Brooklyn Nets lose eye-sore to Orlando Magic, 100-92

In a game defined by missed shots and fouls, the Magic looked like the experts in rolling around in the mud.

“If you like fouls, this has been the game for you.”

In one sentence, YES Network’s Ryan Ruocco offered a more incisive game recap of the Brooklyn Nets’ Sunday contest vs. the Orlando Magic than anything I could write … and it was only the second quarter when he said it.

Each team entered the Barclays Center expecting physicality; that’s what a Magic roster full of agitators have become under Head Coach Jamahl Mosely, and that’s what the Brooklyn Nets have been in their first season under Jordi Fernández. Not to mention the Magic had just destroyed the Nets in the first game of this weekend mini-series on Friday.

And so, Fernández’s team did not come out of the gates lightly. The head coach was quick to pull Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson after defensive mistakes within the first five minutes, and although neither saw their overall minutes cut too drastically, the tone was set….

Brooklyn couldn’t do much about Orlando’s size advantage, other than foul and hope for the best. The Magic’s first ten buckets came in the paint, and it wasn’t even the glass that killed Brooklyn, but simple drives and a whole lot of alley-oops.

But unlike Friday, the Magic couldn’t hit the ocean from a boat. They’d shoot just 25% from deep, and it kept the Nets in an absolute rock-fight of a first half.

Half-court offense was far too muddy for Brooklyn, but in forcing a dozen Orlando turnovers and grabbing seven offensive boards, they got themselves out in transition and won the possession battle despite their relative lack of size. Cam Johnson made shots, Trendon Watford’s elbows and feisty attitude fit right in off the bench, and Keon Johnson made a litany of plays on both ends of the floor…

“I feel like it’s very simple for me, whether I’m coming off the bench, or whether I’m getting in [with] two minutes left in the game, just keeping the game simple, playing my hardest each possession,” said Johnson. “And I feel like whenever I’m able to do that, then my athleticism shows, and my defensive ability shows as well.”

Despite Johnson’s activity, we were one long, slow-paced first half into the game, and the score was 50-50: Nobody’s idea of a good time.

Explained Ben Simmons: “The refs were blowing the whistle too much, they were having too much of an impact on the game … It’s the NBA, we gotta be physical.”

The Magic quickly built a ten-point lead in the third quarter, but once again, the Nets would not go away quietly. A full commitment to switching on Franz Wagner ball-screens slowed the rising star down, as he’d finish with just four buckets and four turnovers, sprinting the Nets the other way on offense.

For long stretches of this one, Nic Claxton looked like himself, often stopping Wagner while finishing at the rim frequently in the first half. But as has too often been the case for him this season, he couldn’t maintain that effort, ultimately turning it over five times and watching a few too many rebounds slip off his fingernails.

Though nine points and seven boards isn’t bad by itself, a healthy double-double against the Magic’s three-center rotation was in reach, but never grabbed. It’s not that Clax didn’t fight on Sunday, it’s that he often lost his battles, and eventually got ejected for the second time this season…

But Orlando’s offensive rebounding did not have to bury the Nets, nor did the 60 fouls called (league-average: 38.8). Hell, Brooklyn only shot one fewer free-throw than the Magic, and Dennis Schröder recovered from a rough start to cook throughout the third quarter…

Aside from some German-on-German crime, though, the Nets had nothing cooking. Frequent foul calls stunted their pace enough, but throw in the Herculean efforts it took to keep Orlando off the glass, and Brooklyn had no chance of getting out and running.

To make matters worse, their Wildcat-formation QB Ben Simmons did not return after playing 11 first-half minutes. For all his warts — such as only taking one shot in that first half — he did push the Nets with some outlet passes, racking up five assists and even winning his minutes. All that, though, came to a premature ending, due to left knee soreness.

Fernández pointed out that a free-throw war made it hard to push the ball in transition, but also said, “I would have wanted to rotate guys in a different way, but with a couple of guys being out, we were short on numbers. Then I had to run certain guys too long, and that slowed us down, and, you know, it’s part of the game. We still had to find a way. And we tried, we just couldn’t.”

Brooklyn did try. They fought, they yelled, they got technical fouls, and Fernández even got into it with Goga Bitadze, in addition to a whistle-happy officiating crew…

However, when Fernández was asked about that moment of frustration after the game, he said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but probably, I was just complaining to the officials about a call and things that happened in the game. Nothing important, and those things stay on the court. I will always fight for my guys. With respect, I will complain to the officials so my guys see that I’m the one complaining and not them … I’m the coach and I coach my guys, and I complain to the officials. The other players and coaches? Nothing. So, that’s how I see it.”

