Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from Game 2 vs. 76ers

1. If their shooting goes cold, they have no shot

During the regular season, the Nets shot 37 percent from 3-point range during their wins, but shot just 33.6 percent during their losses. They shot a great percentage (41.7 percent) on 36 attempts during the Game 2 loss, but they weren’t hot enough in the third quarter to keep up with the 76ers. They went 0-for-6 from 3-point range, and shot a miserable 38.1 percent from the floor in that decisive period.

The Nets’ offense is predicated on hitting 3-point shots, and, if they’re not, their defense isn’t good enough to keep them in games.

During the regular season, they shot a full 1.1 percent better from 3-point range at home than they did on the road. That number doesn’t seem like a lot, but it can make all the difference over the course of a game. Every shot has a higher chance to go in than the ones on the road, and one triple can be the one that stops a big run, such as the 15 straight points the 76ers scored at one point during their monstrous third quarter.

The year has been magical for a Brooklyn Nets team that was expected to miss the playoffs by most experts. Most thought they were heading for a top-10 draft pick to help expedite their rebuild, but their rebuild is here, and they are a gunning group that likes to bomb them from deep. As we saw in Game 2, if they go cold for even a quarter, this series may end in a hurry.