Jordi Fernandez rips Nets' effort following shorthanded loss to Bulls

12/03/2024 10:09 AM

The Brooklyn Nets weren’t set up for success during Monday’s 128-102 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Playing on the back end of a back-to-back while down six rotation players, including Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons, they faltered down the stretch against a Chicago squad on two days rest.

Trailing 56-50 after two quarters, the Nets lost the second half 72-52 while allowing the Bulls to shoot 26-of-45 (57.8 percent). Jordi Fernandez wasn’t entertaining excuses about his team’s adverse circumstances following the late-game collapse.

“It was a lack of competitiveness in the second half,” the head coach said. “That defense and overall performance cannot happen. I don’t care about the back-to-back, I don’t care about the injuries. Guys wearing our uniform have to be better. We have higher standards in how we work, how we play, how we compete. This was not good… This is not who we want to be. This is not our identity. It was pretty poor."

Fernandez has not been shy about chastising his team’s effort in the rare moments it has not met expectations this season.

Shorthanded Nets falter in second half of loss vs. Bulls

Monday marks the Nets’ third 20-point loss of 2024-25 and their second in their last three games. Dariq Whitehead, who led Brooklyn with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from three in his first extended action of the season, said Fernandez was direct with his message following the team’s letdown performance.

“He said last game, even though we lost, he felt like we fought against Orlando. And tonight, we felt like we fought for 24 minutes. We didn’t fight for 48 minutes,” Whitehead said.

While the Nets’ second-half defense was not up to snuff, their offense was again non-existent, with Cam Thomas and numerous other players sidelined. Brooklyn has averaged 98.0 points, 21.7 assists and 16.7 turnovers per game on 42.2 percent shooting during a three-game losing streak.

Dennis Schroder has shouldered a massive workload as the team’s only dribble-pass-shoot threat amid Thomas’ absence. That burden grew in Chicago with Johnson (left ankle sprain) and Simmons (lower back injury management/left knee soreness) sidelined. The 30-year-old ran out of gas down the stretch of the loss, finishing with 15 points and 10 assists on 7-of-15 shooting.

With Thomas out for at least three weeks, Brooklyn will face an uphill battle to keep pace with opposing offenses.

Day’Ron Sharpe made his season debut in Chicago after missing the first 21 games of the season due to a hamstring strain. The fourth-year center posted four points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 16 minutes.

“I loved his energy, his pick-and-roll defense, his aggressiveness. He’s gonna keep getting better. I believe it because I’ve seen it since the first day I’ve been in the gym,” Fernandez said. “He has a great attitude, great energy, and it was great to see him on the court. The more minutes he plays, he’ll feel better. So [it was] great to have him back.”

Monday’s loss drops the Nets to 9-13. Fernandez’s squad will look to get healthy and back on track when they host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

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