Brooklyn is struggling into the new year, this time operating with lots of missing faces in Washington D.C.
Brooklyn needed to find more than a top scorer replacement for Michael Porter Jr. But also for its second-leading scorer Cam Thomas and turn to a top rebounder with Nic Claxton out.
All three were among the inactive members of the Nets. And this thin unit fell in lopsided fashion 119-99 to the Washington Wizards Friday night.
With MPJ and Claxton out, Day'Ron Sharpe and rookie Danny Wolf earned starter minutes (Wolf replaced the latter, who missed the game due to personal reasons). Terence Mann and Noah Clowney earned the start too. Brooklyn did welcome back Egor Demin -- who missed the Houston Rockets game with a lower back ailment.
The Wizards took advantage of the depleted Nets -- showing no discomfort in creating open looks. Washington began hitting 7-of-9 shooting including hitting a trio of threes early, helping build the 20-12 lead.
Brooklyn struggled with the lack of scoring options outside of MPJ and Thomas. The Nets ended the first making just eight baskets out of 23 attempts, good enough for only 34.8% from the field. Washington ended up shooting 54% to start the game.
Fellow rookie Drake Powell earned extensive minutes and started the second quarter with a driving layup. He followed with a 26-foot three-pointer at the 10:15 mark. Powell then hit two free throws to give him seven of his nine second quarter points.
Mann threw down an alley oop layup off an assist by rookie Nolan Traore for the final points of the first half at the 36.8 mark. Washington still led 64-50.
Mann then took off running, literally, in the start of the third quarter -- throwing down a running dunk then following with a runner layup for Brooklyn's first points during that period. He tacked on two more free throws to cut the lead to 67-58 in favor of Washington.
The Wizards pulled away, though, by leading by as many as 23 to end the third. They end the evening handing Brooklyn a 30-point beatdown -- its worst loss since Nov. 9 against the New York Knicks (134-98).
Brooklyn watched four players tie for the team-lead in points. Except none of this quartet scored past 14 points: Sharpe, Mann, Powell and Ziaire Williams.
Traore added 12 points off the bench. Wolf finished with 11 while Demin scored 10. Clowney ended his evening scoring eight. Jalen Wilson was the last to score at two points.