A day after handing the Detroit Pistons their NBA record-breaking 27th straight loss, and playing the 2nd game of a back-to-back, the Nets gave heavy minutes to seldom-used Brooklyn reserves in a 144-122 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclay Center Wednesday night.
Forward Jalen Wilson scored 21 points, and forward Trendon Watford added 17 points for the Nets. The Bucks were led by forward Giannis Antetokounmpo who had a double-double of 32 points and 10 rebounds, while forward Khris Middleton added 27 points for the visitors.
The Nets faced the unique pressure of handing the Detroit Pistons their record-tying 26th straight loss and record-breaking 27th straight loss after a home-and-home series against the moribund Motown squad. After playing forward Mikal Bridges for nearly 40 minutes in the previous game, Nets Coach Jacque Vaughn gave his star player and most starters a lightened load in Brooklyn's first home game after Christmas.
The Nets were without guards Lonnie Walker IV (hamstring strain) and Ben Simmons (nerve impingement-back), who have been out for several weeks due to injury, while many of the top rotation players were also either inactive or played limited minutes in the game.
Forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian-Finney Smith, guard Spencer Dinwiddie and center Nic Claxton did not dress for the game, while Bridges, forward Royce O’Neal and guard Cam Thomas did not play a single minute after the first quarter.
Brooklyn Reserves sounds like a blend at a local coffee shop by the Barclays Center, but the Nets' younger players showed out with the increased playing time. It was a good look at players who are not key pieces in the rotation.
It allowed many former and current Long Island Nets Brooklyn’s G-League affiliate team to play meaningful minutes against one of the top teams in the NBA. Guards Armani Brooks, Keon Johnson, and Forwards Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson all played 20+ minutes against the Bucks, with Wilson clocking in as the Nets' leading scorer and rebounder, notching a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds for the night.
Wilson was picked 51st in the 2nd round of the 2023 draft and is on a two-way contract. He played hard for nearly 30 minutes of court time, often guarding Antetokounmpo and Middleton. Wilson averaged less than 8 minutes per game before Wednesday's game. When asked about his performance against the Bucks, Wilson said “Just having a chance to go out and compete, especially playing against a good team like Milwaukee. I always just want to take advantage of the opportunity and go out and just play hard.”
Clowney had a good game, scoring 14 points on efficient 6-9 shooting, while Johnson and Brooks scored 12 points in the loss. Not that the Nets were a favorite to win the game against the Bucks, who are 2nd in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Nets sit one game under .500 at 15-16 and in 9th place.
But it was a competitive game in what amounted to the Bucks varsity against the Nets JV. The Greek Freak could have sat out in the second half when the Brooklyn Reserves played heavy minutes, but he stayed in the game and gave fans their money's worth at Barclays Center.
The Nets shot 54.6 percent in the paint, while the Bucks shot 24 for 30 in the paint, scoring at an 80% clip down low, which is to be expected with Antetokounmpo playing heavy minutes for the Bucks against the Nets backups and G-Leaguers.
Brooklyn travels to the nation's capital for a Friday game against the Washington Wizards.
