A month ago, the Nets built a huge lead against Indiana and cruised to victory.
How things change.
Between trades and injuries, this was a different-looking Nets team. The end result was different as well, the Nets digging a huge hole and falling 113-99 to the Pacers before a crowd of 16,088 at Barclays Center.
The Nets (13-23) have dropped five of their past six and 10 of 13. They have the seventh-worst record in the NBA, a half-game better than the Trail Blazers.
Point guard Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 23 points and eight assists.
“Very, very good offensive team, starting with the head of snake in Haliburton, controls the game, a lot of touches, a lot of passes, plays pick-and-roll, distributes the ball,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “He creates 3s out of pick-and-roll. But also they’re good in the paint with their drives. So, it’s going to present a challenge. But you know, we believe that if we take care of the things we’re prepared for, we’ll be there to fight the game, and we’ll have a chance to win the game.”
The shorthanded Nets, who trailed by as much as 24 before staging a rally that came up short, never had a chance to win this game.
They were without eight injured players, including point guards D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons, and scorers Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson. They had a staggering $103 million in salary sitting out injured, the most in the league per HoopsHype. And it looked like it.
Just a month ago, the Nets had built a 21-point lead on the Pacers and cruised to a 99-90 victory. But the Pacers have gone 10-4 since then. The tanking Nets — in sell-off mode — have gone in the opposite direction.
Bereft of passing and playmaking, the Nets’ offense looked as disjointed as expected. They shot just 41.8 percent from the field and 30.3 percent (10 of 33) from 3-point range. It was ugly but hardly unexpected.
When bull-in-a-china-shop center Day’Ron Sharpe is their best playmaker with a career-high five assists, offense will be hard to come by. He also finished with team highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds, but the threadbare Nets were outclassed.
While Johnson is on the market and there are reports linking him to these same Pacers — for a potential package featuring Obi Toppin (11 points), Aaron Nesmith (DNP, left ankle sprain), at least one unprotected first-round pick and other draft assets — a source told The Post that is “all noise.”
The Nets trailed 55-39 at the break. Their season-low total for a half was worse than the 41 they’d scored on Dec. 27 against San Antonio.
Credit to their hustle and grit: The Nets crashed the boards like their lives depended on it. But their only offense was missing and hoping for putbacks. The Nets outscored Indiana 33-8 on second-chance points, posting a season-high before the end of the third quarter.
Sharpe single-handedly beat the Pacers, nine to five, on the offensive glass. His offensive rebound to a cutting Tosan Evbuomwan pulled the Nets within 78-70 at the end of the third quarter.
But they never got over the hump in the fourth and fell back behind by double digits.