The Nets lost a game that set offense back 40 years.
Then again, that might be insulting to the players of the 80s.
Brooklyn fell 106-95 to the visiting Heat before a sellout crowd of 17,548 at Barclays Center that saw some bricklaying of epic proportions.
The Nets shot just .388 percent overall, and 11-of-49 from 3-point range.
They seemed content to keep chucking and keep missing.
Granted, the Heat are a stingy defensive unit; but Brooklyn never drove and never found ways to make Miami pay for their perimeter aggression.
Even Michael Porter Jr. had a rare off shooting night, and it was a reminder of just how dependent this offense is on him.
He scored a game-high 28 points, but was just 10-of-24 from the floor and 5-of-14 from behind the arc.
Center Nic Claxton flirted with another triple double (16 points, dozen boards, eight assists, three blocks), but was the only efficient Net.
Noah Clowney was 0-of-9 from deep, and Brooklyn seemed content to keep heaving from there.
They made just eight free throws all night, their second-worst of the year.
The Nets had come in enjoying their best form of the season, winning four of their prior six.
But all of those contests came against losing teams.
Thursday started a new six-game gantlet where all but one are against winning foes.
“Yeah, definitely it’s definitely a good long stretch of games where we’ll get to see where we’re at,” Porter had said. “I feel like we’re making progress as a team, but we’ll really get to see against these next five, six games. So it’ll be exciting for us.”
Brooklyn (7-19) is sixth in the lottery odds after being tied for first on Nov. 14.
They moved 1 ½ games clear of No. 7 Charlotte after the Hornets held on to beat the Hawks.
They’re a game behind the Clippers and Kings, pending the former’s game against OKC and the latter’s tilt against Portland.
Rookie Drake Powell was forced out of the game due to a right ankle sprain, and didn’t return.
He had ankle woes over summer and preseason, though those were to his left ankle.
