3 Nets takeaways from 120-101 loss to Mavericks

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NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (23-49) were hoping to wash off the disappointment of their 3-game road trip that saw them lose every game that they played, including some very winnable games in Indiana. With Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks (35-37) coming to town, Brooklyn had an opportunity to end their losing streak, but it looks like they forgot to show up.

The Nets lost to the Mavericks 120-101 in a game in which it looked like Brooklyn never recovered from their slow start that saw them trail by 15 points in a hurry. Nic Claxton had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists for one of his best performances of the season while Cam Johnson continued to be a steady presence for Brooklyn with his 17 points and eight assists.

From the beginning, it looked like the Nets did not show up to play on either end of the floor as they had trouble running their offense while also being unable to stay in front of anybody over the course of the game. Here are three Nets takeaways from Monday's loss to the Mavericks:

Nic Claxton​

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Claxton has been having a quiet March as he has mostly been worried about rebounding and blocking shots, but Monday saw him play one of his most aggressive games of the season. Claxton normally is content, or at least relegated, to waiting for lobs or dump-off passes, but he took it upon himself to get into the game offensively against Dallas and their rotation of big men.

Despite Anthony Davis returning to the floor for the Mavericks, Claxton did his best to go at whoever was guarding him, including Davis. Claxton ended up dropping 19 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, showing his ability to affect the game in different ways. Claxton also notably did not have any issues with taking open shots as he also drained both of his three-point attempts.

Claxton spoke on what he's looking to do with the season coming to an end soon:

"Staying healthy and just bringing us positive energy. Mentor some of the younger players, telling them what I see, especially when their minutes might increase. Just helping out as much as I can and bringing us some some good vibes."

Cam Johnson​

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There isn't much that can be said about Johnson that hasn't already been said multiple times this season, but it's important to point out how effective he has been on a team that is still learning how to win at this point of the year. Johnson put up 17 points and eight assists as he was acting as the team's lead facilitator for most of the game, leading to some nice plays and some bad turnovers at the same time.

One of the constants for Brooklyn this season has been the franchise looking for competent point guard play at every turn, especially with the rebuild taken into account. With D'Angelo Russell missing the past two games due to right ankle soreness, players like Johnson have had to step up as creators within the offense and the results have been lukewarm at best.

Here's what head coach Jordi Fernandez had to say about what Russell's absence in the offense means:

"He's an elite ball handler and playmaker, and he always puts us in places and so on and so forth. But ,we didn't have him, and this is not an excuse. We just have to be better as a group. We've had different lineups out there throughout the whole year, and the guys have done a great job. We should have been better."

Poor Start​

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Prior to facing the Mavericks, Fernandez spoke at length about the Nets needing to finish games better, especially considering the road trip that they had that took them through the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. While Brooklyn did not know if Davis would indeed be back in the lineup, Fernandez maintained that finishing games strong was still a point of emphasis to finish the season.

In this one, the Nets did not have to worry about finishing the game well because they started the game so poorly, trailing the Mavericks 32-17 heading into the second quarter. The Nets trailed by as many as 22 points in the contest and not only that, Brooklyn also never gained a lead in the game, showing how behind they were in terms of quality of play.

Fernandez spoke on what the goal is for the team as the season comes to a close:

"The approach is the same: get 1% better and go out there and compete and fight for the game, no matter who's out there. I think we've done the whole year. Our main purpose is getting better and seeing who's the next net and who's going to be here for the long run. Obviously, we have a job to do and evaluate."

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 120-101 loss to Mavericks

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