MILWAUKEE — Jordi Fernandez is teaching to win.
Not tomorrow or subsequent season or the 12 months after that, when the so-called tanking is completed.
He means proper now.
over the Bucks on Jan. 2, 2025. NBAE through Getty Photographs
And that’s how his Nets performed in drilling closely favored Milwaukee, 113-110, at Fiserv Discussion board on Thursday evening.
Brooklyn led by as a lot as two dozen, then needed to maintain on for expensive life.
However not like in Orlando to start out this journey — the place the Nets blew a 17-point cushion with seven minutes left — this time, they did maintain on.
Cam Johnson, amid a mid-career breakthrough and anticipated to be some of the sought-after gamers on the commerce deadline, had a team-high 26 factors, whereas Cam Thomas added 24 off the bench.
Johnson twisted his ankle going for the rebound of Dame Lillard’s potential tying miss on the buzzer in potential unhealthy information for the nets if the damage turns into a longer-term concern.
D’Angelo Russell (11 factors, 12 assists) and Nic Claxton (16 factors, 11 rebounds) every had double-doubles.
“Jordi and I had heart-to-hearts of, ‘Hey, look, we’re going to build this, and this is how we’re going to build it.’ We want to be a partnership together on this. So he’s been nothing but fantastic,” basic supervisor Sean Marks instructed The Publish. “He made it very clear, ‘I’m going to go on the market and I’m going to try to coach and win each sport.’ I stated, ‘Great, go for it.’ The objective isn’t to not compete, proper? The objective is you go on the market, develop a tradition of competing and taking part in onerous and taking part in the best approach.
“And that’s what he’s done. Obviously, when talent leaves, comes and goes from the team, it’s not an easy task. So by no means does this coaching staff right now have an easy run. There’s been multiple days where, whether it’s through injuries or trades, that the lineup looks quite different and they’ve had to figure that out. So they’re learning on the fly and doing a heck of a job, very admirable job of dealing with these ups and downs and ins and outs.”
Brooklyn had dropped three straight and 11 of its previous 14, together with falling the evening earlier than in Toronto to snap the Raptors’ 11-game skid.
They usually had been going through a Milwaukee staff that was 4-1 with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard collectively.
However Johnson basically matched Antetokounmpo bucket-for-bucket, and Russell largely outplayed Lillard.
The protection did the remaining.
There was Thomas preventing for place and taking an offensive foul from a lot greater Bobby Portis.
And Claxton battling inside in opposition to an even bigger staff.
Brooklyn pressured the Bucks into turnovers and bought out and ran, outscoring Milwaukee 27-8 off turnovers.
“Yeah, it’s been part of our identity,” Fernandez stated. “And I feel after we’ve been environment friendly at doing it, we will be good and we give ourselves an opportunity, a motive why we’ve gained video games thus far. That’s vital for us. Clearly, as a unique staff 1735879604 than it was final sport. However thus far, we’ve been in a position to be aggressive and our ball stress — not simply within the half court docket but in addition within the full court docket — has been vital.
“We’ll go out there and space the floor, do what we’re doing offensively and defensively, the extra toughness, physicality, the multiple effort to finish possessions, get the 50-50 balls. That’s what I’m asking for everybody. I cannot ask them to grow, so all we can do is we can control. And I know our guys will do what they’ve done so far. And I’m excited to see it.”
Down 13-5 early, the Nets used a 25-8 run within the first quarter.
Thomas capped it to go forward, 30-21.
The Nets racked up 36 factors within the 2nd quarter once they padded the result in as many as 15 factors.
It was 66-54 on the break, however Brooklyn stormed out of the locker room with a 14-2 run to push the result in 24 on a Claxton free throw.
However they let the Bucks shut the quarter on a 17-4 blitz, a lot of it with Russell resting.
It was a carbon copy of their 102-101 loss to the Magic to start out this street swing.
They led by as many as 21 factors within the third quarter and 17 with 7:16 left however misplaced their poise and the sport.
This time, Brooklyn noticed Milwaukee get inside 111-108 with a minute left.
And Lillard bought free and drove the lane, reducing the result in 111-110.
However after the Nets pressured an Antetokounmpo miss inside, Ziaire Williams — in his first sport again after lacking 12 straight — snatched the defensive rebound with 6.1 seconds left.
He calmly sank a pair of free throws on the opposite finish.
