Feb. 22, 2026, 6:22 p.m. ET

The Brooklyn Nets (15-41) had one game left on their first road trip of the unofficial second half of the season and it was arguably its best chance of winning prior to going back home. Brooklyn had to visit the Atlanta Hawks (28-31) on Sunday and while they were able to get center Nic Claxton back in the lineup, the Nets still didn’t get their desired outcome.

The Nets lost at the Hawks 115-104 despite leading by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn just didn’t have an answer for All-Star forward Jalen Johnson once he got going. Forward Michael Porter Jr. led the way for the Nets with 18 points and seven rebounds while Claxton had 15 points and eight rebounds in his return after missing the past three games with hip and ankle injuries.

As mentioned earlier, Brooklyn didn’t have an answer for Johnson as he finished the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds, including putting up 14 points and seven boards in the fourth quarter alone. The Nets go back to Brooklyn for two games, but with that being said, here are the Nets player grades following Sunday’s loss at the Hawks:

Nolan Traore: B-

Traore had his fair share of struggles in this one when it came to his shooting efficiency, but it was encouraging to see him remain aggressive on the offensive end despite missing some makeable shots. Traore had another tough matchup going against Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels two days after facing Cason Wallace, but the rookie handled himself well.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Egor Demin: B-

Demin had a slow start to this game as he wasn’t making some shots in the first half, but he started finding his rhythm in the second half through a variety of three-point shots and drives to the rim. Demin has taken more of an off-ball role with Nolan Traore as the starting point guard and the Russian has been efficient with the ball in his hands despite less on-ball reps.

Michael Porter Jr.: B

Porter still struggled with his three-point shot in this one despite getting some good looks against the Hawks, but he still did a solid job of scoring the ball overall. Porter has been trying to work around the fact that opposing teams are forcing him to take tougher looks or get off the ball, but this is a process that the Nets will have to work through as time goes on.

Noah Clowney: B

Clowney had a solid outing in Atlanta as he was fairly-efficient on the offensive end of the floor due to him taking shots that were within his skillset without going out of his way to get his looks. Clowney’s role within the offensive hierarchy seems to change depending on whether Michael Porter Jr. is playing or not, but he appears to be finding his spots on the court when Porter draws attention.

Nic Claxton: B+

Claxton returned after missing the past three games due to hip and ankle injuries and he looked like his usual self as he was impactful on both ends of the floor. Claxton, who matched up against Onyeka Okongwu for the majority of his time on the floor, did a solid job of scoring around the basket while also tending to his rebounding and passing responsibilities on the team.

Danny Wolf: C+

Wolf had some solid minutes off the bench as he did a good job of attacking his man on the offensive end of the floor without getting outside of himself. Wolf did a good job of rebounding and passing the ball and the hope is that his three-point shot can be consistent to open up the rest of his game as the season progresses.

Day’Ron Sharpe: B

Sharpe went back to his usual role as the backup center with Nic Claxton back in the lineup, and the former North Carolina Tar Heel had yet another solid game despite playing less minutes. Sharpe, who had some issues guarding Jock Landale, managed to get the best of his man inside the paint as he made virtually all of his shots while also making some plays on the defensive end of the floor.

Terance Mann: C

Mann had a quiet first half as he didn’t have much of an impact, but the second half was a different story for the veteran as he had hit some clutch shots, especially in the fourth quarter. Mann had some trouble guarding his man without fouling, but he finished with an overall solid performance on both ends of the court.

Ochai Agbaji: C+

Agbaji had another decent outing off the bench as he was efficient on the offensive end of the floor as he continues to show his ability to stretch the floor. Agbaji has shown some ability to bring some defensive juice off the bench, but in an up-and-down matchup against the Hawks, he wasn’t able to have his usual impact when it came to getting stops.

Drake Powell: C-

Powell had a solid offensive outing as he looked aggressive and confident with the ball in his hands, but the other side of the floor was a different story. With Powell being part of the second unit, he had to find a way to keep up the defensive intensity that the first unit had, but the fourth quarter was just such a letdown for the entire team.