Nets' losing streak extends to six games after 132-100 bludgeoning at hands of Clippers

C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News on Mar 28, 2025

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NEW YORK — While the Nets came out swinging against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, they lost control of the game in the second quarter and were ultimately blown out, 132-100, at Barclays Center.

Brooklyn suffered its sixth straight loss and fell to 23-51 with eight games left. Its now a half game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for the fifth-best NBA draft lottery odds.

Day’Ron Sharpe (right knee sprain) and Noah Clowney (illness) were ruled out for Brooklyn, while the Clippers — led by Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell and former Net James Harden — were mostly healthy.

The Nets played a strong opening frame after a wire-to-wire annihilation at the hands of the Toronto Raptors at home on Wednesday. They enjoyed a balanced offensive effort early, paced by six early points from Ziaire Williams, and limited the Clippers to 38.1% shooting through one quarter of action.

However, it was all Clippers in the second quarter. After a Keon Johnson layup cut Brooklyn’s deficit to one with 5:47 left, the Clippers ended the half on a monstrous 25-6 run that put them up 68-48 at the break.

The Clippers shot 75% as a team in a second quarter in which Leonard went 6 for 7 from the field and scored 19 points. The six-time All-Star scored 25 points and made three 3-pointers in his first 18 minutes on the court. Another Leonard trey less than a minute into the third quarter pushed the Clippers’ lead to 25 points. From there, the visitors led by as many as 41 points.

The Clippers shot 55% for the game, made 19 3s, and scored 24 points off 15 Brooklyn turnovers.

Friday’s matchup saw the NBA debut of Drew Timme and Ben Simmons’ return to Barclays Center. Timme checked in for Brooklyn with 3:57 left in the first quarter and Simmons joined him on the court at the next dead ball, greeted by a mix of boos and cheers.

Ironically, they spent most of their minutes together on the court guarding each other. Timme, who scored his first NBA basket less than a minute into the second quarter — a layup over two defenders off a sweet dish from D’Angelo Russell — finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. Simmons had three rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes.

Johnson scored a team-high 13 points for the Nets. Leonard led the Clippers with 31 points on 10-for-14 shooting. Nets two-way guard Tyson Etienne scored his first career buckets early in the fourth quarter and fellow two-way Tosan Evbuomwan played for the first time in over a month.

Brooklyn will return to action on Saturday against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.