On Wednesday night, the Brooklyn Nets dominated the top team in the Eastern Conference, staking a claim as the rightful favorite to make it to the NBA Finals out of the East.
Just 24 hours later, with Kevin Durant resting and Kyrie Irving ineligible, the Nets underwhelmed yet again at the Barclays Center, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a resounding 130-109 victory.
Gilgeous-Alexander had a near triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Lu Dort added 27 points. James Harden wasn’t able to carry the Nets on his own, finishing the game with 26 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
The Nets found themselves down by 12 after allowing the Thunder to explode for 38 first quarter points, and Brooklyn never crept back into the game.
Here’s what fans and analysts were saying about Thursday’s loss:
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