NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges had a hard truth to admit about how the Nets played in Thursday’s 101-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings. It was something that was evident throughout the game, but something that Brooklyn couldn’t shake off enough to end up completing the comeback and winning the game.
“They just played harder,” Bridges said after the narrow loss to the Kings. “Get stops and they were just scoring. Getting to the line. But, yeah, they just played harder than us.” While Bridges did his part by scoring 23 points and grabbing four rebounds, the Nets as a whole were out-worked by the Kings. For starters, Sacramento won the rebounding battle 57-41 as they were chasing down loose balls and 50/50 rebounds like the game depended on it.
While Brooklyn is no stranger to being out-rebounded by opponents, the way that the Kings displayed more energy than them, despite playing the back end of a back-to-back, shows how motivated Sacramento was to get the win. The Nets tried to make push after push in the second half, but after the second quarter in which the Kings finished the period on a 13-0 run, the Kings did not look back.
Related
NBA Twitter reacts to the Nets’ intense loss to the Kings
Player grades: Mikal Bridges scores 23 as Kings beat Nets 101-96
Story originally appeared on Nets Wire