NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets (7-19) were going to have a tougher schedule for the rest of December after getting some easier matchups heading into the long break because of the NBA Cup. Brooklyn had the chance to use the home crowd to their advantage in a matchup against the Miami Heat (15-12), but the Nets did not get the result that they were hoping for.

The Nets lost to the Heat on Thursday 106-95 as Brooklyn was unable to continue their consistency in the fourth quarter after playing well through the first 36 minutes. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had 28 points and six rebounds, but he struggled to the tune of 10-of-24 shooting from the field. Center Nic Claxton had a near triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists while rookie Egor Demin had 14 points and two rebounds.

Brooklyn had a tough time defending Norman Powell (24 points), Kel’el Ware (22), and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (19) and the Nets paid the price for being unable to limit that trio. The Nets had the chance to finish a game against one of the better opponents on their schedule this season, but the execution wasn’t there. Here are the Nets player grades following Thursday’s loss to the Heat:

Egor Demin: C-

Demin did not shoot the ball well in this one as he mostly resorted to shooting three-pointers when there was an inch of daylight, but he didn’t have his scoring touch against the Heat. In what could be seen as a sign of growth between Demin and head coach Jordi Fernandez, Demin had a moment in the game where he was frustrated with himself after turning the ball over, but Fernandez pulled him aside to discuss the play.

Terance Mann: C

Mann wasn’t particularly involved on the offensive end of the floor against Miami outside of the fact that he had the ball in his hands to facilitate, not to look for his own shot. To that point, Mann has shown the ability to settle the offense down when there have been too many ineffective possessions in a row and he always seems to make the simple dump-off pass after drawing the second defender.

Michael Porter Jr.: C+

Porter had a good start to this game in the first quarter, but his efficiency waned by the second as he seemed to take more shots that were uncharacteristic, even for a player that has made plenty of tough shots like he has. Porter did a solid job of rebounding and passing the game, but his poor shot selection and defensive lapses left some to be desired in this back-and-forth affair.

Noah Clowney: C-

Clowney mightily shooting the ball against the Heat as he couldn’t get anything to drop, especially from behind the three-point line where he had been shooting better for the majority of the season. Clowney will have games like this with his kind of shot diet, but he tried to make an impact in other ways with his rebounding and passing and effort on the defensive end.

Nic Claxton: A-

As he has done for most of this season, Claxton did a little bit of everything for the Nets in this one, especially on the offensive end of the floor. While Claxton has always been one of the better defenders at the center position over the past few years, his ability to almost score at will on the offensive end is something that Brooklyn is benefitting from in a huge way.

Jalen Wilson: B

Wilson hasn’t had many games this season where he made a huge impact off the bench, but this was not one of those games as he came off the bench shooting the ball from three-point range. Wilson’s game has a limited ceiling on both ends of the floor because of his relative lack of athleticism and ways he can win, but he shot the ball well and moved his feet on the defensive end incredibly.

Ziaire Williams: C+

Ever since Fernandez benched Williams a few weeks ago, he has been more consistent with his energy on the defensive end of the floor and that energy also fuels his offensive game at the same time. Granted, Williams didn’t have much of an offensive impact in this one, but his tenacity and disruptiveness on the defensive perimeter frustrated the Heat as a team whenever he was the defender.

Danny Wolf: B-

Wolf struggled overall to shoot the ball in this one as he had trouble getting any openings at the three-point line while also struggling to shoot the ball over the length of Miami’s backline. Wolf made some nice plays on both ends of the floor, but he finished this game with more assists than turnovers and if he isn’t going to be efficient on rebound well, his impact passing the ball is muted to some degree.

Day’Ron Sharpe: C+

Sharpe did a solid job with his minutes on the floor as he finished well around the basket and rebounded with the motor that he is known for having. Sharpe presented a different kind of matchup for Bam Adebayo as Adebayo wasn’t able to use his strength to create space in the post, but with how fast the Heat play, Sharpe ran out of gas faster than normal.

Tyrese Martin: D

Martin struggled mightily on the offensive end as he couldn’t get anything to drop despite getting some good looks within the flow of the offensive structure. Martin did a good job of handling the basketball and being efficient, but he has better days shooting the ball, especially from behind the three-point line.

Drake Powell: Incomplete

Powell sprained his right ankle in the first quarter after coming down on someone’s foot following a jump pass. Powell has dealt with two difference instances of an ankle injury this season so the hope is that he won’t have to miss too much time with this current injury.