Coming off a 42-point effort vs. Portland, Mikal Bridges hopes to continue his hot shooting in Paris Thursday when the Nets meet the Cavaliers. AP Photo by Thibault Camus
The Brooklyn Nets are enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of the City of Lights this week.
They’d also like to come back to our borough with a victory.
The Nets will continue their four-game homestand Thursday after traveling more than 3,600 miles via a 7 1/2-hour flight when they “host” the Cleveland Cavaliers at Accor Arena in the NBA’s Paris Game 2024.
“I like Paris a lot. It’s just cool being able to go to Europe, being on this stage,” said Nets center Nic Claxton while he and his teammates prepared for their first game in Paris since a 2008 exhibition contest when the franchise was still based in New Jersey.
Brooklyn (16-21) has lost 11 of its last 14 contests, including Sunday’s disheartening 134-127 overtime loss to Portland at Downtown’s Barclays Center.
Claxton amassed 16 points, 11 rebounds and a season high-tying four blocked shots in the defeat, which dropped the Nets into 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Mikal Bridges poured in a game-high 42 points, including seven in the extra session, but Brooklyn was burned by the Blazers’ Malcolm Brogdon and Anfernee Simons, who combined for 14 of Portland’s 19 points in OT.
“For us not to win this basketball game (is) very disappointing,” said Nets coach Jacque Vaughn, who was hoping his team would build some momentum following a 124-115 win over Oklahoma City in Brooklyn last Friday night in the homestand opener.
The Nets are the designated home team in Paris, and Claxton wants to enjoy the view while putting Brooklyn back in the win column before the long flight home.
“We can’t take these things for granted,” he noted. “We went to China a few years back, and I know this will be a really good experience for the team. I’m excited. We’ll have a few practice days, a few events. It…
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