Nets, Pelicans Both Looking for Answers After Blowouts

The Brooklyn Nets will try to put a difficult weekend behind them Wednesday night when they continue their four-game road trip against the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams are coming off blowout losses, giving each side plenty of motivation to play better.

The Nets enter Wednesday's matchup with a 2-8 record after falling 130-93 to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. Brooklyn struggled from the opening tip, falling behind early and never finding a way to make the game competitive. The loss also marked the second straight defeat for a team that has had difficulty putting together complete performances this season.

Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 19 points and nine rebounds against Dallas, while Nolan Traoré added 14 points. Julius Randle finished with 13 points, but the Nets couldn't find enough offense or provide much resistance defensively against a Mavericks team that took control early.

Turnovers and defensive breakdowns have been particularly frustrating for Brooklyn over its last two games. The Nets committed 22 turnovers in Saturday's loss to Atlanta and another 17 against Dallas, giving their opponents far too many easy opportunities.

Head coach Jordi Fernández addressed those issues following the weekend's losses, stressing the importance of playing with more consistency and staying connected defensively. He was especially unhappy with how the Nets looked against Dallas, pointing out the mistakes that allowed the Mavericks to take control of the game.

Brooklyn will need to clean up those problems Wednesday, particularly with New Orleans potentially getting some important players back in its lineup.

The Pelicans enter the matchup with a 4-7 record after suffering a 138-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night. New Orleans was without several key players and struggled to generate much offense, shooting just 36% from the field and 29% from three-point range.

Derik Queen led the Pelicans with 16 points, but Golden State had little trouble controlling the game. New Orleans will now return home to begin a five-game homestand, hoping to put its disappointing road trip behind it.

There are still some questions surrounding the Pelicans' availability for Wednesday. Zion Williamson is back in the lineup after missing Monday's game, while Trey Murphy III (bilateral patellar tendinopathy) is listed as doubtful. Yves Missi (left knee contusion/bone bruise), Trendon Watford (right ankle sprain), and Bennedict Mathurin (right thumb sprain) have all been ruled out.

Mikel Brown Jr. has been ruled out against New Orleans due to an illness after sitting out Sunday's game against Dallas. The Nets held him out of the second night of a back-to-back to manage his workload, but now he'll miss another game.

Egor Dëmin is available after missing the previous six games with a right leg bone bruise. His return gives Brooklyn some additional depth and playmaking, especially with the team looking for more consistent production from its backcourt.

Nolan Traoré is listed as questionable with right calf soreness, creating another potential absence in Brooklyn's backcourt. If Traoré cannot play, the Nets could be even thinner at guard against the Pelicans.

Brown has shown encouraging flashes recently, showing he can create his own offense and give the Nets another scoring option alongside Traoré. His absence means Brooklyn will have to look elsewhere for those offensive contributions, while Dëmin's return could provide a welcome boost.

Porter and Randle will also be important players to watch, particularly if Williamson and Murphy are cleared to play. The Nets will have to do a better job defending the paint and limiting easy baskets, two areas that have given them problems during this road trip.

Brooklyn has shown that it can put together stretches of good basketball, but it hasn't been able to sustain that level of play. The blown 17-point lead against Atlanta and Sunday's disappointing performance in Dallas are two very different losses, but both exposed issues that Fernández wants his team to address.

The Nets now have another chance to respond, with Dëmin back in the lineup. They'll need a much more complete effort if they hope to leave New Orleans with a win and avoid extending their losing streak.

Brooklyn and New Orleans will tip off Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center.