Nets need to re-evaluate after rough loss to Magic

The Brooklyn Nets received a rather startling wakeup call on Friday at the hands of the Orlando Magic.

The Nets entering Friday as the No. 7 team in the Eastern Conference. Before the end of the day, Brooklyn was the eighth seed.

The new No. 7 in the East is the Orlando Magic, who knocked off the Nets in their first seeding game, 128-118.

Brooklyn had the early 39-36 edge as both teams shot well in the first quarter. But the Nets’ defense was non-existent in the second and third quarters.

Brooklyn did surge back in the fourth quarter, scoring 37 points or Orlando’s 16, but that was mostly a battle of reserves.

Now, the Magic have some quality players on their roster (i.e. Nikola Vucevic), and the Nets are, of course, without multiple major contributors. But this is the group Brooklyn is rocking with in the bubble, and Orlando certainly isn’t the best team featured on their eight-game slate.

Even though the depleted, ninth-ranked Washington Wizards are up next on Brooklyn’s schedule (Sunday at 2 p.m.), the Nets need to reassess pretty much everything they did on Friday.

Caris LeVert finished with 17 points and seven assists in the loss, though it was Timothe Luwawu-Caborrot who led the nets in scoring with 24 points.

Both Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris scored 14 points apiece for the Nets. Allen also had five boards, second on Brooklyn’s roster to only Rodions Kurucs (six).

Tyler Johnson scored 11 points off the bench and had four assists in his first regular season game for the Nets.