BROOKLYN, NY – DECEMBER 4: Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket as Danny Wolf #2 of the Brooklyn Nets plays defense during the game on December 4, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA season is a slog. 82 games is a lot of basketball and there are plenty of dips along the way. To make things tougher, a five games in seven days stretch puts even more strain on your body and mind. It takes a lot to win under those circumstances, and if you start to lose focus, things will fall apart quickly.
For much of the first three quarters, the Brooklyn Nets were in control. They got to the line 32 times as they insisted their way to the rim and had the Utah Jazz in constant rotation. Danny Wolf had another solid outing as he is steadily making the case to increase his minutes in the Brooklyn rotation…
Noah Clowney had one of the best games of his career (more on him shortly) and we saw a tremendous game on offense from Ziaire Williams. ZW scored 23 points in 28 minutes as he was able to knock down threes and found some success cutting to the basket and getting to the free throw line.
It looked like the Nets were starting to pull away, but the Jazz tied the game at 72 on nine points in three possessions … after Williams fouled a shooter three possessions in a row. Williams giveth, Williams taketh away. Brooklyn could have folded right then and there, but they held on to the lead until the fourth quarter. However, that’s where things totally fell apart.
Utah went ahead for good with a Keyonte George 3-pointer when the game was tied at 98. On the evening, George cut the Nets defense up to the tune of 29 points and ten assists to only one turnover. When you’re having a great game, you tend to get a lucky bounce here and there as well
All of the success the Nets had early in the game ended as the team fell apart down the stretch, and it spoke to a troubling trend the coaching staff has been observing this season.
“It was a complete disconnection,” Jordi Fernandez said in the postgame. “I don’t care about the fatigue or whatever you want to call it. You have to stay focused and locked in. This is the NBA. Out of the back to backs we’ve played, we’ve been really poor. Today we played hard for three quarters, and then in the fourth, it’s been a disaster collectively. And it was the energy and body language, and we have to all be better.”
Final score: Utah Jazz 123, Brooklyn Nets 110.
The Nets fell to 5-17 on the season. Despite the loss, the coaching staff remains encouraged with the team’s level of buy in.
“I think our guys really care,” Fernandez said, “and we know we’ve struggled in seconds of back to back, and we were better today. And because they care, they’re going to come back in the next game, they’re going to focus and try to stay focused all the way through. You have to fight through physical fatigue and mental fatigue, which I get it, it’s not easy. But I give the guys credit [with] how much they work, how much they care, and they try their best.”
In a season like this, effort is all you can ask for. The losses will be plentiful, but as long as you put your best foot forward and try your best, fans and the team can live with the results.
BROOKLYN, NY – DECEMBER 4: Noah Clowney #21 of the Brooklyn Nets dunks the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on December 4, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
It’s always fun to watch a young player start to put it together. After early struggles, you see them apply the lessons they’ve learned and become more comfortable as a professional. And when everything comes together, you’ve got the makings of something special. For Brooklyn Nets fans at Barclays Center, they got to see one of their youngest players have one of the best games of his career.
It’s been a steady rise for Noah Clowney throughout the season. He struggled early on, but he’s stuck with it and the coaching staff has maintained faith in him. In the first quarter, he paced the Nets attack with 14 points and consistently attacked the rim…
He scored 29 points and attempted a career high 12 free throws in 34 minutes and his progress is no longer a small sample. In the past six games, the 21-year-old has averaged 20.0 points while shooting 43.4% from deep. The scoring is the first thing that jumps out, but Clowney contributed in a variety of ways throughout the game. He drew a bunch of fouls, had timely weak side rotations to contest Jazz attempts at the rim, and played in a way that should have fans excited for what the Nets are building going forward. He’s still got plenty of room to get better, but things are certainly trending in the right direction.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Jeremiah Fears #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives to the basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 30, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
The Nets have a weekend matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. 5:00 p.m. ET tip off at the ‘clays.