Nets routed by Pacers in ugly home loss: ‘Just unacceptable’

There’s losing a game, and then there’s playing like a losing team.

There’s getting beat, and then there’s rolling over.

Sunday was the latter.

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) defends Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

The Nets came back to Brooklyn and got humiliated on their home floor, 136-109 by the Pacers at Barclays Center.

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Or more to the point, they humiliated themselves.

“The performance we put up after the first quarter was just unacceptable — 112 points in three quarters, you’re not winning basketball games. So it didn’t feel good on either end of the floor,” said coach Jordi Fernández. “And I’m the first one. We have to help them better.

“[It was] just disconnection, full-on and everything: from the spacing to the plays that we run, to the communication on pick-and-rolls, to multiple efforts, to being disappointed with a mistake and dropping your shoulders. All those things are losing things, and now we did not look like a winning team out there.”

Whether it was tired legs on the tail end of a back-to-back, the fact is the bottom fell out defensively for the Nets, who fell to 0-3 and play Tuesday in Boston.

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Yes, the offense did go missing, shooting 41 percent overall and 13-for-39 from 3-point range. Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr. and Egor Dëmin combined for just 23 points on 7-for-27 shooting (1-for-11 from deep) to finish a combined minus-50.

Brooklyn Nets center Day’ron Sharpe (20) looks to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

But the defense was even worse.

The Nets allowed 57 percent shooting and 21-for-43 from 3-point range. And while the first quarter was competitive, the rest was capitulation.

The Nets allowed 112 points on 60 percent shooting and 18-for-32 from long range over the final 36 minutes.

“They had a little run at the end of the third or the beginning of the third, and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nets-routed-pacers-ugly-home-011715251.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-26 01:17:00

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