Nets unable to find rhythm in 105-94 loss to Jazz

NEW YORK — There were plenty of empty seats inside Barclays Center on Saturday night. Those who did pay the price of admission to watch the Brooklyn Nets face the Utah Jazz witnessed quite a stinker.

The Jazz emerged from the filth with a 105-94 victory. Both teams combined for 35 turnovers — Brooklyn had 17 — and the Nets shot just 40.4% from the field and 17.5% from 3-point range.

The Jazz shot just 34.1% from deep (14-for-41) but made seven more treys than Brooklyn, seven of which came in the first half. That was the most glaring difference between the teams in this game. Everything else was relatively even.

Utah blitzed Cam Johnson frequently throughout the night, and after dropping 33 points on the Toronto Raptors Thursday, struggled to find a rhythm. He still managed to finish with 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting but did most of his damage in the second half.

The Nets trailed 50-45 at halftime despite poor shooting and 10 turnovers. They did not have a single player reach double figures in scoring through the first two quarters of action.

Brooklyn hit rock bottom in the third quarter, where it allowed Utah to shoot 58.8% from the field (10 for 17) while converting on only 28% of its attempts (7 for 25). The Jazz outscored them 25-18 in the period to take a 75-63 advantage into the final frame. The Nets simply could not find any rhythm on offense as Utah’s lead continued to grow.

The Nets fell to 11-17 with the loss and have dropped four of their last five. Cam Thomas, who has not played since Nov. 25 because of a left hamstring strain, is expected to be re-evaluated this weekend, so reinforcements could be on the way soon.

Ben Simmons, continuing to increase his offensive aggressiveness, attempted 11 shots and finished with 15 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. He went 5 for 6 at the free throw line. It was his first double-double of the season and his third game with double-digit assists.

Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 21 points and seven rebounds.

Brooklyn will return to action on Monday against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena.

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