In their matchup against the Houston Rockets, the Brooklyn Nets saw two newcomers making their debut starts, while Cam Thomas delivered an impressive 21-point performance from the bench. Yet, these efforts fell short, as the team struggled without several key players, succumbing to a 120-96 defeat at the Barclays Center on Thursday night.

The Nets, who started 2026 with back-to-back losses, have now slipped to a 10-21 record. Their slow start, inconsistent offense, and a relentless Rockets squad contributed to the disappointing outcome.

Houston set the pace early on.

With three starters missing, Brooklyn embraced their youthful lineup, featuring rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf. Wolf was tasked with orchestrating the offense, but the start was rocky. As Kevin Durant watched from the stands, the Rockets surged to a 12-2 advantage by just over two minutes in, capitalizing on the Nets’ offensive struggles and defensive lapses. This prompted an early timeout from head coach Jordi Fernández after Houston made its first six shots with ease.

The Nets momentarily found their footing, going on a 16-8 run and seizing momentum when Alperen Sengun took a seat. However, this turnaround was short-lived. Rockets coach Ime Udoka reintroduced Sengun, who continued to be a thorn in Brooklyn’s side. By the end of the opening quarter, the Nets were down 26-20, with Ziaire Williams contributing six points and two steals, while Sengun led all scorers with 10 points.

The game began to slip away in the second quarter. Despite a brief spark from Day’Ron Sharpe’s efforts inside, which narrowed the gap to four points, the Rockets consistently countered Brooklyn’s advances. Durant’s precise shooting, coupled with Reed Sheppard’s consecutive three-pointers, stalled the Nets’ offense, leading to turnovers and missed opportunities. Houston maintained their grip on the game, heading into halftime with a 53-42 lead.

The third quarter is where Houston turned control into separation. It got ugly quickly. While Brooklyn committed just two turnovers in the period, the lack of offensive firepower showed as the Rockets shot 63.6% and saw Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Amen Thompson all reach double figures in the quarter. Thomas and Nic Claxton tried to keep the Nets within reach, but it wasn’t enough, as Brooklyn fell behind by as many as 26 and went into the fourth trailing 90-67.

It was never closer than 16 points down the stretch.

Rookies Powell, Wolf and Nolan Traore played 25, 29 and 26 minutes, respectively, shooting a combined 8-for-27 from the field. Thompson led six Rockets in double figures with 23 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Sharpe finished with a career-high seven assists with eight points, eight rebounds and two steals.

The Nets return to action Friday night on the second night of a back-to-back against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.