BROOKLYN NETS

The game that was played tonight between the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls was inconsequential to many fans.

The biggest story, by far, was the return of young star Caris LeVert. It had been 85 days since he last suited up for the Nets, missing the previous 42 games due to a dislocated right foot. When LeVert went down, it felt like the heart of the team had been ripped out. Players and fans hoped for his speedy recovery, but even the most optimistic amongst them could not have expected LeVert to return in early February. Yet, that is exactly where we stand. Brooklyn is in the playoff race and LeVert will be running right alongside them.

But tonight — the long-anticipated was not exactly the stuff dreams are made off.

Naturally, the Bulls took control early on. Robin Lopez was a bulldozer in the paint, getting what he wanted when he wanted it, but he wasn’t the only one — ultimately, all of their starters finished in double-digits. The Nets also expectedly regressed from their absolutely bonkers shooting performance against the Denver Nuggets, where they shot over 50 percent from three-point range. This game against the 12-win Bulls was not out of reach though.

In the second quarter, then came the moment that everyone was waiting for.

With 10:39 left in the second quarter, Barclays Center erupted as LeVert rose from the bench to check in. When he scored his first points, they did it again:

Just like pulling out a stuck sliver, you could sense the tension leaving the fanbase as the relief settled. Everything was going to be OK — well, at least in his case. That game against the Bulls would be another story altogether.

The Bulls started the second half on a 5-0 run to put Brooklyn even deeper in the hole. Throughout the whole game, they shot 50 percent from three. The Nets’ defense was woefully inadequate at containing the basement-level Chicago squad. While the offense wasn’t incredible, it could have been enough had the defensive effort been there.

Look, this game was ugly.

It’s frustrating to see the team go from raining threes on the Denver Nuggets to getting run over by the Bulls. There were still many positives to take away from this game, and all things considered, it is one of the most bearable losses of the season. Not because the Nets performed well by any stretch of the imagination, but because the future is bright in Brooklyn.

Before this season, that hadn’t been true for quite some time.