Rebounding Woes Played a Role in Nets Losing Streak
After seven straight losses, the Brooklyn Nets finally got back into the win column after a thrilling game against the Clippers. However, the Nets struggled in one key aspect during their losing streak, which will need to be cleaned up moving forward.
The Brooklyn Nets snapped their seven-game losing streak on Tuesday night after a double-overtime thriller against the Los Angeles Clippers. It was a game in which the Nets saw Sean Kilpatrick have a career night, and the Clippers saw Doc Rivers get ejected.
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The Nets needed a win in the worst way, and they got it against a good, but struggling Clippers squad. While the win is undoubtedly the most important takeaway from the game, it’s hard to ignore that DeAndre Jordan pulled down 23 rebounds. Granted, Jordan logged 45 minutes combined between regulation and two overtime periods, but that is still an eye-popping total.
Between regulation and both overtime periods, the Nets were out-rebounded 57-53. Once again, though, the win ultimately matters more than rebound totals. But Brooklyn getting out-rebounded is not new. In fact, the Nets were out-rebounded in each of the seven games during their seven game losing streak.
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The losing streak began against the Clippers in Los Angeles, in what was ultimately a blowout. The Clippers out-rebounded the Nets 43-37 in a game which saw Anthony Bennett lead the Nets in rebounds, with nine. The game largely consisted of garbage time, and Bennett played 26 minutes.
In the second game of the losing streak, the Nets rebounded better against the Lakers, but were still out-rebounded. Both Trevor Booker and Brook Lopez pulled down 10 rebounds, and the Nets grabbed 47 overall. The Lakers, though, pulled down 55, led by Julius Randle, with 14.
After a tough back-to-back in Los Angeles, the Nets traveled to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. As a team, the Nets were horrid on the glass. Brooklyn grabbed just 30 rebounds. By comparison, Russell Westbrook on his own garnered a third of that output, with 10 rebounds. The Thunder out-rebounded the Nets by a wide margin: 46-30.
Brooklyn didn’t fare much better on the glass against the Trail Blazers. Meyers Leonard led Portland with 11 rebounds off the bench, and Brook Lopez led the Nets with six. In what was a 20-point loss, Brooklyn was out-rebounded 50-36.
In Brooklyn’s loss to the Celtics, neither team rebounded well. The Nets were out-rebounded by a slim margin, 39-36, but lost the game by 19 points.
Trevor Booker led the Nets with 10 rebounds in what was ultimately Brooklyn’s sixth straight loss, but Indiana out-rebounded the Nets 47-38. Brooklyn’s struggles on the glass against Indiana came from the fact that, outside of Booker, there wasn’t much production. While Booker had 10 rebounds, no other Net had more than four.
The final loss of Brooklyn’s losing streak came against the Sacramento Kings. Much like the game against the Celtics, Brooklyn was out-rebounded by just a small margin, 45-42, but the Nets lost by 17 points.
Obviously, the Nets’ struggles on the glass are not solely to blame for their losses. Brooklyn has other problems, such as, at times, a lack of ball movement. Also, if the Nets go cold from three-point range, their offense is bound to suffer, considering the amount of three’s they attempt. And lastly, but most notably, Brooklyn has played this entire stretch, and longer, without Jeremy Lin. Lin remains out due to a hamstring injury.
Still though, it’s worth noting that the Nets were out-rebounded in each game during their skid. While the Nets did get back into the win column on Tuesday, they certainly must rebound better if they want to stay in games moving forward.
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