ORLANDO, Fla. — The Nets got back their leading scorer.
What they really needed was a “grown-up” in the room because the kids on the court didn’t get the job done.
The Nets blew a 21-point lead, including 17 in the fourth quarter.
And when their meltdown was over, they had suffered a humiliating 102-101 collapse against Orlando before a sellout crowd of 19,397 at Kia Center.
Cam Thomas had a game-high 25 points, six ᴀssists and six rebounds off the bench in his first game since Nov. 25.
But the Nets allowed a 22-4 run to close the game — including Cole Anthony’s driving winner with 0.8 seconds left.
“It was a clear sign of not being mature and the consistency, the focus. You do so many good things for the first half and then you put the worst performance you can put, and you act like you don’t care on the defensive end,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We just needed one more grown-up to bring the guys together and calm everybody down and execute on the defensive end and win the game. And it didn’t happen.
“We were not able to show that we cared to win games. And obviously we’re in a process here where we are going to build something special. And to be part of it, it’s got to come with consistency and it’s got to come with fight and compeтιтiveness and togetherness. And we didn’t show it. So congrats to them and very disappointed in my guys. Extremely disappointed.”
Behind Thomas and youngsters like Jalen Wilson (16 points) and Noah Clowney (13 points, 3 of 5 from deep), the Nets reeled off a 14-0 run in the first and led by as much as 21 in the second half before they blew it.
“We didn’t really execute well down the stretch. … We gotta just look at it and own it and get ready for the next game. It’s a tough one being up by so many points. We’ve just gotta be better,” said Thomas.
“[Fernandez] was very upset. We all were,” Nic Claxton said. “He was very upset, as he should be.”
The Nets led, 71-50, with 7:55 left in the third after Keon Johnson’s free throws.
It was still 97-80 when Ben Simmons found Wilson for a 3-pointer with 7:16 to play.
That’s when they coughed the lead up.
The Nets conceded a 20-4 run to end the game.
Wilson fouled Goga Bitadze, whose free put the Magic up by a point with 17.7 seconds left to play.
Wilson earned a trip to the line himself and sank both to put the Nets back up with 6.2 seconds to go in regulation.
But there would be no victory or even overtime, when Anthony beat Johnson to get in the paint. Claxton didn’t come out and hedge enough and Anthony made the winning four-footer.
Thomas missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer.
“I’m really pissed off right now. But that’s just the compeтιтor in me. I could’ve helped my team in that moment. But I do know that there’ll be more moments for that to come, and I’ll be able to stand up in that moment,” said Johnson, who admitted Fernandez’s message was blunt.
