The Brooklyn Nets took a rough loss to Cleveland but now, must prepare for the world champs in a span of 24 hours.
The most rigid 24-hour shake off has begun for the Brooklyn Nets.
They took a massive 114-82 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Now, one day later, Brooklyn must prepare for the high decibel levels inside the Paycom Center.
Another words...Brooklyn gets the world champion Oklahoma City Thunder to think about it.
The YES Network will have the airing rights of this contest for the Nets. But fans can also tap into FanDuel Sports Midwest and FanDuel Sports Oklahoma to tune into the action.
Already, head coach Jordi Fernandez wasn't pleased with Brooklyn's physical efforts against the Cavs.
"The physicality, intensity, all those things we didn’t match," he said via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints after the beatdown. "Their physicality, their intensity, was as it should be for a winning team. We were not even close.”
One of the lone highlights was watching newly added Ochai Agbaji blossom into a rare second-leading scoring option. Yet the former Toronto Raptors veteran also acknowledged the physicality must be better moving forward.
"Obviously their pace and intensity they play with, plus their physicality on the offensive and defensive end negated what we were trying to do and the pace we tried to play with," Agbaji said via the YES Network. "We also have to match that physicality. That's what we have to do each and every game."
Well, the Nets need more than physicality. They may need an A.I. version of past Nets greats Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Vince Carter, heck even Kevin Durant to withstand this next foe.
OKC is well oiled and very much looking like a favorite to win it all again. This is the type of game that could present wide-eyed moments for the rookies on Brooklyn's side -- notably Nolan Traore and Egor Demin since they earn a lot of minutes on the floor.
Here's when you know the Nets look overmatched: When FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Thunder as an overwhelming 18-point favorite.
If Brooklyn manages to surpass Thursday night's total scoring output, it'll be a huge personal win for the Nets. Same if Michael Porter Jr. scores past 20 points here -- or if the rookies deliver a highlight moment.
Because there's likely not going to be much highlights on the Nets' end. Even if they somehow reincarnate the past Nets legends to take on the defending champs.
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