Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash said he sensed the absence of something in his team’s mentality when the Oklahoma City Thunder took them down 129-116 on Sunday night.
The 129 points was the most OKC had scored in a game this season. The Thunder’s 37 points in the third was the most they had scored in a quarter, and their 35 in the fourth was the second-most. Three players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo and Al Horford — set season highs in points.
Nash said in a postgame press conference that his team didn’t properly respect the Thunder, according to the Nets Wire.
“You can get beat. You can have a hard time guarding someone. But I didn’t sense the pride,” Nash said. “I didn’t sense the competitive fire in the second half. I thought it was a lack of respect. We just got to learn from this and get better.”
The Nets led by as many as 15 points before watching the lead slip away in the second quarter on the back of Diallo’s 10 straight points near the beginning of the frame. Nash criticized the number of turnovers his team had and said they lacked focus.
Then, in the second half, the Thunder ramped up their energy level.
Six Oklahoma City players finished with double-digit points and three scored more than 20.
“It’s just pride. No matter what defense you’re in, you gotta sit down and guard someone,” Nash said.
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