Another game has passed and still, no one knows what version of Ben Simmons Brooklyn is going to get after it slumped to a 1-4 record following a 110-99 loss to Milwaukee.
It was an ugly start for the Nets, who fell behind 25-20 after the first quarter but honestly it could have been further behind having shot 33 percent from the floor and made six turnovers.
Fortunately for Brooklyn though Milwaukee was not much better, shooting 31 percent from the field in what was an all-round clunky beginning from both teams.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (eight points, five rebounds) and Bobby Portis (seven points, four rebounds) led the way for the Bucks at that point, while Kevin Durant had nine points.
The Nets quickly turned things around in the second quarter though, going into halftime on a 10-0 run to take a 55-43 lead.
Portis continued to power Milwaukee off the bench, finishing with 16 points, but Milwaukee was struggling to get it going from deep, ending the half having shot just 4-for-22 from deep.
That lead also coincided with the Nets giving Simmons an extended run at center, with Brooklyn outscoring Milwaukee 16-7 in the period where the Australian came in for Nic Claxton.
The Nets have struggled to get the offense flowing with Claxton and Simmons on the court at the same time so staggering their minutes at center could be something to look into moving forward.
Simmons was making his presence felt on the defensive end early in the game, with the Bucks going 0-for-6 with Simmons as the primary defender in the first quarter.
Simmons was facilitating for his teammates too, finishing the game with a season-high nine assists to go with five rebounds, four points, one block and one steal.
The 26-year-old also attempted seven shots from the field but was called out by Kyrie Irving for not shooting early in the third quarter.
In this case though it really didn’t look like Simmons would have been better off shooting anyway, with all the Bucks defenders clogging the paint and Durant wide-open.
Irving was later asked about Simmons’ struggles in his post-game press conference and immediately jumped to the defense of the Australian.
“You guys keep coming in here asking me like what about Ben? He hasn’t played in two years. Give him an af***ing chance,” Irving said.
“We stay on his s***. You just stay on him. But we’re here to give him positive affirmations.”
He also seemed to experience discomfort in his back after drawing contact from Antetokounmpo earlier in the game, telling reporters he tweaked it but plans to play the next day against the Mavericks.
Speaking of Antetokounmpo, he had 17 points in the third quarter as the Bucks outscored the Nets 35-21 to take a two-point lead into the fourth.
Nash erupted in fury, apparently angry after officials failed to call a foul on Antetokounmpo after the Bucks star flattened Brooklyn’s Patty Mills.
An incandescent Nash needed to be hustled away from the confrontation by Nets players and coaching staff before heading back to the locker room.
Nash’s ejection came at a time when momentum had swung back toward Milwaukee, who recovered after being down 35-18 in the second quarter to outscore Brooklyn 35-21 in the third.
Brooklyn led by four points when Nash was ejected but Antetokounmpo took over to lead the Bucks to a deserved win.
The Nets’ offense spluttered in the fourth, failing to put up any points in one six-minute period, although the Bucks were unable to capitalize themselves and push away.
Still, Brooklyn had little hope of forcing its way back into the contest, particularly with Antetokounmpo continuing to make a difference on both ends late in the game.
Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 43 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks while Jrue Holiday (15 points, seven rebounds, four assists) was the only other starter to hit double figures.
Durant and Irving combined for 60 points for the Nets and improved on the defensive end but just couldn’t get the shots to fall when they needed to.
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