The Long Island Nets are in a free fall. They’re the worst team in the G League and losers of 10 straight. Ug-ly.
After getting just two wins in the Tip-Off Tournament, the first 16 games of the G League season, the Long Island Nets looked to get a fresh start in their first of two NBA G-League Winter Showcase games, the Orlando-based interval before the Regular Season. So, on Friday afternoon, Long Island squared off with the San Diego Clippers.
It got worse.
The game would wind up being Long Island’s worst loss of the season as they fell to San Diego, 136-88. This loss cemented the Nets as the worst team in the entirety of the NBA G-League. It was also Long Island’s 10th straight loss — and hopefully — is their rock bottom.
The nearly 50-point loss had many factors that contributed to it. Starting with the many Long Island turnovers. Long Island finished the game with 27 turnovers. This was their worst performance of the season, thus far. In the turnover department, a big culprit was Killian Hayes who turned the ball over seven times.
However, he wasn’t alone. Amari Bailey turned the ball over five times coming off the bench, while Dariq Whitehead turned it over four times. This is tough to see as these three players are supposed to set the tone for Long Island. So when they play poorly, the entire team plays poorly. When you turn the ball over 27 times, it’s unlikely, you’ll win a basketball game.
Rebounding continued to be a massive issue for Long Island, as they were once again out-rebounded, 55-34. Patrick Gardner was Long Island’s best rebounder, finishing the game with nine rebounds, two on the offensive side of the ball.
Touching more upon Whitehead, it was a mystery why he didn’t get many minutes in the final game of the Tip-Off Tournament against the Capital City Go-Go, exiting the game without an injury nine minutes in. However, in Friday’s game, the minutes were there again for Whitehead but the game wasn’t. Despite his playing time, Whitehead only finished with six points, three rebounds, one assist, and four turnovers.
It very well may have been one of Whitehead’s worst performances in a Nets uniform. Whitehead only hit two of his eight shot attempts, making both from three-point land out of five attempts .
The only real bright spot for Long Island came in the play of their big man, Patrick Gardner. The 6’11” big man Gardner finished the game leading the team in points with 16 and rebounds with nine off the bench, all in only 16 minutes.
This could have been Gardner’s best game of the season, despite how bad the loss was.
Brooklyn two-way guard Jaylen Martin tallied 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 33 minutes.
The Brooklyn Nets affiliate’s other two-ways, Tyrese Martin and Reece Beekman, remain with the big club. It’s been a tough month for Long Island. They lost their best scorer, A.J. Lawson, who was putting up 24 a game, when he signed with the Raptors on a two-way deal. Then, Jacky Cui blew out his ACL sidelining him for the season. He was cut soon thereafter after Brooklyn acquired Beekman in the Dennis Schroder deal. Beekman has yet to play with Long Island.
Kevin Obanor, a 6’8” big signed as a free agent on Thursday, played six minutes and scored two points.
San Diego began pulling away right off the tip. After two minutes in the first quarter, Long Island trailed 9-0, and by the end of it, Long Island trailed 32-16. In the first quarter, Long Island only hit five of their 17 shot attempts, missing all six of their shots from deep. By the time halftime came around, Long Island’s deficit grew to 20.
The third quarter saw more of the same. as San Diego began to run away with this one, now possessing a 31-point lead entering the fourth. Long Island would not be able to turn things around and bring it closer, as San Diego ran away with this one in the fourth, winning by 48.
Next Up
After the brutal loss to San Diego, the Long Island Nets look to put this in the rearview mirror and finally get back on track against the Rip City Remix on Sunday, December 22nd. The game tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET, and can be viewed on Roku TV. This is Long Island’s second, and final game at the NBA G-League Winter Showcase.
- Box Score: San Diego Clippers 136, Long Island Nets 88 – G League
- San Diego Clippers Defeat Long Island Nets – G League