The Brooklyn Nets had a tough time on Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are at the top of the NBA standings. The Nets struggled with just 11 points in the first quarter and 24 in the first half, leading to a final score of 121-92 in favor of the Thunder (55-15). Oklahoma City has already secured a playoff spot.
This highlights the contrasting situations of both teams. The Thunder aim to win another championship, while the Nets (17-52) are fighting to stay out of last place in the Eastern Conference and are looking ahead to the upcoming draft.
Nets face record low first half against Thunder
Brooklyn’s 24 points in the first half matched their lowest total since the play-by-play era began in 1997-98, according to SportsCenter X.
Additionally, these 24 points were the second-fewest in the first half of any game in league history, only behind the 22 points scored by the Phoenix Suns against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016. The Nets also tied their franchise record for the fewest points in a first quarter, previously set against the Lakers in 2024.
Oklahoma City is on a roll, having won 10 games in a row for the second time this season and reaching at least 55 wins for the third consecutive season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points, extending his record of scoring at least 20 points to 130 games.
The Nets were out of the game from the start but did show some improvement in the second half, scoring 31 points in the third quarter—more than they had in the whole first half. Jalen Wilson led the team with 15 points off the bench, but this only underscored the overall poor performance, as no other player scored more than that.
Top scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle, hamstring) missed his fourth game in a row, and Noah Clowney (right wrist sprain) left early and did not return. Regardless of the absences, it’s still hard to believe any NBA team could score only 24 points in a half.
This game serves as a reminder of the Nets’ struggles, having lost 15 of their last 17 games. According to Jeremy Woo’s latest mock draft for ESPN, the Nets could select North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick.
Injuries or not, this was a disappointing showing for the Nets. Such performances highlight why they need to target a top player in the draft and illustrate how much work is needed after such a slow start against the Thunder.