Nets player grades after 123-114 loss to the Mavericks — and more

NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (15-42) had some unexpected travel issues affecting them with the blizzard that New York City was hit with over the weekend. Brooklyn had to fly back to the Big Apple early on Tuesday, but the Dallas Mavericks (21-36) had to do the same thing. However, the Nets just couldn't make the necessary plays to end their losing streak at home.

The Nets lost to the Mavericks on Tuesday 123-114 in a matchup where Brooklyn never allowed the game to get into blowout territory, but they also couldn't put themselves in a position to tie the game. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had 26 points and three assists while forward Noah Clowney had one of his best games of the season with 22 points and five rebounds of his own.

Dallas did not have the services of Cooper Flagg or Kyrie Irving, but they had forward Marvin Bagley III going off for 22 points and five rebounds off the bench to complement forward Naji Marshall's 21 points and seven assists. The Nets have one more left left on their home stint on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs, but for now, here are the Nets player grades after Tuesday's loss to the Mavericks:

Nolan Traore: B+

Traore had some shooting struggles in this game as he couldn't make it good on some of the long-range looks he saw against an exploitable Mavericks defense. Aside from that, Traore did a good job of finishing around the rim and in the mid-range and more importantly, he did a great job of passing the ball and setting up his teammates without turning the ball over.

Egor Demin: C-

Demin struggled mightily with his shot in this one as he couldn't get anything to fall from the perimeter despite getting some open looks. Demin has been lights-out shooting the three-pointer this season, but he hasn't had his shot falling as of late, exposing some of his flaws in making more of an impact when the rookie isn't feeling it from deep.

Michael Porter Jr.: B

Porter did a great job scoring against the Mavericks despite most of his shots being at least somewhat-defended, but it looked like he was comfortable on the offensive end during the entire game. Porter strangely wasn't particularly involved in the rebounding portion of the game, but outside of that, he did a great job of being efficient with his offensive touches.

Noah Clowney: A

Clowney had one of his best games of the season and it was because of how aggressive he was attacking the rim and being confident while shooting the ball from the perimeter. Clowney has had some extended shooting ruts this season, but this was one game where he showed his entire package when his shot is falling and he's engaged on both ends of the floor.

Nic Claxton: B+

Claxton had a tough matchup going against Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley III, but he did what he could to mitigate the production given up to Dallas' frontcourt over the course of the game. Claxton did a great job of scoring in the paint along with setting up his teammates with some slick passes within the structure of Brooklyn's offense.

Danny Wolf: D

Wolf struggled with his shot overall as he couldn't get much to fall from the perimeter and the Mavericks' defense didn't give him many opportunities to attack the rim. Wolf was solid on the glass during his time on the floor, but he struggled with turnovers when he was trying to create something for himself or his teammates in the open floor.

Day'Ron Sharpe: C-

Sharpe has had better days finishing around the rim as it seemed he had some difficulty finishing with the likes of Gafford and Bagley lurking around in the paint. Sharpe struggled with turnovers and fouls during his stints off the bench, but he will bounce back with some encouraging performances as the season continues.

Terance Mann: B+

Mann was mostly quiet through the first three quarters of this game, but he woke up in the fourth quarter as he seemingly couldn't miss from anywhere on the floor. Mann has done a great job this season of being the steady veteran presence on the court and in the locker room, but this matchup reminded onlookers that he still has plenty of gas in the tank.

Ochai Agbaji: B

Agbaji, as he has done since being acquired by the Nets via trade heading into the deadline, did a great job of spreading the floor during his bench minutes. Agbaji has proven to be one of the better shooters on the team since his arrival and if he can combine that with his juice on the defensive end of the floor, he could solidify his place in the rotation.

Drake Powell: C-

Powell saw some significant playing time against the Mavericks, but he didn't make much of an impact in the game on either end of the floor. Powell has the ability to be a difference-maker on both ends of the court, but he is still learning how to be that guy for the Nets. It looks like he's on the right track and that's what Brooklyn wants to see over the rest of the season.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades after 123-114 loss to the Mavericks

The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines took down the Minnesota Golden Gophers 77-67 to clinch a share of the Big Ten regular season championship at the Crisler Center on Tuesday. Dusty May’s team improved to 26-2 and 16-1 in Big Ten play.

