Jordi Fernandez reacts to Nets suffering worst loss in franchise history
Today at 01:57 AM
Sean Marks knew what he was signing up for when he all but admitted the Brooklyn Nets would tank the second half of this season. However, Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers showed how ugly that process can get.
Brooklyn fell 126-67 at Intuit Dome, the largest margin of defeat in franchise history (previously 52), and tied for the 10th-largest in NBA history.
The Nets led 25-24 early in the second quarter but were outscored 102-42 the rest of the way. They shot 25-of-83 (30 percent) from the field and 5-of-28 (18 percent) from three with 15 assists and 20 turnovers. Their 67 points are the third-lowest recorded by a team in the last 10 years.
“When you see a loss like this, a lot of things went wrong,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “The energy and competitive spirit was not there, plain and simple. But right now, the only thing I can do is support my guys. It’s never a good experience to go through this, but analyzing the whole season, none of our guys work for this, and they’ve competed the whole time. So all I can do is support them, obviously own this myself as well, and show up the next day and try to be better.”
"It's one of those days that you don't do anything right. You don't have that right energy and togetherness, but you try, and you just need a little bit more focus, and all these things … I am proud of this group of guys, and I know they'll show up and work the next day. So it's all we can do right now, is have a positive but also a competitive mindset."
The Nets were without Cam Johnson, D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons on the second night of a back-to-back. Leading scorer Cam Thomas also remained sidelined by a hamstring injury.
The historic loss comes after Brooklyn snapped a five-game losing streak with a 132-114 victory in Portland on Tuesday. With Johnson and Russell returning from injuries against the Trail Blazers, the Nets shot 54.4 percent from the field and scored 29 fastbreak points, both season-highs. Their 132 points and 36 assists were their best in regulation in 2024-25.
However, Johnson and Russell returned to the bench on Wednesday due to their injuries. Simmons did the same, having not yet been cleared for back-to-backs.
Nets historic loss could be sign of things to come
Brooklyn signaled its commitment to a tank in recent weeks, trading veterans Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith. Marks confirmed the team’s draft priorities through comments earlier this week.
The Nets were expected to be at the front of the tank race for Cooper Flagg this season, entering the year with a 19.5-win projection. However, after a surprise start, they’re on the outside looking in regarding a top-five pick. They entered the Los Angeles matchup in seventh place in the lottery standings, which has a 32.0 percent chance at a top-four pick and a 7.5 percent chance at the No. 1 pick.
Brooklyn has ground to make up if the goal is a decent chance at a top selection.
Given this, more roster moves could be on the horizon. Johnson is the next logical trade candidate. The veteran wing is among the NBA’s most sought-after targets and should fetch the Nets a sizable return. Brooklyn could look to flip Russell after acquiring him from the Los Angeles Lakers, and whether Ben Simmons could be a buyout candidate remains to be seen.
As has been the case over the last two weeks, the Nets will not rush any of their impact players back from injuries. Young prospects like Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, Jalen Wilson and Tosan Evbuomwan will continue to see extended playing time as lead offensive options.
This is where Brooklyn finds itself after pivoting to a rebuild and reacquiring its first-round pick from the Houston Rockets this summer. While losses will rarely approach Wednesday’s magnitude, plenty more are on the horizon. But unlike Marks’ first rebuild, the defeats will come with a reward at this year’s draft lottery, where the Nets could have a chance at a top-five pick for the first time in 15 years.
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