The Brooklyn Nets faced yet another sluggish start, resulting in their third consecutive defeat as they were narrowly edged out by the Memphis Grizzlies, 103-98, on Sunday at FedExForum. The team fell behind early, making several comeback attempts that ultimately fell short, leaving them with a record of 11-25.
With key players like Michael Porter Jr. (rest), Drake Powell (left knee management), and Ziaire Williams (illness) absent, Brooklyn quickly found themselves trailing by 16 points late in the first quarter. Memphis capitalized on their absence, hitting 6 of 12 shots from beyond the arc, with rookie Cedric Coward contributing significantly with 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting, despite Ja Morant sitting out due to a right calf contusion.
Despite the early setback, Brooklyn showed some resilience before the first quarter concluded, thanks to Nolan Traore. The rookie guard assisted on a Day’Ron Sharpe dunk, set up Tyrese Martin for a three-pointer, and capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating floater, reducing the gap to 11 points.
In light of the lineup changes, Martin stepped up in the second quarter, keeping the Nets competitive with eight points, including two successful three-pointers. Brooklyn momentarily cut the deficit to five with under seven minutes remaining in the half. However, a series of four turnovers and a strong Memphis finish at the rim allowed the Grizzlies to reestablish a 61-50 advantage by halftime.
The opening half saw Coward and Jock Landale combine for 27 points on an impressive 10-of-13 shooting.
The third quarter witnessed Brooklyn’s determined effort to close the gap, driven by two key factors: improved defense and rookie Danny Wolf. The Nets limited Memphis to 34.8% shooting and forced four turnovers, converting these into seven points. Although six Grizzlies players scored, none managed more than four points in the period. Wolf’s performance stood out as he led the Nets with eight points, including two three-pointers, on 3-of-6 shooting.
Brooklyn tied the game twice in the third but didn’t retake the lead until Jalen Wilson buried a 3-pointer at the 2:20 mark, giving the Nets their first advantage since it was 7-6. Even so, Brooklyn entered the fourth quarter trailing 77-74 after winning the period 24-16, setting the stage for a back-and-forth finish.
A barrage of 3-pointers from Wilson, Martin, Terance Mann and Cam Thomas helped the Nets build their biggest lead of the night at eight with three minutes left. But Memphis answered with an 8-0 run to tie the game with 1:37 remaining, then extended it to 11 straight points when Coward drilled a deep 3 off a second-chance opportunity to put the Grizzlies back on top 101-98 and force a Brooklyn timeout.
Noah Clowney, who matched Martin with a team-high 17 points, missed two 3-pointers on the Nets’ ensuing possession on a night he shot just 4-for-17 overall, and a pair of free throws by Jaren Jackson Jr. in the final seconds iced the game, capping a 13-0 Memphis run to close it.
Coward finished with a game-high 21 points for the Grizzlies. Traore contributed six assists off the bench for Brooklyn.
The Nets will continue their road trip Monday with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