Here are six takeaways from the win over Minnesota.

The Wolverines clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title

With the win over Minnesota, the Wolverines have officially clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular season championship. Michigan has now won the conference regular season title 16 times in school history, including for the fourth time this century. The Wolverines still have bigger goals in mind, but there’s no doubt that a Big Ten title means a lot to the program.

Michigan shouldn’t lose the rebound and points in the paint battles

Michigan was outplayed in the paint against Duke – partly due to Aday Mara’s foul trouble – and that shouldn’t happen again. Duke had an edge in rebounds (41-28) and paint points (34-24), which is inexcusable for a Wolverines frontcourt that has so much athleticism and size. Michigan bounced back with more rebounds (39-18) and paint points (26-24) than Minnesota.

Defense is one of the best in the country, but there are still lapses

The Wolverines own one of the best defenses in the country, but there are still lapses that must be avoided. Michigan went on an 11-0 run and held Minnesota scoreless for over five minutes to take control in the first half, then the defensive intensity let up and allowed the Golden Gophers to get back into the game. In order to win a national title, the defense has to be dialed in at all times.

Elliot Cadeau’s importance can’t be understated

Elliot Cadeau struggled in the loss to Duke last week, shooting 1-for-8 from the field, continuing to show just how important he is to Michigan’s success. It’s hard to imagine the Wolverines winning a national championship if Cadeau isn’t playing at a high level. In the win over Minnesota, Cadeau was back to his usual standard – posting a team-high 15 points, five assists and four rebounds.

L.J. Cason continues to make a case for ‘nation’s best backup’

College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein recently said L.J. Cason is the nation’s best backup point guard, and the Michigan reserve is proving him right. Cason has been great lately, averaging 12.1 points and 2.9 assists in the last seven games, and he continued to excel against Minnesota with 14 points and five rebounds– highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers to fuel a 12-2 run in the second half.

Trey McKenney is blossoming into a great player sooner than later

It’s become obvious that Trey McKenney is going to be a great player someday, but it seems like he could get there even sooner than we thought. The Michigan guard is a dynamic, efficient and physical player who can shoot the lights out and score from anywhere on the floor. McKenney posted 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting from three-point range in the win over Minnesota.

Up next

Michigan will face the No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday (8:00 p.m. on FOX) with a chance to clinch an outright Big Ten regular season title.

He wasn't one of the early names to emerge.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kevin Porter Jr. matched his season high with 32 points and Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins scored 21 apiece as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 128-117 on Tuesday night for their fourth win in five games.

Kyle Kuzma added 19 points and Ousmane Dieng 11 for the Bucks.

Norman Powell scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 18 points and nine rebounds and Andrew Wiggins had 16 points for the Heat, who had their three-game winning streak halted.

Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware each scored 14 points and Pelle Larsson 10 for Miami. Davion Mitchell, who returned after missing a game due to illness, added eight points and eight assists.

Milwaukee held a 63-58 advantage at the half before the teams exchanged leads in the third. Miami held a 93-89 advantage heading into the final period.

Ware’s 3-pointer early in the fourth gave Miami a nine-point lead, its largest to that point. The Bucks battled back, quickly cutting their deficit to 102-100 on a 3-pointer by Portis before Milwaukee moved ahead 103-102 when Dieng hit from long distance.

The back-and-forth battle continued throughout the quarter with Milwaukee taking a 118-116 lead when Porter sank a 3-pointer from the corner while drawing a foul and sinking the free throw. Back-to-back baskets by Rollins with a just over one minute remaining sealed the victory.

The Bucks led 30-29 after one quarter, paced by Kuzman’s 13 points.

Miami scored 16 points off 11 Bucks turnovers, and Milwaukee managed just 11 points on 16 Heat turnovers.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his 12th consecutive game since straining his right calf on Jan. 23. The Bucks are 15-15 with Antetokounmpo and 10-16 without him this season.

Nikola Jovic (back) missed his second straight game for the Heat. He traveled with the team to Milwaukee, but returned to Miami on Tuesday for treatment.

Up next

Heat: At the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Bucks: Host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA