- Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Brooklyn Nets came up short against the Minnesota Timberwolves who played their first game since the Jimmy Butler trade.
With center Jarrett Allen out with illness, the Nets were shorthanded from the get-go and were forced to start Rondae Hollis-Jefferson at the five-spot.
As avant-garde as it was for Coach Kenny Atkinson to start such an unorthodox lineup, the decision did not pay off.
Karl Anthony-Towns, the Timberwolves All-Star center, took full advantage of the Nets’ small-ball lineup. Towns finished with 25 points and a jaw-dropping 21 rebounds. The defensive effort of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Ed Davis was no match for Towns’ talent on offense, as the big-man feasted in the paint and finished 9-for-11 from the field.
The real story of the night occurred late in the second quarter when as the Nets’ star player, Caris LeVert, suffered a brutal ankle injury while skying for a buzzer-beating block. The Nets’ team was visibly shaken by the tragedy, as multiple players on the roster were brought to tears by the sheer emotion of the entire event.
LeVert was averaging a career-high in points this season and had spurred multiple comeback victories for the team.
The Nets were, however, able to get the game close at 95-94 with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, without their star player (LeVert) on the floor, the team suffered from a predictable offensive in crunch time. LeVert had been the heart and soul of this young Nets team deep into games, so his absence was sorely missed in tonight’s outing.
To make matters even worse, backup point guard and off-the-bench spark plug, Spencer Dinwiddie, fouled out with a full five minutes remaining in the game.
D’Angelo Russell was the only bright spot for the Brooklyn Nets, dropping in a career-high nine three-pointers while scoring a game-high 31 points.
Speaking of three-pointers, The Nets attempted some against the Wolves.. a whole lot of them, in fact. The Nets attempted a season-high 50 three-pointers in front of the Target Center crowd, canning 18 of them, good for 36 percent.
Three-pointers were just about the only type of offense that the team could generate throughout the second half. The Nets put together a measly two points off of turnovers in the entire 48 minutes of play. The Nets also continued to struggle from the line, shooting 68.2 percent from the stripe on the night. This should come to no surprise to Nets fans, given that the team is ranked 25th out of 30 teams in free-throw percentage.
At this point in time, the team is reeling following two straight losses against Western Conference Teams. One can only assume that things are about to get a whole lot worse for this inexperienced Brooklyn team, given that their star player is likely out for the season with an injury.
