After blowing a 17-point lead on Saturday in Charlotte, the Nets have lost a season-high-tying seven straight games. The Los Angeles Lakers, winners of eight of their last nine, visit Barclays Center on Monday.
“We were lazy,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We didn’t touch the paint enough times. Our spacing was poor… Have to play faster. Have to defend. Have to rebound. This is not who we’ve been or who we want to be. Give [Charlotte] credit because, again, they wanted it more than us and they played really, really hard. Just have to move on to the next one.
In its seven-game losing streak, Brooklyn ranks 28th in the NBA in points per game (107.1), 29th in field goal percentage (41.9), 22nd in turnovers (15.1) and 20th in points allowed (117.9).
Pro-tankers rejoice. The Nets are in the midst of the league’s longest losing streak and their lottery odds continue to improve with each loss. LeBron James is expected to miss one-to-two weeks because of a groin strain, so they won’t have to worry about containing him, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura or Dorian Finney-Smith.
But they still may have to tangle with Luka Doncic, who enters the night listed as questionable and is averaging 31.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists over his last five appearances.
The Nets will be without Cam Thomas and Trendon Watford, who are both managing left hamstring injuries. Cam Johnson, who missed Saturday’s game in Charlotte, is expected to return to the lineup.
Brooklyn, 21-42, has the sixth best lottery odds entering Monday’s matchup, 0.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for fifth. It will be nearly impossible for the Nets to catch New Orleans Pelicans for fourth, given they’re five games back with 19 regular-season matchups left.
Following Monday’s game against the Lakers, the Nets will face Cleveland and Chicago on the road, then host Boston and Atlanta in a back-to-back set.