Nets fall 124-116 to Clippers as Cam Thomas scores 47

BROOKLYN — Cam Thomas set another career best in scoring and Nic Claxton registered his team-high 20th double-double, but the Nets fell just short in a spirited contest with the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center, 124-116.

It was Thomas that did his best Kyrie Irving impression now that the NBA star is no longer a member of the franchise as the undermanned Nets went toe-to-toe with the Paul George, Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers. The young Nets guard has averaged 46 points in the two games without Irving, but it was Brooklyn’s errors that proved too costly in the end.

“I think overall, you just gotta give credit to our group of being ready to play,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. “I like that first sign of us hitting first in the first quarter, which was good. So the optimism and belief that we can win a basketball game with the group that we have was good to see. And I think overall, our effort and energy, and communication was good throughout the course of the night.

“I think we built a lead 109, we were up eight maybe. Had a tough miss, a turnover. They were able to capitalize. Still made it a game, but they made a few more plays in us down the stretch.”

The Nets couldn’t punch back late in the fourth quarter after they managed to tie the game in the middle of the fourth. Thomas put up five quick points to even the game at 99 with 7:55 left on the clock and a driving dunk by Claxton put the Nets in front.

Back-to-back threes from Joe Harris and Edmond Sumner gave the Nets a 107-99 advantage, but the Clippers charged back as Kawhi Leonard and Reggie Jackson hit back-to-back shots to pull LA within three. Leonard hit a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game and a hook shot from Ivica Zubac gave the Clippers back the lead.

Thomas came up clutch again scoring Brooklyn’s next six points to put the Nets back in front, but the Clippers managed to retake the lead and hold on. Thomas and Claxton both missed shots in the final minute that would have closed the gap.

Brooklyn finished the night shooting 41-of-84 from the field and 16-of-31 from three-point range. However, the Nets turned the ball over 16 times for 25 points.

Thomas finished the game with 47 points after putting up 44 on Saturday against the Washington Wizards. Thomas was the first player in the franchise’s NBA history to record 44-plus points in consecutive games.

“He’s been phenomenal. Just the way he’s getting to his spots,” Claxton said of Thomas. “And today, the clippers, they switched up their defense on him. He was still able to manipulate the defense and score, and I think he can he can be even better. So the sky’s the limit for him for Cam.”

He shot 15-of-29 from the field and 7-of-11 from beyond the arc.

“kudos to the guys who are believing in me, letting me make decisions down the stretch,” Thomas said. “I can make a little bit better decisions down the stretch, but you know, that’s what it is. You live. That’s probably my second game playing that many minutes, making decisions. You learn, you move on, you build on it. So that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

Sumner scored 23 and knocked down two threes, while Royce O’Neale and Claxton finished with 15. Claxton pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds and three blocks.

Monday’s game tipped off a little more than an hour after the trade of Kyrie Irving became official and the 7-11 era finally came to an end in Kings County. It was the second game in a row that none of Brooklyn’s stars were on the floor, but Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons were both on the bench.

Simmons missed his fourth consecutive game due to left knee soreness, but Vaughn had said before the game that he could have played on Monda. However, the Nets were holding him out so that he didn’t play in both games of the back-to-back they have this week.

“He is highly probable or he probably will go tomorrow night. So that’s how that thing works,” Vaughn said before the game about Simmons.

Brooklyn was also without Seth Curry, who was out with a strained adductor and they’ll look at him again later in the week.