BROOKLYN NETS

The Brooklyn Nets’ first game back from the All-Star break was ripe with storylines. The backups Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier, and Allen Crabbe faced their former team in the Portland Trail Blazers. Caris LeVert started again as he continues to regain his form. Most importantly, though, is that tonight was Ian Eagle night, a time where we can all come together and rejoice in the fact that the Nets have had one of the best broadcasters in the business for 25 years. Through the good years and the bad, The Bird has always been excellent behind the microphone and, if we’re lucky, he’ll continue to provide many memories as this young squad continues to rise.

Unfortunately, the Nets’ play tonight was not nearly consistent as Ian Eagle as they shot 2-for-15 from three in the first half, a scorching-hot 13.3 percent. Despite those insane numbers, the Trail Blazers somehow managed to keep pace with Brooklyn and the game was tied at 50 going into the break. In all seriousness, the players holding up the Nets were the ex-Blazers, with Davis putting up eight points, Crabbe scoring nine, and Napier dishing out eight assists.

Even with those contributions, the team struggled against the immense size of the Trail Blazers’ starting center Jusuf Nurkic and recent acquisition Enes Kanter. This represented itself in the box score in the form of the Nets getting outrebounded 60-49.

Those problems, combined with the squad as a whole shooting below 40 percent, led to Brooklyn trailing by double digits by the end of the third quarter, outscored 34 to 22 in the frame. While six players scored in double digits, nobody took over the game and All-Star D’Angelo Russell had an uncharacteristically quiet night.

The ex-Blazers — plus the newly-returned Jared Dudley — would spark a slight comeback at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but it was not enough as the Nets were unable to overcome the rebound differential and their own poor shooting.

If the team wants to hold onto its hard-earned playoff spot, it will have to secure these winnable games.