The Nets opened the season 1–11 and have gone 2–2 over their last four. It’s at least a sign of gradual progress since opening night, though there’s still plenty for this group to clean up and learn.
Brooklyn didn’t need late-game heroics against the Washington Wizards because it did its work early. And in Friday’s win over the Boston Celtics, Michael Porter Jr. poured in 16 of his game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter, stabilizing the team when it needed it most.
However, none of that showed up in Sunday’s 119–109 road loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Nets fell behind 12–0 out of the gate, spent most of the night playing catch-up, and were outscored 15–5 over the final 3:59 after tying the game at 104, wasting one of the better performances of Tyrese Martin’s career.
“It just started with our intentions from the beginning,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “We weren’t ready to play… We battled back and were fighting for the game, but if you put yourself in that situation, it’s just really hard. We came out flat with no energy and that’s not the way to start games.”
Nets starters shot 5-for-12 in the final frame, while Martin scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the period on 3-for-4 shooting. Noah Clowney took only two shots in his final 11 minutes on the floor, and Porter attempted just four. Still, the game hinged less on Brooklyn’s shot distribution and more on its breakdowns when it mattered most.
The Nets trailed by only two coming out of a Toronto timeout with 3:31 left. Massive defensive lapses followed. An open Immanuel Quickley 3 pushed the Raptors’ lead to five with 3:17 remaining, prompting a Brooklyn timeout. And immediately out of that stoppage, Quickley found himself alone behind the arc again, stretching the margin to eight with 2:22 left.
Poor rotations in pressure moments rarely lead anywhere good, and Porter acknowledged as much.
“Whoever is out there, we have to lock in and try to get a stop,” Porter said. “I think that play was just tough because Brandon Ingram, he can be lethal in the post. We came to double him and that opened up the 3, but that’s part of our game plan… the rotations out of it were just a little tough. So, have to give them credit as well.”
The loss also showed how small the Nets’ margin for error still is. Even with a few players making noticeable strides, like Martin, Clowney and Porter, Brooklyn has struggled to put together full, steady games consistently. A strong quarter is often followed by a rough one, and good stretches of play can quickly slip into rushed possessions, missed rotations or slow closeouts. It’s the kind of inconsistency you expect from a young group, but it’s also what turns winnable games into missed chances.
For a team trying to climb out of an early-season hole, those stretches matter. The Nets have proved they can compete with good teams when they’re locked in and playing with purpose. They just haven’t held that level long enough. Until they do, nights like Sunday will keep popping up: a slow start, a hard push to get back in it and another reminder that progress rarely comes in a straight line.
“I don’t look at it the same way you look at it,” Clowney said. “We were in the game. We had an opportunity to win. I think we just have to finish better. We were right there, tie ball game… We just have to finish better.”
