Brooklyn Nets Suffer Heavy Defeat Against Bulls, 124-102

The Brooklyn Nets had a difficult evening at the United Center, falling heavily to the Chicago Bulls by a score of 124-102. This defeat evens the season series between the two teams, following the Nets’ 112-109 victory on Friday night in Brooklyn.

A Completely Deficient Nets Defense

Coach Jordi Fernández did not mince words after the game: « We lacked defense, especially in the first half. Giving up 70 points in the first half is too much. I don’t think it was much better in the second half, but we didn’t play hard consistently. We tried at times but our focus wasn’t there. That’s the battle we have to fight first, make everything as hard as possible to the best of our abilities, then focus on what we’re trying to do. »

The Bulls dominated the first half by making 12 of their 20 3-point attempts, taking advantage of numerous gaps in Brooklyn’s defense. Coby White was particularly effective with 5 made 3-pointers in the first half, finishing the game with 24 points.

Some Individual Bright Spots Despite the Loss

On the individual performance side, Cam Thomas tied his career high with 10 assists against only one turnover, although he scored just 3 points. Nolan Traoré set new personal bests with 16 points and 4 made 3-pointers.

For Chicago, Ayo Dosunmu added 19 points to the collective effort, while Nikola Vučević compiled 17 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Matas Buzelis also contributed with 17 points. The Bulls took control of the game at the end of the first quarter with a 10-0 run orchestrated by Dosunmu, leading 39-22 at the end of the first period.

This ninth loss in eleven games for Brooklyn confirms the team’s current struggles, as they will host Phoenix on Monday night to try to bounce back quickly.