Even without Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Ben Simmons, you just knew the Nets were going to put up a fight in Chicago. They earned the benefit of the doubt last week. That 3-1 road trip was special. They were short on bodies then yet overcame time and again.
The fight inside United Center lasted about a half. Brooklyn struggled from the field, but did find balanced scoring with 10 available players. Every player that stepped on the court found the bottom of the net. But the Bulls shot 52.2% from the field in their 128-102 win while the Nets hovered around 40% for most of the night.
Chicago flexed its star power down the stretch. A 56-50 game at halftime, the Bulls outscored Brooklyn 36-22 in the third quarter to take a 92-72 advantage into the final frame. Their largest lead was 29 points.
Nikola Vučević and Josh Giddey led the way for Chicago with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Zach LaVine added 18 points. The Bulls made 16 3-pointers and turned 10 Brooklyn turnovers into 21 points.
The Nets finished the night at 40% shooting and were outscored 62-40 in the paint. They fell to 9-13 and have now dropped three straight games, tied for their longest losing streak of the season. But even in a stinker like this was, there were still so many positives on display.
Day’Ron Sharpe made his season debut, for starters. He played 16 minutes and was not as active as we’re used to seeing, but that was expected considering it was his first NBA game since April 10 of last season. He finished with four points, two rebounds, two assists and a block. As he gets his legs underneath him, it will be interesting to see what kind of role he carves out on this 2024-25 squad.
The Nets’ bench narrowly outscored Chicago’s reserves 50-48, and Dariq Whitehead — appearing in his fifth career game — was the biggest reason why. He finished with career-highs across the board, leading the team with 18 points, two rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block off the bench. He sank six treys.
Fun note: Whitehead became the first player in franchise history to make four or more 3-pointers in a game within the first five games of their NBA career. His path to extended minutes in the league has been a rocky one. But the 20-year-old was ready when his number was called and took advantage of the opportunity in front of him.
Those are overwhelming positives for this team. These things matter for a rebuilding franchise.
Shake Milton added 14 points and has now reached double figures four times this season, all within the last six games. He set the tone early with his fearlessness and activity.
The Nets will return to action on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center.
