NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets started this season like a team that was going exceed expectations and comfortably be in the playoff race by the end of the season. Over their last 22 games, the outlook for this team appears to be the opposite of that, especially with their fourth-quarter woes.
“Just got to stay together,” Bridges said after putting up 36 points, five rebounds, and five assists in Tuesday’s 108-103 loss to their crosstown rival, the New York Knicks. After a hard-fought first half, the Nets were in a similar position as they entered the fourth quarter leading 85-76 thanks to a third quarter in which they won 36-26. However, the fourth quarter demons came back to haunt Brooklyn again.
“That’s the biggest thing when a team makes a run, makes a push,” Bridges said. “Just got to handle adversity a little bit better. We had it earlier in the year. We won some games towards the end, but kind of lost that. It’s tough when you keep losing at the end, you know? It puts your confidence down. So, we just got to keep sticking together. We’re going to be in those positions a lot. Just got to be ready.”
To sum up how bad the fourth quarter has been for the Nets lately, there is a shocking stat. In their last four losses, including Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks, Brooklyn has now been outscored by 52 points in the fourth.
While a big chunk of that is when the Nets lost the fourth quarter to the Los Angeles Clippers, it also includes double-digit deficits to New York and the Portland Trail Blazers. It looks like winning time is Brooklyn’s kryptonite at the moment.
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