Brooklyn Nets vs. Golden State Warriors Takeaways and Grades

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February 25, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee (1) shoots the basketball against Brooklyn Nets center Justin Hamilton (41) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

On the second stop of their 9-game road trip, the Brooklyn Nets looked to secure an upset against the Golden State Warriors, minus Kevin Durant.

The Brooklyn Nets, without Caris LeVert due to an illness, were not able to pull off the upset in Oakland against the Warriors, as Brooklyn dropped its 16th consecutive game.

Game Notes:

The Brooklyn Nets went down early, falling 14-4 with Stephen Curry cooking. Jeremy Lin and Brook Lopez struggled early against the Warriors defense. As the quarter went on, JaVale McGee wore down the Nets’ second unit, keeping several Warriors possessions alive with consecutive offensive rebounds. The Nets were able to fight back as the quarter wore on, ending the quarter on a 7-2 run, with the score 32-28 at the end of the first.

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The Nets closed the deficit even further in the second quarter. They played together on both ends for the first 10 minutes of the second. Led by strong shooting by Joe Harris and Sean Kilpatrick, the Nets took their first lead of the game with four minutes left in the frame, 46-45. They continued to trade baskets with the Dubs until the final two minutes. This best describes the Warriors in the final two minutes leading up to the half.

With the score 51-52 with two minutes left in the second quarter, chaos ensued. The Nets went cold and the Warriors went supernova, going on an 11-0 run to end the second. The 11-0 run was capped by a Stephen Curry four-point play with 0.3 seconds left on the game clock.

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The Warriors extended their lead in the third quarter, leading by as many as 19 points. Lopez scored his first field goal with 5:15 left in the third after struggling for most of the first half. The Nets ended the quarter with another Stephen Curry bucket, ending the quarter down 15, 76-91.

In the fourth quarter, the Nets gave the Warriors a scare. With some good defensive stops, the Nets brought the Golden State lead down to eight with five minutes left in the game, with the score 91-99. But they were unable to capitalize, going scoreless for the next four minutes. The Warriors stepped on the gas and didn’t look back, beating the Nets by 17. The final score? 95-112. For the Nets, it was their 16th straight loss, even with the return of Jeremy Lin.

PSA – The Warriors are really good, even without Kevin Durant.

Top Performers:

Nets:

Rondae Hollis Jefferson (16 points, 10 rebounds, 6 of 13 from the field)
Sean Kilpatrick (15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals)

Warriors:

Klay Thompson (24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists)
Stephen Curry (27 points, 5 threes, 5 assists)