After playing with fire for the last three games, the Nets finally got burned.
They had found ways to win in those three games, despite some nervous moments. But the hottest team in the NBA suddenly went freezing in a 121-113 loss to the Magic before 3665 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
Kyrie Irving scored 43 runs, but they were lost. The Nets (28-14) looked good but just couldn’t get them down when their NBA-high six-game winning streak snapped and fell half a game behind 76ers in the Eastern Conference.
While Nets’ shots wouldn’t fall, the struggling Magic (14-27) suddenly couldn’t miss.
It just didn’t matter [what we did], ‘Said Irving. “I came in to shoot a lay-up, they came forward to get free throws or a 3 pointer went all the way, or there was some kind of game where we looked at each other, we just have to give them a slap on the butt and say good game.
“They came after each other very desperately, and we were not keeping up with their energy, so [it] happens like this. This is what it feels like to lose. We don’t want too many of these feelings, so just learn from them and move on. “
Trailing 103-84 in the fourth quarter, the Nets opened the period with a run of 16-1 to draw within four points. But that’s as close as they came.
The Nets created open shots, but finished only 10-for-37 from a 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Magic – the last in field goal percentage to come in – hit 21-for-40 from deep. Aaron Gordon, who finished with 38 points, got into a zone and the Nets couldn’t get him out.
“Teams had to be perfect to beat us, and they just hit shots – tough shots,” said Bruce Brown. “I’ve never seen Aaron Gordon take shots like that in my life. So just a tough night. “
It’s been a while since the Nets had one like this. They had won 14 of their last 15, including an eight straight road team record. But that came to an end.
James Harden had 19 points and nine assists, while Joe Harris added 16. But after recording marathon minutes in Indiana on Wednesday, they looked exhausted.
Harden shot 4-for-15 overall, and 2-for-8 from 3-point range. And Harris – who hit 50 percent of the depth this season – hit just 3-for-13, including an airball.
“I think James and Joe were tired. They had a heavy load against Indiana, so I think those two definitely felt fatigue in their legs, ”said coach Steve Nash. “Sometimes you can play very, very hard and be very, very active, but that doesn’t mean your legs will be there in your shot.”
The Nets fell straight out of the gate behind 25-18. They rallied with seven unanswered to draw, even on a Landry Shamet 3 pointer, but the draw was short-lived. The Nets fell back behind 48-36 on an Evan Fournier 3-pointer with 7:09 left in the half.
Another 8-0 Nets run brought them back to hitting distance at 52-49, and they briefly re-took the lead at 65-64 when Irving opened the second half with a 3. But brief was the operative word.
The Nets put up an extended 29-11 run in the next eight minutes, with Nikola Vucevic’s free throws making it 93-76 with 3:51 left in the third.
“We couldn’t buy a bucket,” Shamet said. “It’s the NBA: if you dig a hole 20 minutes ahead of anyone, it will be difficult to get out.”
The Nets tried. Under 103-84 to start the fourth, they opened with a run of 11-0 – including a stunning touchdown pass from Harden to Nic Claxton.
Irving’s 4.5-meter pull-up brought the Nets in 104-100. But they ran out of gas, fell 11 and lost to a team that had lost nine consecutive times.
“I think 21 out of 40 out of 3 of them is excellent. In many ways, that was the story of the game, ”said Nash. ‘If we had been a bit sharper in the beginning, we might have been able to reduce that. But maybe it was just one of those nights. “