Kevin Durant is back for the Brooklyn Nets, but he hasn’t been able to stop the Nets’ slide down the standings in the Eastern Conference.
Jayson Tatum erupted for 54 points on Sunday to extend the Nets’ losing streak to four games and drop the Nets below .500 for the first time since opening night.
On Jan. 23, the Nets entered a matchup with the Timberwolves at 29-16 for the season. Since that day, Brooklyn has lost 17 of its last 20 games. The awful run has dropped Brooklyn into a three-way tie in the standings with Charlotte and Atlanta in a battle for the final play-in tournament positions.
Charlotte is the current No. 8 seed, Brooklyn is No. 9, and the Hawks are No. 10. The Nets are only two games ahead of No. 11 Washington, and if the Nets’ losing streak continues much longer, there’s a chance the team could actually fall out of playoff position entirely. Given the Nets’ collection of talent and title expectations, that would be unthinkable.
Brooklyn will continue its current road trip on Tuesday in Charlotte, before heading to Philadelphia on Thursday.
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