Brooklyn Nets lose to Clippers in preseason opener

After officially beginning their rebuild in the offseason, the Brooklyn Nets kicked off their preseason with a late-game battle against the LA Clippers on Tuesday.

The Clippers themselves received a new look via subtraction, with star Paul George moving to the greener pastures of Philadelphia. Regardless, the 76ers should still be more competitive than their counterparts from Tuesday night.

After four competitive quarters, the Clippers finally emerged victorious, winning 114-104 behind James Harden's 14-point performance.

Future star Cam Thomas picked up right where he left off last season, scoring a quick 12 points in 17 minutes. After averaging 22 points per game last season, Thomas shot 60% from the field, 50% from three and 100% from the free throw line tonight.

All 15 Nets played, with every single player scoring points. Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder, Ziare Williams, Keon Johnson and Jaylen Martin all reached double figures.

Despite the good, there were some not-so-nice aspects of the game.

For all the offseason talk of Ben Simmons returning to All-Star form, he only scored two points on 1-for-5 shooting. While he filled up the stat sheet in other ways in his 13 minutes, he didn't impress in the points department.

The Nets' next game against No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and the Washington Wizards is Monday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The team will open its 2024-25 regular season on October against top pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Atlanta Hawks. 23.

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