The Brooklyn Nets (11-25) looked like they were well on their way to beginning their three-game road trip with an impressive win at the Memphis Grizzlies (17-22) on Sunday. Brooklyn led Memphis 98-90 with three minutes left to play in the game, but they allowed the Grizzlies to end the game on a 13-0 run, something head coach Jordi Fernandez attributed to responsibility on his players.

“It comes with responsibility. Responsibility to take the shot when you’re open, responsibility to box out when you have to. Obviously, the 19 second-chance points. Once again, if we don’t rebound, we don’t win,” Fernandez said after Sunday’s 103-98 loss at the Grizzlies. Brooklyn lost the rebounding battle to Memphis 54-43 and the Grizzlies were able to score nine second-chance points in the fourth quarter off six offensive rebounds.

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“We’ve been the No. 1 defensive rebounding team for a stretch of games where we had the best defense and now, we’re not rebounding and we’re not winning games,” Fernandez continued. “You got to keep learning, got to keep getting 1% better every day and, holding the guys accountable, but also supporting them because there were good things done tonight.”

To Fernandez’s point, the Nets have not been playing like they did during December when they led the league in defensive rating and were tied for seventh in the league in rebounding percentage. Brooklyn finished December with a 7-4 record thanks to how well they were playing on the defensive end, but January has been a different story for a Nets team that is hoping to continue their winning ways.

So far in 2026, the Nets have a 1-5 record and despite holding the Grizzlies to just 103 points on Sunday, they are still 26th in the league in defensive rating (119.0) and 28th in rebounding percentage (46.2%). While Brooklyn took on a Memphis team missing star guard Ja Morant without potential All-Star forward Michael Porter Jr., Fernandez understands that his team has to rebound and play defense no matter what if they’re going to win games.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Jordi Fernandez attributes loss at Grizzlies to responsibility