Ben Simmons, stepping back into the Nets‘ starting lineup at point guard following Sunday’s Dennis Schröder trade, got off to a promising start on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center.
Moments after the opening tip, the 6-10 guard jumped Darius Garland’s passing lane, stole the ball, then threw down a two-handed slam at the other end. Seconds later, while pushing the ball in transition, he threw a sweet no-look pass to Cam Johnson in the left corner to give Brooklyn a 5-0 advantage.
The Nets actually capitalized on numerous Cleveland miscues early and found themselves up 12-5 against the best team in the Eastern Conference with 8:14 left in the first quarter. However, that is where the highlights — and the competitiveness — ended for Brooklyn in an embarrassing 130-101 loss.
“We started the game well, and then we got punched in the face, and then we didn’t have the togetherness, the fight, to get back and keep punching,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And it is extremely disappointing, because whoever wears our jersey will fight more than that, and if not, you will not be part of this club, whether you start, you come off the bench, or whatever the case may be. And we didn’t compete out there. We were not selfless, and for sure we didn’t support each other.”
After a lackluster effort in the opening minutes, the Cavaliers woke up at both ends of the court and ended the first quarter on a 32-5 run to take a 37-17 lead into the second. Things only got worse for Brooklyn from there. They continued to unravel, as Cleveland outscored it 35-23 in the second quarter to take a commanding 32-point advantage into the locker room at halftime.
With just under a minute left in the first half, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell split Jalen Wilson and Day’Ron Sharpe off the dribble, got deep into the paint, cocked back the ball as far as he could, then threw down one of the nastiest dunks of the 2024-25 season with Simmons, Sharpe and Trendon Watford in the vicinity. That summed up what was easily the worst half of Nets basketball this season.
And it turns out trading away a floor general of Schröder’s caliber, for a team already lacking offensive firepower and shot creation, has dire consequences. Brooklyn had more turnovers (14) than made field goals (13) in the first half against Cleveland. So, if the goal in trading Schröder to the Golden State Warriors was to quickly tank, mission accomplished. It does not get any uglier than what Fernandez’s team showcased through two quarters of play against Cleveland, but perhaps that is exactly what general manager Sean Marks wants.
“Dennis is gone, so that’s out of my mind. I don’t care,” Fernandez said. “I love him, I’m happy for him, but he’s not here, so right now, I’m fighting with my guys, and the ones that are here, they’ll have to fight. And they don’t fight, there’s going to be consequences.”
Fernandez ended the first half with Simmons, Wilson, Sharpe, Watford and two-way forward Jaylen Martin on the court. That kind of lineup should tell you everything you need to know about the direction this franchise has decided to take. Perhaps it was just a really off night for Fernandez’s group. But given how competitive they have been all season long — they nearly knocked a then-undefeated Cavaliers team in Cleveland on Nov. 9 — their lack of fight Monday night felt by design.
The Nets actually won the third quarter 37-32, but too much damage had been done by then. They still trailed 104-77 entering the final frame and never got closer than 21 points. They allowed Cleveland to shoot 53.1% for the game, and turned the ball over 22 times, which led to 34 points for the visitors.
“We just can’t put ourselves in that kind of hole, and we know that,” Cam Johnson said.
Brooklyn fell to 10-16 with the loss and has now dropped three straight and five of six. It will return to action on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Watford did not return to the game after halftime because of left hamstring soreness.
Johnson finished with a team-high 22 points in the loss and Sharpe added 15 points off the bench. Simmons, who played until the final buzzer, contributed 10 points, four rebounds, eight assists and two steals in a season-high 31 minutes. Seven Cavaliers finished in double figures, led by Evan Mobley, who had 21 points, five rebounds and two assists.