You don’t have to squint to see a moral victory here; Sunday’s game was a microcosm of their season. Down many-a-rotation-player, Brooklyn fought, led by a coach who’s gotten straight-A’s through his first quarter-season in the big chair.

The difference? Watching this game was a chore. Beyond the foul-fest, Brooklyn lost their composure. Was it because, for the first time in over a week, they didn’t shoot 40% from three? Was it because the Magic do what they do with more size and talent?

All of the above. Whether Cam Thomas returns from injury soon, whether Ben Simmons ever looks at the rim or Claxton plays to his potential for a week straight, the Nets are far, far away, even if they’re lead by the right guy.

Cam Johnson cooled off after half-time, and again tweaked an ankle…

It’s the second time in four games that CJ had hurt an ankle, having sprained his right against the Golden State Warriors.

“It’s the opposite. I’m even now,” said Johnson, “so I’ll be alright.” He added that he’ll do everything he can to be ready for the Bulls Monday in Chicago.

Johnson missed more tough shots in the fourth quarter, but he still led all scorers with 26 on 9-of-17 shooting. No one player was the reason Brooklyn only scored 42 points in the second half; the Orlando Magic were.

The final numbers? Some ugly 36/28/77 shooting splits, and a sour 19:16 assist:turnover ratio. Everybody who touched the floor made at least a couple plays, including Keon Johnson and Shake Milton, and you can say they went down fighting, but for much of the fourth quarter, they were punching air.

Admirable? Perhaps. But fun to watch? Absolutely not.

Final Score: Orlando Magic 100, Brooklyn Nets 92

Milestone Watch

The Nets did only lose by eight points, and it was due to all the defensive pressure they applied to Orlando.

• The Nets forced 21 turnovers on Sunday, their fourth game forcing 20+ turnovers this season, doubling their output from all of last season. That led to a season-high 33 points off turnovers.
• They also took three charges, one third of the number they forced in all of last season.

Injury Report

Let’s start with some good news.

Day’Ron Sharpe is expected back within the week, and could potentially be available as early as Monday night.

“We could see him at some point this week,” said Fernández of his backup big. “Right now, he’s going through the process of going through contact drills, then see how he feels after that, then take the next step. So, that’s as much as I can tell you. He’s doing great. He’s got great energy.”

One player who we know won’t be available on Monday is Ben Simmons, who is still not playing back-to-backs, but also left the game with left knee soreness at halftime on Sunday.

Postgame, he explained: “That was something I was dealing with prior to the game, so I was just trying to see if I could go on it, and it was just getting too much. So, made the decision … it’s been something I’ve been dealing with the last year-and-a-half. So yeah, just got to monitor it, stay on it.

Though every Simmons injury update is unlike any other injury update, the Aussie didn’t sound too concerned about this one: “It’s all connected, it’s just managing it, I’m playing more minutes, so my body is trying to catch up.”

Lastly, in addition to all the planned absences, Cam Johnson’s status will be up in the air in the short-term future, as he tweaked his other ankle late on Sunday. “I’m even now, so I’ll be alright,” he joked.

Still, the veteran wing isn’t planning on missing any time, if it’s up to him: “I went to stop and it rolled over a little bit. I’ll be fine. I’m gonna do everything I can right now to get it ready for tomorrow and evaluate that. But I’m gonna fight for it.”

A new reward system

In Episode 2 of the 2024-25 season of The Bridge, the Nets video magazine, we learn how the Nets’ coaching staff has brought a college football tradition to the NBA to celebrate accomplishments

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Next Up

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Indeed, the Nets do have a back-to-back, with travel no less. On Monday night, and potentially even more short-handed than they were before, they’ll face the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Orlando Magic 100, Brooklyn Nets 92 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Orlando Magic 100, Brooklyn Nets 92 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernández discusses 100-92 loss to Magic (Video) – YES Network
• Keon Johnson comments on his production after loss (Video) – YES Network
• Brooklyn Nets x KAWS 2024-25 City Edition Open Video (Video) – YES Network
• Magic beat Nets 100-92 for 2nd win over Brooklyn in 3 days – Pat Pickens – AP
• Nets still can’t beat Magic as struggles against East deepen – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets drop second consecutive game to Magic at Barclays Center – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News