Short-handed Nets clawed back from 28 down, igniting a furious comeback fueled by unlikely heroes before falling short against the 76ers.
Another game, another chance for the Brooklyn Nets' makeshift rotation to prove their worth on the defensive end despite a loss.
The short-handed Nets fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 104-97 on Saturday afternoon, nearly overcoming a 28-point deficit in the game's final minutes.
While rolling out a lineup comprised mostly of G-Leaguers and 10-day contract signees, head coach Jordi Fernández can somehow walk away from the contest feeling satisfied with the group's miraculous second-half performance.
Danny Wolf led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds, but the story of the night concerned the monumental effort from Brooklyn's far end of the bench.
The Nets came out flatter than ever in the first half, scoring a season-low 31 points to Philadelphia's 53.
Brooklyn's comically sloppy performance through the first two quarters saw the team register 14 turnovers to 11 made field goals heading into the halftime break. Ziaire Williams scored 6 of his 9 points for the contest in the first half to lead the Nets.
Incredibly enough, the Nets' Chaney Johnson, E.J. Liddell, Tyson Etienne and Malachi Smith sparked a wonderful third-quarter punch on both sides of the ball. Despite Brooklyn's putrid offensive possessions, they held the 76ers without a three-pointer for the entirety of the third frame and ultimately won the quarter 25-24.
In his NBA debut, the 26-year-old Smith set the tone on the perimeter defensively, though he'd end with 5 turnovers.
After signing a 10-day deal with Brooklyn on Saturday morning prior to the contest, he'd save his best basketball for the back half of the night. Smith finished his first NBA game with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks in 23 minutes.
Johnson's productivity on defense from Thursday night's loss against the Atlanta Hawks carried over after the trek to Philadelphia. He'd fill the stat sheet with 6 points (6-for-8 free-throw shooting), 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block.
As the Nets began to make their most impactful run of the night down the stretch in the fourth quarter, it was Liddell who starred as their clutch shot-maker. The 17.6-point scorer for the G-League's Long Island Nets scored 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field and notched a game-high +18 plus-minus in 11 massive minutes.
Brooklyn staged a 34-11 run from the 1:17 mark of the third quarter until the 3:23 mark of the fourth, and Liddell had a hand in the comeback. Liddell scored all 10 of his points in the final 6:03 of the game, hitting several clutch three-pointers in the process.
He'd knock one down with 3:52 left to cut the 76ers' lead to 86-84 before Etienne splashed another home from the right corner to give the Nets their only lead of the night at 87-86 with 3:23 remaining.
Unfortunately for Brooklyn, Philadelphia's shifty scoring guard Quentin Grimes took matters into his own hands. Grimes' 28-point night came with a 7-point stretch in the final 2:16 of the game, helping his squad run away with the victory.
Philadelphia felt the pain from Brooklyn's hay-makers and decided to throw a punch back, staging an 18-10 run to finish the game after the Etienne's three-ball with 3:23 left.
Brooklyn fell to 17-50 after being handed their third straight defeat, and they'll have a chance to snap the spell against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
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