Nets Lose Tight Contest to Cavaliers Despite Late Rally
Brooklyn falls to 0-2 after a high-scoring game where a fourth-quarter surge proved insufficient.
The Brooklyn Nets suffered a 125-121 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, dropping their season record to 0-2. Despite a late comeback attempt, the Nets could not overcome an early deficit in front of a sellout crowd of 19,432 at Rocket Arena.
Egor Dëmin emerged as a standout performer for Brooklyn, scoring 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. His offensive outburst, which included five successful 3-pointers, helped the Nets narrow a 22-point gap to just two points in the final minutes. Dëmin also contributed six assists.
Julius Randle led the Nets in scoring with 23 points, adding six rebounds and five assists. This performance marks the second consecutive game to start the season with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists for Randle, a feat previously achieved by James Harden on the Nets.
Michael Porter Jr. added a game-high 28 points for Brooklyn, but the team struggled offensively for much of the game, relying heavily on Randle and Porter Jr. until Dëmin's late surge.
Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 22 points, while Jarrett Allen contributed 21. The Cavaliers had previously blown a 29-point lead in their season opener.
The Nets trailed by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter after a Jaylon Tyson 3-pointer. However, a furious rally brought them within striking distance. A Nolan Traore free throw had given the Nets a brief 30-29 lead in the first quarter, but Cleveland responded with an 11-0 run that spanned into the second quarter.
Brooklyn managed to close the gap to one point in the second quarter when Dëmin assisted Keon Ellis for a 3-pointer, making the score 45-44. However, the Cavaliers answered with a 13-2 run, extending their lead and controlling the game until the Nets' late push.
After trailing 104-82 with just over nine minutes remaining, Dëmin's consecutive 3-pointers helped fuel the comeback. A Porter Jr. 3-pointer with 8.1 seconds left cut the deficit to 123-121, but Brooklyn could not complete the rally.
The loss marks the Nets' second consecutive defeat to start the season. They are set to face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night for the tail end of a back-to-back home game. The upcoming schedule features six consecutive games against teams projected to be Eastern Conference playoff contenders.