"Two rookies made their first career starts for the Nets and Cam Thomas provided a scoring lift off the bench with an efficient 21 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the absence of key starters in a 120-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night at Barclays Center. Brooklyn opened 2026 with a second straight loss and fell to 10-21, undone by a sluggish start, uneven offense and a Rockets team that continued to pour it on as the night wore on."
"With three starters out, the Nets leaned further into their youth experiment, starting rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf and asking Wolf to set the table. Brooklyn's start was anything but steady with Kevin Durant back in the building. The Rockets raced out to a 12-2 lead by the 9:14 mark as the Nets' offense stalled and defensive breakdowns piled up, prompting an early timeout from head coach Jordi Fernández after Houston opened 6-for-6 from the field on a parade of layups."
"Brooklyn steadied itself for a bit, ripping off a 16-8 run and flipping the momentum when Alperen Sengun went to the bench. But the response didn't last long. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka quickly put Sengun back in, and he continued to be a problem. By the end of the first quarter, the Nets trailed 26-20, with Ziaire Williams scoring six points and grabbing two steals and Sengun leading all scorers with 10."
Two rookies, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf, made their first career starts as Brooklyn played without three starters. Cam Thomas scored an efficient 21 points off the bench, but the Nets fell 120-96 and dropped to 10-21. Houston opened aggressively, building an early 12-2 lead while the Nets struggled with stalled offense and defensive breakdowns. Brooklyn rallied briefly with a 16-8 run when Alperen Sengun hit the bench, but Sengun's return and continued Rockets execution allowed Houston to lead 53-42 at halftime. The third quarter saw Houston extend the margin as Brooklyn lacked consistent scoring despite few turnovers.
Read at New York Daily News
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