An endgame collapse kept the Nets winless without Michael Porter Jr. this season — and was a reminder of just how much this young team has to learn about winning.
Brooklyn fell 103-98 in Memphis on Sunday, allowing the final 13 points to implode before 15,578 fans at FedExForum.
The Nets fell to 0-7 without Porter, who sat out Sunday. They desperately needed his scoring and endgame savvy because it was a galling finish.
For a second straight game, Brooklyn stumbled out of the starting block. But they erased a 16-point deficit to take a 98-90 lead with three minutes to play.
Those final 180 seconds proved a nightmare, letting the Grizzlies — who played without star guard Ja Morant — to close on a 13-0 run.
Noah Clowney and Tyrese Martin led the Nets with 17 points, though the former shot just 4-for-17 from the floor and a horrid 4-for-15 from 3-point range. Danny Wolf started for Porter and had 11 points and 10 boards.
Brooklyn (11-25) is fifth in the all-important lottery standings.
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The Nets were 1 ½ games behind the fourth-place Wizards, pending their game in Phoenix later Sunday night. They were a game ahead of idle Utah, and 1 ½ games ahead of both Dallas and Charlotte.
Brooklyn had come out flat against the Clippers, down 16-2 right out of the gate before losing Friday night. They seemingly didn’t learn their lesson.
This collapse wasn’t the way the Nets wanted to tip off this three-game road trip. Cedric Coward had 21 points for Memphis, which won despite Jaren Jackson Jr. being held to a modest 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
The Nets dug themselves a 16-point, first-quarter hole.
After an early 7-6 lead, the Nets coughed up a 19-4 run that included a couple of Clowney airballs.
Brooklyn was down just 17-11 after a Clowney long ball when they surrendered 10 unanswered points.
Santi Aldama’s 3-pointer left Brooklyn in a 27-11 hole with 4:24 left in the first quarter, and they spent much of the night trying to clamber out.
The Nets knotted it at 67-all on a Wolf corner 3-pointer midway through the third, and 71-all on a Jalen Wilson 3-pointer off a Nolan Traore assist.
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Wilson hit another to put them up 74-73, their first lead since those opening minutes. But they were still trailing well into the fourth when they made a decisive run.
Down 87-84 after a Jackson bucket with 8:21 to play, the Nets scored the next seven unanswered to seize the lead.
Cam Thomas’ fadeaway baseline 18-footer over Aldama made it 91-87 midway through the fourth. And after Nic Claxton blocked Jackson, the Nets extended the lead.
Traore made a jump-skip pass to Martin for a 3-pointer, and Terance Mann added a straight-ahead 3-pointer for a 97-90 lead.
After Clowney stole the ball from Cam Spencer at the top of the key and hit an ensuing free throw on the other end, Brooklyn had a 98-90 cushion with three minutes to play.
But they couldn’t hold it.
The Nets went ice-cold from the floor and coughed up the final 13 points.
