Brown struggles in Nets debut
The rookie guard shot poorly in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn fell to Minnesota 103-90.
By Andrew Bennett ·
Mikel Brown Jr. missed a late three-pointer on Monday that would have forced a closer finish, capping a rough fourth-quarter performance for the New York Nets in their 103-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden.
The No. 6 overall pick finished with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting overall but went 1-for-8 from beyond the arc. He hit five shots in the first three quarters to give Brooklyn a lead entering the final period, but he missed all four three-point attempts he took in the fourth. He did not drive to the rim during that stretch.
Brown sat out the previous day's game in Indiana to manage a back injury that caused him to miss 14 games during his single season at the University of Louisville. His return to the court marked his first game in New York since joining the team.
Head coach Jordi Fernández praised Brown's effort but noted the pressure of his role. "I think Mikel's a rock star," Fernández said. "He's gonna keep taking steps. And right now, we always want him to be aggressive, but he has the responsibility to run the team, and that's a big deal. And you have to communicate. … Every shot that is good, every shot that is not good, it falls a little bit on you, right?"
Brown, who is shooting 31.6 percent from the field through his first five games with Brooklyn, accepted the scrutiny. "I'm still growing and developing and learning," he said. "I'm doing what I love every single night, and to be able to play in this type of environment, I'm just extremely blessed."
The crowd gave Julian Randle a warm reception during his pregame introduction. Randle played five seasons with the Knicks, earning two All-NBA selections and three All-Star Game appearances. He helped lead New York to its first playoff berth in eight years before the arrival of Jalen Brunson. Randle recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds on 5-for-16 shooting in the loss. "[It was] amazing, man," Randle said. "I got a lot of love for the city, for the fans, had a lot of great memories here with the team, with my family. It was a big part of my life and my career, and [I'm] super appreciative of it."
Egor Dëmin missed his third consecutive game with a bone bruise in his right leg.
