Brooklyn Nets: Player grades from disheartening loss to Rockets

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A-. 32 MIN, 18 PTS, 7-for-9 (4-for-4), 2 REB, 4 AST, 4 PF, -9. SF. Brooklyn Nets. JOE HARRIS

Joe Harris has become the indispensable Net this season, leading the Nets in minutes for a second straight game.

Offensively, he put up a terrifically efficient game with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Defensively, however, Harris got caught in between decisions on switching or hedging, which led to several wide-open looks from 3 by Carmelo Anthony, who was 6-for-9 from out there.

On a night where the Nets’ assist total was deflated by how well Brooklyn was able to drive and score in the first quarter, Harris had a team-high four dimes and played turnover-free for the first time all season, both positives.

Brooklyn Nets. CARIS LEVERT. A-. 30 MIN, 29 PTS, 10-for-17 (4-for-6), 4 REB (1 ORB), 2 AST, 5 PF, 3 STL, 1 TO, 1 BLK, -18. SG

Caris LeVert, for the second time in nine games this season, established a new career-high Friday night with 29 points.

LeVert scored 12 of those points in the first quarter as the Brooklyn Nets built a 32-25 lead, going 5-for-5 and scoring at will in the paint. Ten of his points came in the fourth quarter as the Nets mounted an unsuccessful comeback after giving up their big first-half lead.

And that’s why there’s a minus attached to this. The Nets could have used the assertive LeVert in the third quarter when the lead was slipping away and he gets a small demerit for a team-worst minus-18 rating on the night.