Monday in Indiana, the Nets looked and played like a halfhearted team that’s already been eliminated.
It can become official Wednesday, against these same Pacers.
The Nets rolled over in a 133-111 loss to the Pacers before a crowd of 16,522 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a defeat that saw their tragic number cut to one.
It’s been awhile since the Nets’ had any hope of making the Eastern Conference play-in. But thanks to Monday’s blowout loss and Atlanta’s 113-101 victory in Chicago, Brooklyn is facing elimination in Wednesday’s rematch with the Pacers at Barclays Center.
Even facing elimination, it’s hard to imagine it going much worse than Monday.
The Nets got outscored 23-6 in transition and allowed .515 shooting — .588 in a first half that saw them fall behind 75-47 at the break and never recover.
“It’s pace and getting back in transition, and them getting to our rim, them creating paint touches and then kicking out and then we’re scrambling and trying to close out,” interim Kevin Ollie said. “Give credit to them: They played a style of play, and they don’t stop. They’re relentless at it.
“We’ve got to understand and not be surprised on Wednesday about the pace of the game and how it’s going to be played. They’re gonna come in on Wednesday and try to do the same thing. I know our guys are gonna be ready. We’re going to give a better mental and physical battle, and we’ll come out with a win on Wednesday.”
The Nets (29-47) have shown little to back up that confidence.
Brooklyn trailed by as much as 36 multiple times, despite 22 points from Cam Thomas and 21 off the bench from Trendon Watford.
After ex-Knick Obi Toppin found Ben Sheppard for a conventional three-point play and a 106-70 lead with 1:20 left in the third, he threw down a dunk moments later to make it 108-72.
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana with 27 points, 13 assists and four rebounds, shooting 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Other than Myles Turner leaving with a sprained finger, and Dennis Schroder having to be separated from Indiana’s Jalen Smith, there was little to note.
“Yeah, we’re not scoring, so they’re not taking the ball out. … It’s missing shots,” Ollie said. “It’s hard to stop them in transition when they’re fast-breaking and getting back. But we’ve got to have more sense of urgency getting back, sending everybody back and then getting them in a half court. And we’ll do that on Wednesday.”
After allowing the first 17 consecutive points of Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, the Nets surrendered 15 unanswered during the early stages a night later. Thomas and Mikal Bridges (19 points, six assists) hit the first two buckets of the game, only to watch the Nets allow a 15-0 run.
Haliburton found Turner for a finger roll that left the Nets down by 11, and they never challenged. As a matter of fact, the deficit just kept swelling.
The Nets went into the locker room down 75-47, the second-most points they’d allowed in a first half this season.
About the only excitement of the evening came in a dustup between Schroder and Smith with 5:55 left in the third quarter and the Nets trailing 87-62.
Schroder drove and got fouled, then flailed and made contact with Smith’s face, knocking his goggles off. Smith pushed Schroder down and sent him tumbling into a cameraman seated courtside.
Veteran ref Scott Wall physically held Smith back, sending them both into the stanchion. Both benches stayed calm, and after a long six-minute review, Schroder was assessed a technical and Smith a flagrant 2 and was ejected.
the Nets on Monday. USA TODAY Sports
Schroder predictably got showered with boos whenever he touched the ball, and with Turner forced out of the game with a sprain, the Pacers were down two big men.
It didn’t help.
The Nets allowed the next seven unanswered points right after the dustup, and a 20-9 run to see the game blown even further open.
