Michael Porter Jr. and Egor Dëmin were both sidelined. This scenario has typically spelled disaster for Brooklyn throughout the season, yet Monday night presented a different narrative.
Propelled by standout performances from Nic Claxton, who achieved a personal best with 28 points, and Noah Clowney, who contributed 22, the Nets managed to secure a 123-115 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the Barclays Center. The triumph not only improved Brooklyn’s record to 15-37 but also marked back-to-back wins following a three-game losing streak. Notably, it was their first win in seven games without Dëmin.
The game was far from flawless, as is often the case for this team. However, they managed to pull through.
Clowney ignited the team with an impressive start, scoring 12 of Brooklyn’s 27 points in the first quarter. He was efficient, hitting four out of five shots and three of four from beyond the arc, showcasing his potential impact when his shooting is on point. Chicago responded with Collin Sexton matching the 12-point burst, while Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey added enough support to give the Bulls a narrow 31-27 lead.
The Nets required another surge, which was delivered by a rookie who had already electrified the crowd earlier.
Drake Powell, who only scored two points in the first quarter, made those points count with a powerful, Blake Griffin-like dunk over Patrick Williams during a fast break, energizing the crowd. When Clowney took a break, Powell kept the momentum going by adding nine points in the second quarter, maintaining the team’s lead until the starters returned with 5:07 remaining in the half and Brooklyn holding a 43-41 advantage.
Then Claxton took over.
Everything came at the rim. He stacked 10 points in the closing minutes of the half, powering a 17-13 burst that sent the Nets to the locker room up 60-54. His 15 points before the break were his most in any half this season and tied for the fifth-most in a half in his career.
He wasn’t done.
Claxton opened the third by soaring for a lob off Nolan Traoré’s ninth assist, then, moments later, buried just his third 3-pointer of the season to stretch the margin to 71-59. For a team often searching for oxygen without its primary scorers, it felt like a cushion. But it vanished quickly.
Brooklyn got careless, committing nine turnovers in the quarter. The Bulls turned them into seven points and lived at the foul line long enough to swing momentum. Chicago won the period 35-29, erasing the deficit and knotting the game at 89 entering the fourth. Lost in that was the fact the Nets shot 50% in the quarter and held the Bulls to 43.5%.
Claxton poured in eight more points in the final frame, fueling a 60% shooting effort down the stretch as Brooklyn won the period 34-26 to seal the victory.
The rookies were particularly impactful in this one. Traoré finished with 13 points and a career-high 13 assists in 32 minutes, the most by a Nets rookie since Terrence Williams had 14 in 2010, good for the first double-double of his career. Powell added 14 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes. Danny Wolf chipped in 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in his eighth start, while Ben Saraf handed out three assists in 13 minutes but went just 1-for-6 from the field.
Brooklyn survived the mistakes. It committed 20 turnovers overall but compensated by winning the paint 66-48 and owning transition 22-12. Imperfect, but it was enough.
Simons led Chicago with 23 points.
The Nets return to action Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center in their final game before the All-Star break.
