After playing with fire the last three games, the Nets finally got burned.
They had found ways to grind out wins in those three games, despite some nervous moments. But the hottest team in the NBA suddenly went ice cold in a 121-113 loss to the Magic before 3,665 at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Kyrie Irving scored 43 points, but they went to waste. The Nets (28-14) got good looks, but just couldn’t get them to go down as their NBA-high six-game winning streak snapped and they fell half a game behind 76ers in the Eastern Conference.
While Nets shots wouldn’t fall, the struggling Magic (14-27) suddenly were unable to miss.
“It just didn’t matter [what we did],” Irving said. “I was coming in shooting a layup, they were coming up getting free throws or a 3-pointer was going all net, or some type of play was happening where we’re looking at each other like, we’ve just got to give them a slap on the butt and say good game.
“They came in off a back-to-back very desperate, and we didn’t match their energy, so [it] happens like that. This is what it feels like to lose. We don’t want too many more feelings like this, so just learn from it and move forward.”
Trailing 103-84 going into the fourth quarter, the Nets opened the period with a 16-1 run to pull within four points. But that’s as close as they got.
The Nets created open shots, but finished just 10-for-37 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Magic — last in field goal percentage coming in — went 21-for-40 from deep. Aaron Gordon, who finished with 38 points, got into a zone, and the Nets couldn’t get him out.
“Teams got to be perfect to beat us, and they were just hitting shots — tough shots,” Bruce Brown said. “I’ve never seen Aaron Gordon hit shots like that in my life. So just a tough night.”
It has been a while since the Nets had one of those. They had won 14 of their past 15, including a team-record eight straight on the road. But that came to an end.
James Harden had 19 points and nine assists, while Joe Harris added 16. But after logging marathon minutes Wednesday at Indiana, they looked drained.
Harden shot 4-for-15 overall, and 2-for-8 from 3-point range. And Harris — hitting 50 percent from deep this season — was just 3-for-13, including an airball.
“I think James and Joe felt fatigue. They had a heavy burden against Indiana, so I think those two for sure felt some fatigue in their legs,” coach Steve Nash said. “Sometimes you can play really, really hard and be really, really active, but that doesn’t mean your legs are gonna be there in your shot.”
The Nets fell behind 25-18 right out of the gate. They rallied with seven unanswered to pull even on a Landry Shamet 3-pointer, but the tie was short-lived. The Nets fell right back behind 48-36 on an Evan Fournier 3-pointer with 7:09 left in the half.
Another 8-0 Nets run got them back within striking distance at 52-49, and they briefly retook the lead at 65-64 when Irving opened the second half with a 3. But briefly was the operative word.
The Nets coughed up an extended 29-11 run over the next eight minutes, with Nikola Vucevic’s free throws making it 93-76 with 3:51 left in the third.
“We couldn’t buy a bucket,” Shamet said. “It’s the NBA: If you dig a hole, down 20 to anybody early, it’s going to be hard to climb back out.”
The Nets tried. Down 103-84 to start the fourth, they opened on an 11-0 run — including a stunning touchdown pass from Harden to Nic Claxton.
Irving’s 15-foot pull-up got the Nets within 104-100. But they ran out of gas, falling behind by 11 and losing to a team that had lost nine straight.
“I guess 21 of 40 from 3 from them is outstanding. That was, in many ways, the story of the game,” Nash said. “If we’d been a little sharper to start, maybe we could’ve cut that down. But perhaps it just was one of those nights.”
