"Cleveland offered the benchmark Thursday night, and the Nets quickly saw the difference. Brooklyn fell 112-84 to the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena, dropping to 15-38 and snapping the brief momentum created by back-to-back wins before the All-Star break. The Nets never led, and what unfolded felt less like a competitive game and more like a snapshot of where a young roster stands against a veteran group that knows exactly who it is."
"That contrast was visible from the opening minutes. Nolan Traoré and Egor Dëmin shared the floor across from Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, a pairing that underscored the opportunity as much as the gap. By the end of the night, Mitchell and Harden had combined for 33 points, while Traoré and Dëmin finished with eight and 10, respectively, in a game that doubled as another learning environment for Brooklyn's rookie backcourt."
"The tone was set almost immediately. Cleveland opened with an 8-0 run, and Brooklyn didn't score until Noah Clowney drilled a 3-pointer at the 10:02 mark. Even that moment did little to slow the Cavaliers' rhythm. Cleveland didn't miss its first non-free throw attempt until 7:01 remained in the quarter, already holding a 16-10 edge by that point. It only got worse from there."
Cleveland routed Brooklyn 112-84 at Rocket Arena, dropping the Nets to 15-38 and snapping their short momentum from two wins. The Nets never led as Cleveland established control early and shot efficiently. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for 33 points while Brooklyn rookies posted limited totals. Cleveland opened with an 8-0 run and forced Brooklyn's first field goal late in the opening quarter. Brooklyn shot poorly overall while Cleveland shot above 60% in the first period. A brief Nets push in the second was answered by a Cavaliers run, leaving Cleveland with a large halftime lead.
Read at New York Daily News
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