Jan. 13, 2026, 8:12 a.m. ET

The Brooklyn Nets (11-26) came into Monday’s game at the Dallas Mavericks (15-25) on the second night of a back-to-back after a tough loss at the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Brooklyn was dealing with two key players out of the lineup in rookie Egor Demin and Cam Thomas, but the Nets just didn’t show up the way they needed to for all four quarters.

The Nets lost at the Mavericks 113-105 after falling behind by as many as 14 points in the game thanks to a slow start to the game. Forward Michael Porter Jr. was back in the lineup after being rested on Sunday and he dropped 28 points and nine rebounds while center Day’Ron Sharpe had arguably his best game of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

The Nets was able to come back to make the game interesting in the second half, but defense was a persistent issue as they allowed rookie Cooper Flagg to go off for 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists during his time on the floor. Brooklyn’s road trip continues with a matchup at the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, but here are three Nets takeaways from Monday’s loss at the Mavericks:

Michael Porter Jr. Bounces Back

While Porter didn’t play in Sunday’s 103-98 loss at the Memphis Grizzlies due to rest, his last time on the floor prior to his absence was arguably his poorest outing of the season as he shot just 7-of-20 from the floor and 0-for-9 from three-point land. In this game against the Mavericks, Porter looked like himself as he hitting tough shots along with shots that he normally makes to finish with a near-triple-double of 28 points and nine rebounds.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Day’Ron Sharpe Shines Off The Bench

Many Nets fans are already familiar with how productive Sharpe is whether he’s coming off the bench or playing 30 minutes as the starting center. However, this game in Dallas was impressive for the simple fact that Sharpe notched a double-double in the first half of 10 points and 11 rebounds in just over 11 minutes, showing how he continues to out-do himself on a nightly basis.

Nic Claxton Does It All

Claxton has been quiet in recent games, but he’s still in the midst of the best season of his career, at least when considering his scoring and passing improvements. Claxton finished this game at the Mavericks with an impressive stat line of 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in just 25 minutes on the floor despite having to deal with foul trouble for the majority of the game.