The Nets prolonged their shedding streak to 5 video games, falling 127-113 in San Antonio on Tuesday night time.
Cam Thomas led the Nets with 24 factors and 6 assists, each workforce highs.
Cam Johnson scored 17, and Trendon Watford added 12 factors, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and three steals off the bench, his first double-double of the season and second as a Web.
However none of that would overcome sieve-like protection.
Regardless of not having to face injured Victor Wembanyama, the Nets allowed 55.3 p.c capturing — their fourth-worst mark of the season.
San Antonio’s Devin Vassell lit them up for a game-high 37 factors and 10 rebounds, each season highs.
He hit eight 3-pointers.
“Our defense was not good enough, and that’s what we have to embrace right now,” Jordi Fernandez advised reporters after watching his Nets concede 62 factors within the paint and permit Vassell to shoot an all-too-easy 14-for-19.
The Nets have been in hanging distance halfway by means of the third quarter earlier than they allowed a 26-8 Spurs run.
After Stephon Fortress’s dunk left them down 95-70 with 1:46 left within the interval, the remainder of the night time was rubbish time.
“[Vassell] just plays simple basketball. And obviously it was not fun to watch for me,” Fernandez mentioned. “We should’ve been better, get him off the 3-point line, make him dribble more, maybe we get him in trouble. But we were not able to do it. So once again, our defense has got to be challenged. We have to be better.”
The Nets (21-40) stayed 2 ¹/₂ video games behind Chicago for the ultimate play-in spot within the Japanese Convention.
Additionally they remained tied with Philadelphia for the sixth-best odds within the lottery, with each the Bulls and 76ers falling Tuesday.
The Nets pulled inside 1 ¹/₂ video games of Toronto for fifth within the lottery odds after the Raptors victory.
D’Angelo Russell (ankle) and Dariq Whitehead (knee) have been again from accidents.
Russell began and completed with 12 factors and 4 assists.
De’Anthony Melton (torn ACL) and Noah Clowney (ankle) have been each out.
Two-way Tosan Evbuomwan was with G-League Lengthy Island.
Wembanyama was out for the Spurs, together with Charles Bassey (knee) and Riley Minix (left shoulder). Stephon Fortress (thumb) was listed as questionable however performed, scoring 17 off the bench.
The Nets signed guard Tyson Etienne to a two-way contract Tuesday from their G-League affiliate Lengthy Island.
In a corresponding transfer, they waived two-way ahead Kendall Brown, who turns into an unrestricted free agent.
The decision-up marks the fifth for the Nets this season, and the primary for the 6-foot-2 Etienne.
The 25-year-old Englewood, N.J., native is without doubt one of the greatest shooters within the G-League, and can get his probability on the NBA degree down the stretch for a rebuilding Nets workforce.
Etienne averaged 20.0 factors on .506 p.c capturing in 25 begins for Lengthy Island, hitting .475 from deep.
He presently leads the G-League in 3-pointers (84) and is eighth in 3-point proportion.
Level guard Killian Hayes began the 5 earlier video games for Brooklyn whereas on a 10-day contract, however didn’t get a second 10-day.
It’s unclear if the 23-year-old will return to Lengthy Island.
