Nets bid farewell to Barclays Center

Close out home schedule vs. Toronto Wednesday night

April 9, 2024 John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Cam Thomas and the Nets hope to put on a better show for their final home crowd of the season Wednesday in Downtown Brooklyn. AP Photo by Noah K. Murray

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The Brooklyn Nets would like to send their fans home happy Wednesday night despite missing the postseason for the first time in six years.

Brooklyn will complete the Barclays Center portion of its schedule against the visiting Toronto Raptors, three days after the last Downtown crowd spilled out onto the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush with little, if anything, to celebrate.

“We just (have to) keep building,” Nets forward Mikal Bridges said after Sacramento handed the home club a 107-77 beating Sunday in front of an announced sellout crowd of 17,732.

“Just keep playing the right way, keep playing hard,” added Bridges, who finished with eight points and five rebounds on a night Brooklyn needed much more to contend with a potential playoff team.

The Nets (31-48) opened this final four-game homestand with a pair of impressive wins, including last Wednesday’s 115-111 triumph over playoff-bound Indiana.

Though Brooklyn was officially eliminated from play-in tournament consideration with Atlanta’s victory over league-worst Detroit that night, the Nets had to be looking forward to making it 3-0 vs. the Kings (45-33) after dispensing the Pistons, 113-103, on Saturday.

Instead, Sacramento ran out to a 10-point, first-quarter advantage and stretched it to 65-40 at intermission.

Domantas Sabonis piled up 18 points and 20 boards for the Kings, extending his personal streak of double-doubles to 61 at the Nets’ expense.

“He’s such a competitor,” Kings coach Mike Brown said of Sabonis. “His competitive nature in my opinion is the thing that just drives him. He very seldom takes plays off. …He never stops. ”

Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis had his way with Day’Ron Sharpe and the Nets Sunday in Brooklyn, posting his 61st straight double-double. AP Photo by Noah K. Murray

Cam Thomas led Brooklyn in scoring for the seventh straight game with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting.

Second-year power forward Trendon Watford continued his late-season emergence with 16 points and rookie Jalen Wilson added 11 points and six rebounds for the Nets, who were without injured starters Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton.

Brooklyn found a way to contend following the half, outscoring Sacramento 24-13 over the next 12 minutes, but the Nets managed only 13 points of their own in the fourth quarter while the Kings cruised to their first win in three tries on a four-game trip.

“I was happy with the guys’ effort in the second half,” Nets interim coach Kevin Ollie noted. “It was great. That third quarter, they came out and played some solid defense and then we kind of went to our bench in that fourth quarter.”

Sacramento is eighth in the Western Conference play-in race, but still aspires to the No. 6 seed and a first-round series without participating in the NBA’s wild-card tournament.

The Nets are simply playing for pride and using these last three contests to evaluate their younger players.

“These are competitive games,” Ollie insisted.

“Sacramento is still playing for seeding in the playoffs, so these teams are gonna still play aggressively and play hard, but these minutes are crucial for their learning growth, getting some valuable minutes so they can have some great experiences coming back for next year.”

The Nets hope to celebrate after their final home game of a disappointing season Wednesday at Downtown’s Barclays Center. AP Photo by Mary Altaffer

NOTHING BUT NET: The Nets found out Saturday that former New Jersey superstar Vince Carter had gained induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Carter, who works as an analyst for the YES Network doing Nets games, played for the franchise in the Garden State for four-plus seasons from 2004-09. He finished third on the team’s all-time scoring list with 8,834 points. “I think that’s where the emotion comes from,” Carter told the Associated Press. “I have such a great appreciation for what this is and who is in the Hall of Fame. I get a chance to be a part of that. Say what you want, believe what you may, but there were some days I never thought I was on this level.” … Finney-Smith (knee), Claxton (ankle) and Johnson (toe) are all listed as day-to-day heading into the home finale. Backup guard Dennis Smith Jr. (hip) remains out. … After hosting the Kings, the Nets will wrap up the campaign Friday night at Madison Square Garden against the arch rival Knicks before visiting Philadelphia Sunday afternoon.