Nets get tripped up in Sacramento

Open five-game western swing with 131-118 loss to Kings

December 12, 2023 John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Mikal Bridges and the Nets were under duress Monday night in Sacramento, suffering their first loss in four games. AP Photo by Jose Luis Villegas

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The Brooklyn Nets had their transition game grounded in Sacramento Monday night.

Then watched helplessly as the Kings buried the most 3-pointers in franchise history.

De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 29 points, knocking down five of the Kings’ team-record 25 3s, as Sacramento rolled to a 131-118 rout, denying Brooklyn a season-high fourth straight win in the opener of its five-game West Coast trip in front of 17,794 fans at the Golden 1 Center.

The Nets (12-10) had won six of their previous seven contests before the Kings (12-8) held them to a season-low two fast-break points, well shy of Brooklyn’s 16.9 average, which ranks second in the NBA.

“Their ability to kind of climb into us, their aggressiveness on the basketball, away from the basketball, plugging gaps, making our angles tough to read was really good,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn admitted.

Fox went 10-of-22 from the floor and buried half of his shots from beyond the arc.

Keegan Murray was even finer from the field, going 9-of-13, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range, as Sacramento also established a season best with 38 assists.

“We’re a team that can shoot the basketball, and it was evident tonight,” Kings coach Mike Brown told the Associated Press.

“To see us get corner 3s and be able to knock them down was very gratifying because these guys can flat-out shoot and they’re going to share the basketball.”

Nets guard Cam Thomas tried in vain to tie up Kings sharp-shooter De’Aaron Fox, who drilled five of Sacramento’s franchise-record 25 3-pointers Monday. AP Photo by Jose Luis Villegas

Malik Monk added 21 points and fellow reserve Trey Lyles had 17, also draining a quintet of 3s, as Sacramento broke the team mark of 23, established on Jan. 9 vs. Orlando.

“Their shot selection,” Vaughn responded when asked why the Kings were so effective from long range. “With us conversely shooting 28 (mid-range shots), 3 vs. 2, you’re not going to win.

“You have to give them credit for making shots,” Vaughn added.

Mikal Bridges led the Nets with 22 points. His 24-footer with 7:13 to play cut a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit to six, but the Kings had the answer.

Lyles and Harrison Barnes made 3s around another long ball from Bridges.

“We tried some different things to see if it would give us a little energy,” Vaughn noted. “We pressed a little bit just to try to get back in the game.”

Fox sank a 5-foot jumper, Barnes hit a 23-footer and Domantas Sabonis cruised in for an easy layup to give Sacramento a 121-104 cushion with just over four minutes left.

“They hit a lot of 3s. You’re trying to slow down Fox,” Nets forward Cam Johnson ceded. “It’s on us. We only shot 29 3s and they made 25.”

Sabonis finished with 15 points, 16 boards and nine assists for the Kings, who have won three straight against the Nets, who will host the Kings at Downtown’s Barclays Center on April 7.

Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Thomas scored 18 points, Johnson had 15 and Dorian Finney-Smith added 13 off the bench for Brooklyn, which will be back in action Wednesday night in Phoenix.

Former Net Kevin Durant is questionable for that contest with an ankle injury, but the Suns will host Golden State the night before Brooklyn’s visit.

“Great challenge for us on the road, we’re gonna see how we respond,” Vaughn said.”We’ll definitely learn from this game.”

Domontas Sabonis and Malik Monk celebrate as the Kings ended the visiting Nets’ season high-tying three-game winning streak Monday. AP Photo by Jose Luis Villegas

NOTHING BUT NET: Brooklyn was without Lonnie Walker IV (hamstring), Dennis Smith Jr., (back) and Dariq Whitehead (foot) on Monday. Ben Simmons (back) is still a week away from being re-evaluated after taking an epidural injection for a low nerve impingement. … After visiting the Suns, the Nets will head to defending NBA champion Denver on Thursday, Golden State on Saturday and Utah on Monday before returning to the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush on Dec. 20 to host the arch rival New York Knicks. … Brooklyn has won three in a row on three occasions this season.