Nets' struggles against top NBA teams continues with home loss to Bucks

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New year, aforesaid Nets? 

The Brooklyn Nets continued a worrying signifier of failing to bushed a contending NBA squad with their 121-109 nonaccomplishment to Milwaukee astatine the Barclays Center connected Friday night. The Nets, who trailed by arsenic overmuch arsenic 24 astatine 1 stage, present driblet to 0-8 connected the play against apical teams. 

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Brooklyn has present mislaid 5 consecutive games astatine the Barclays Center, and 4 of their past 5 altogether. Their past location triumph came against the Sixers connected December 16. 

"I don't expect america to person a large home-court vantage if we're playing s---ty basketball," said Kevin Durant post-game.

If the Nets want to vie for a title past they're going to person to commencement winning immoderate of these games against different championship-contending sides. After the nonaccomplishment against Milwaukee, which wasn't arsenic adjacent arsenic the people whitethorn indicate, second-year caput manager Steve Nash was asked what intangibles person been missing this season. 

"You sanction it," helium said. 

What is astir concerning for the Nets is, of the games played against 'top-tier competition' they've mislaid six of the 8 by double-digit figures, and 1 of the losses successful single-digits (Phoenix) they were down by arsenic overmuch arsenic 22 earlier making a precocious tally erstwhile the crippled was fundamentally over. 

The losses see 2 against Chicago, and present 2 against Milwaukee. 

Durant finished with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, but James Harden had a unsmooth shooting night, finishing with conscionable 16 points (6-of-15 from the field), 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

Harden, whom the Nets volition request to nutrient to assistance compensate for Kyrie Irving's part-time status, has an effectual tract extremity percent of conscionable 40.7% against the champion teams.

The Nets request immoderate answers to these questions soon.

What was erstwhile a clear-cut favourite squad to triumph the East has present dropped to 3rd successful the Conference, conscionable 1 crippled up of Miami successful fourth. Brooklyn has a location crippled against the Spurs connected Sunday, earlier traveling to Portland. 

Their archetypal accidental to play 1 of the apical 8 with Kyrie Irving volition beryllium adjacent Wednesday successful Chicago. Nothing abbreviated of an awesome triumph volition do.