The back-to-back bites the Brooklyn Nets as Kyrie Irving and company fall to an undermanned Detroit Pistons lineup.
- Brooklyn Nets 109 (2-4)
- Detroit Pistons 113 (3-2)
- NBA, Final, Box Score
- Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
This loss was coming from a mile away. The Brooklyn Nets were staring down a shorthanded Detroit Pistons squad after taking down James Harden on the Houston Rockets the night before.
For a moment, it looked like the Nets were going to run away with the win, but Detroit would not be denied. Although the Nets built a 13-point lead at one point in the third quarter, the Pistons would come surging back.
Despite missing Blake Griffin, Reggie Jackson, and Derrick Rose, the Pistons outscored the Nets by 14 points in the third quarter. Andre Drummond led the way for Detroit with 25 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks.
Andre Drummond working out in the first quarter: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 assists pic.twitter.com/5vg5kDMqgW
— Kristian Winfield #NFTAllStar (@Krisplashed) November 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/viral_nba/status/1190779574759477248?s=20
It’s a contract year for Drummond and he is showing out. The center even knocked down crucial free throws to ice the game in the final seconds.
Aside from Taurean Prince and Joe Harris, the Nets were awful from distance, one of their strengths thus far in this season. Prince and Harris combined to shoot 9-for-14 from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team shot a paltry 1-for-18.
Kyrie Irving recorded his third career triple-double, but his poor shooting night ended up hurting the Nets. He was 8-for-21 from the floor and 0-for-6 from deep.
this really doesn't get old pic.twitter.com/Aks4dLZqBQ
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 3, 2019
A win would have moved the Nets back to a .500 record, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Brooklyn will host the flailing New Orleans Pelicans on Monday before embarking on a five-game road trip.
Irving and company will face the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, and Chicago Bulls during their trip. It’s far too early to panic, but a disappointing road trip could put the Nets in a precarious position early.
The good news is that the Eastern Conference is a mess. Outside of the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, every playoff contender has serious flaws.
It’s back to the drawing board for head coach Kenny Atkinson and his struggling Nets.
