The Brooklyn Nets came up short in their 113-111 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Despite holding a 14-point lead at one point in the fourth quarter, the Nets failed to hold onto their momentum and lost by the result of a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer from Spencer Dinwiddie.
Kyrie Irving was sidelined for this game as he remains ineligible to play in games at Barclays Center. The Mavericks made it a point to double-team Kevin Durant early and often without having to account for another superstar on the floor.
Durant led the Nets with 23 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists despite the Mavericks’ efforts to load up on him to get the ball out of his hands. There were six total double-figure scorers for Brooklyn.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 37 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists while Dinwiddie chipped in 22 points along with the game-winner. Their impact proved to be too much for the Nets to overcome.
Here are the player grades after a heart-breaking loss to the Mavs:
Kevin Durant: B
Despite receiving constant double-teams from the Mavericks’ defense, Durant finished with 23 points and 10 assists on the night. He gave the Nets a chance to win with a tough go-ahead 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left in the game. While there were some missed shots he’d surely love to have back, he did about everything he could as the solo star against one of the NBA’s better defenses. Given Durant is held to such a high standard, shooting 8-20 from the floor (40.0 percent) with four turnovers must be accounted for.
Bruce Brown: B
The box score was favorable for Bruce Brown as he totaled 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. With the Mavericks loading up on Kevin Durant so often, Brown served as a relief option as a cutter at times. While he did convert on a 3-point attempt, his general lack of a perimeter threat he posed to the Mavericks’ defense when spacing the floor was limited to the Nets’ half-court offense when countering Dallas’ traps. He embraced tough assignments on defense, but again, he posed limitations on offense that should be factored into his grade.
Goran Dragic: B+
Without Kyrie Irving in the lineup, Goran Dragic was needed to fill a starting role in the backcourt. He finished the night with 21 points, three rebounds, and four assists. He played an important role leading the bench unit as the initiator running ball screens along with serving as a relief option for Kevin Durant when deployed in plug-and-play lineups. Dragic even tried to guard Luka Doncic at times, and while he’s no Doncic stopper, the effort was commendable.
Patty Mills: D
It was a rough performance for Patty Mills, who finished with nine points on 3-11 (27.3 percent) and 3-9 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc. There was a clear emphasis from the Mavericks’ defense to prevent Mills from having open catch-and-shoot looks. Oftentimes, they attempted to use a fly-by followed by a rear-view contest to pressure him after using a shot fake or just generally reloading behind the 3-point line. On a night when there’s one star available and the opposition is sending significant pressure early in possessions, Mills needed to make an impact.
Nic Claxton: B+
It was a productive game for Nic Claxton as he provided the Nets with 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes off the bench. Like all of the Nets’ bigs, there were times when Luka Doncic attacked Claxton out in space and found success. However, the quickness that Claxton brought to the table was helpful and was a key reason in him playing 15 minutes in the second half while Andre Drummond logged just nine.
Andre Drummond: B
When a player spends 22 minutes on the floor and managed to record 14 points on 7-8 from the floor (87.5 percent) while hauling in 17 rebounds, it’s hard to have too much to knock on their performance. Andre Drummond was targeted by Luka Doncic out in space after drawing switches throughout the game, and ultimately, the Nets opted to limit his minutes to nine in the second half. Brooklyn was outscored by 10 points in the second half when he was on the court.
James Johnson: D-
It was an unfavorable matchup for James Johnson to receive much playing time and he display why that was the case. In 16 minutes, he finished with two points, three rebounds, and two assists while going 1-4 from the floor (25.0 percent). He finished with five fouls, too. Being a non-shooting threat, Johnson is going to negatively impact his team’s floor spacing, and if he’s not making an impact in other areas to overcome that, it’s challenging to justify giving him much playing time.
Kessler Edwards: A
By shooting 2-4 from beyond the arc (50.0 percent), Kessler Edwards had the most efficient performance from deep among all Nets players who managed to convert multiple times from 3-point range. He chipped in 12 points and had two assists to go along with. He made a few plays attacking off the catch, too. With there being few Nets players who were reliable in spot-up situations against a defense loading up on the lone star, Edwards deserves added credit for his impact in that area.
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