The Brooklyn Nets’ losing streak is at 11 games, but they anticipate reinforcements any minute.
Seeking their first win in more than three weeks, the Nets hope newcomers Andre Drummond and Seth Curry will be available Monday night when they host the revamped Sacramento Kings.
The teams are meeting for the second time this month after the Nets scored just 15 points in the fourth quarter of a 112-101 loss on Feb. 2 that marked James Harden’s final appearance with the Nets.
After Harden was held to four points in his final game, reports about him wanting out of Brooklyn continued to surface and he sat out the final three games before he was traded Thursday to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Curry and Drummond.
Curry averaged a career-high 15 points and shot 40 percent from 3-point range with Philadelphia this season.
“I’m ready to make the most of the opportunity,” Curry said. “I’m optimistic about it. ”
Drummond, who often dominated the Nets in his seven-plus seasons with Detroit, averaged 18.4 minutes for the Sixers as Joel Embiid’s backup, but still pulled down 6.1 rebounds a game.
Harden passed his physical Saturday night to clear the way for Curry and Drummond to be available. Curry and Drummond were held out Saturday as the skid continued with a 115-111 loss at Miami.
The Nets nearly erased a 21-point deficit as Kyrie Irving scored 20 of his 29 in the fourth quarter. Rookie Cam Thomas added 22, including a 3-pointer that made it a one-point game with 37 seconds left, but when the Nets got the ball back trailing by two, he had an inbounds pass stolen in the final seconds.
“This one hurt. We’re on an eleven-game-now losing streak, we thought it was gonna be the one,” Brooklyn rookie forward Day’Ron Sharpe said. “This next one we coming in and saying, ‘we winning this, no matter what.'”
The Nets are 2-12 since losing Kevin Durant to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee on Jan. 15, and during this skid, Brooklyn has seven double-digit losses. Opponents have shot at least 50 percent in seven games of those games, including the past five.
When Sacramento beat the Nets nearly two weeks ago, Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield played key roles, but both are now in Indiana and in their place are Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday along with Donte DiVincenzo, Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson, who were obtained last week.
The Kings are 4-2 over their past six games, starting with that win over Brooklyn on Feb. 2. Sacramento is seeking its second three-game winning streak this season after beating Minnesota and Washington.
“These were games that we were losing early on and all the way up until this week really,” Sacramento coach Alvin Gentry said. “I hope this is a sign of good things to come.”
Sacramento is in position for its first three-game winning streak since Dec. 1-8 thanks to strong performances by De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes while getting productive showings from Sabonis.
Barnes followed up his 30-point game against Minnesota on Wednesday with 27 in Saturday’s 123-110 win at Washington when the Kings shot a season-high 56.6 percent. Fox has scored 19 of his 53 points in the fourth quarter when Sacramento outscored Minnesota and Washington by a combined 64-60 margin.
Sabonis contributed 16 and 11 rebounds Saturday after debuting with 22 and 14 Wednesday while Holiday added 12 starting in the backcourt alongside Fox.
“I think we all agree the team looks completely different,” Fox said.
–Field Level Media