The Brooklyn Nets encountered difficulties in scoring against a physical defense, especially at the rim in Boston against the Celtics on Monday.
The Nets hope to produce some improved offense Tuesday night in the second half of a back-to-back set when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls.
Despite the loss, Brooklyn is still 19-6 in its last 25 games, a roll that began with a home win against Toronto on Dec. 7.
On Monday, however, the Nets were outscored 56-44 in the paint and shot only 37.9 percent from the floor. It was their lowest shooting percentage during the 25-game surge, and among the causes was a matching 37.9 percent (22-for-58) showing on shots in the paint.
"We were (in the) 32 percentile at the rim, I assume, just not good enough," said Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson, who team needs just one more win to match the 28 they had for all of last season. >> Read more
Copyright 2019 by the Associated Press
