Brooklyn’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday had a similar feeling to some of the others the Nets have suffered this year.
They played hard for three quarters and held the lead going into the final 12 minutes. But the Sixers gained some momentum at the end of the third and ran with it, en route to their 117-111 win — their second victory at the expense of Brooklyn in the span of five days.
The Nets have also suffered losses at the hands of the Utah Jazz and the Milwaukee Bucks during their latest losing streak (four games) — two playoff-level teams.
Brooklyn had Kyrie Irving back in the lineup for the first three games, but he missed Monday’s contest. Additionally, DeAndre Jordan has been out due to a dislocated right middle finger. Joe Harris missed Saturday’s game because of lower back soreness. Garrett Temple was sidelined for three games because of a right knee contusion.
The injuries in Brooklyn have been unrelenting, and they’re starting to impact players who’ve been healthy for much of the season.
While Harris and Temple’s injuries are prime examples of the extra strain being put on the Nets, losing games late also serves as evidence.
One of the players who has remained healthy throughout is Jarrett Allen. After Monday’s loss, he explained to reporters the challenges he and his teammates face night-to-night because of the injuries:
It’s tough, you know. For a lot of us that — I mean no disrespect to the guys that are out. You gotta keep your body ready. But to the guys that are in almost every game, it’s like, ‘Alright, who do we have? What is going to be our coverage?’ But, at the end of the day, for those who are sitting out, we need them in the future. And that’s why they’re staying out now.
Dinwiddie expressed a similar sentiment, per Nets Daily:
I feel like we probably haven’t had one 9-man rotation for three straight games all season and that’s obviously tough.
Dinwiddie and Allen are two of the three players who have played in every game this season. Taurean Prince is the other.
At some point, they may need a break, too.
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