BROOKLYN –Everything about the 2014-15 Brooklyn Nets is open to scrutiny and question.
The Nets suffered their worst loss of the season, arguably the worst loss since the blockbuster trade in the summer of 2013 that was supposed to establish the team as an Eastern Conference championship contender.
The Nets dropped a 90-88 decision to the Philadelphia 76ers, a franchise that has set a new standard for ineptitude over the last two seasons as it rebuilds.
“It’s a bad loss,” acknowledged Coach Lionel Hollins, who usually doesn’t differentiate between wins and losses. “We wanted to win this one. This one was at home and it was a winnable game.”
Leading 86-80 with four minutes remaining, the Nets were outscored 10-2 by a team that doesn’t know how to win.
Brook Lopez tied the score at 88-88 with a floater from inside the foul line. But the Sixers got Nerlens Noel free for a baseline dunk with 3.2 seconds left.
The Nets had one last possession. Lopez got to the ball above the top of the key after the inbounds play broke down. He lofted a 3 that was well short.
The loss is the Nets’ fourth straight and drops them to 16-20. The 76ers improve to 6-29.
The Nets play one of the hottest teams in the league, the Detroit Pistons, on Saturday night in Motown. The Pistons had their seven-game winning streak snapped Friday night. The Nets committed 18 turnovers, which led to 23 points for Philadelphia.
KEY STRETCH: Trailing 86-80, the 76ers went on a 10-2 run highlighted by a Robert Covington 3 and Tony Wroten’s three-point play.
KEY PLAY: With 2:41 left, Wroten took the ball right at Lopez for a driving layup and foul. The three-point play gave the Sixers their first lead of the second half at 88-86.
NETS GAINS: Mason Plumlee had a career-high 15 rebounds to go with 15 points. It was his eighth double-double of the season and the 12th of his career. Jarrett Jack had 14 points and a season-high 10 assists.
TALK: Lionel Hollins on losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, who entered the game with just five wins:
“You act like we’re one of the better teams in the East or in the league. We’re not. We’re right down there with Philadelphia. We just have a couple more wins.”