The Nets have overcome a slew of injuries to key players to win just enough games to remain around the lottery cut-off this season, but they couldn’t overcome a dreadful outside shooting performance Saturday night.
With Dorian Finney-Smith the latest regular out of the lineup, the Nets connected on just 7 of 40 from 3-point range and committed 19 turnovers in a sloppy 105-94 loss to the Jazz at Barlcays Center to slip into a tie with Detroit for the No. 10 play-in position in the Eastern Conference.
Ben Simmons at least encouragingly registered his third straight game scoring in double figures with a season-high 15 points, along with 10 assists and six rebounds, for the Nets, who will face the Heat in Miami on Monday.
Noah Clowney started in place of Finney-Smith and finished with 10 points and six boards, while Cam Johnson added 18 for the Nets (11-17).
Clowney, who missed several games recently with an ankle injury, notably hobbled off the court in the closing minutes.
Lauri Markkanen netted 21 points, while Svi Mykhailiuk and Collin Sexton scored 18 apiece as the Jazz (7-20) won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Clowney had stepped in and produced after starting center Nic Claxton was ejected in the first half of Thursday’s comeback win in Toronto for hurling the ball into the stands.
The 6-foot-9 Clowney had his most extensive run of the season with 11 points and nine rebounds over a season-high 37 minutes in that game.
“Next man up,” Clowney said before Saturday’s game. “Made some mistakes…But I feel like it went well. I didn’t make shots like I wanted to, but we still got the win, so I don’t really care.”
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Nets GM Sean Marks already dealt away guard Dennis Schroder last week, and players such as Johnson and Finney-Smith also could be moved before the Feb.6 trade deadline to free up even more playing time for younger players.
“I know people are liable to be traded, things like that, but my goal is to show up and win with what we got, truly,” the 20-year-old Clowney said. “As for me, long-term, like, it’s an opportunity, so I try to make the most of it and take advantage of it.”
Schroder’s departure also has moved Simmons back into the role of the team’s primary point guard, potentially opening up extra minutes up front.
The three-time All-Star netted six early points while Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin combined for a dozen off the bench in the first quarter as the Nets grabbed a 24-19 edge through one.
The Jazz used a 9-0 spurt featuring 3-pointers by Sexton and Johnny Juzang to grab a 42-39 lead late in the second quarter.
The Nets finished the half 3 of 16 from deep, including five misses by Keon Jpohnson, and they headed into intermission trailing by five.
Clowney skied for two offensive rebounds and two dunked early in the third for his first points of the game, but the Jazz extended its lead to 10 for the first time with 3:41 remaining.
Jordan Clarkson (16 points) added a reverse dunk and a layup in the closing seconds for a 12-point bulge at 75-63 entering the final quarter.
Clarkson also nailed a trey in the opening minute of the fourth as the Jazz began to pull away with a 20-point advantage.