Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez praised his team’s competitiveness despite a 106-102 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at Mortgage Matchup Center.
“It was a play for Mike [Michael Porter Jr.] to put pressure on the rim and then get an open shot and it didn’t happen,” Fernandez said, referencing a critical late possession.
The coach acknowledged the intensity in the closing minutes. “Those are just guys protecting each other and fighting for each other… it got out of hand because of that… I like my guys sticking out for each other,” he added regarding the scuffle that involved multiple players.
Fernandez confirmed Ziaire Williams was hurt during the altercation. “He’s hurt. We don’t know exactly what it is right now… it was not intentional… we’ll see what happens,” he said.
On the physical nature of the matchup, Fernandez compared it to a previous Suns game. “Just the physicality… I don’t control the officials… our guys fought… we gave ourselves a chance, 46 points in the second half allowed… we lost the game in the turnovers, 22 for 25, and the second chance points, 17,” he said.
Fernandez also highlighted the positives despite the loss. “We had the lead after being down pretty much the whole game… positive fight, positive competitiveness… but not good enough, and we want to be good to win games,” he said.
He praised the Nets’ resilience during the fourth quarter. “Just the resiliency and keep fighting… that’s why we again took the lead in the fourth,” Fernandez explained.
Despite Michael Porter Jr.’s season-high 36 points, Brooklyn struggled with secondary scoring and turnovers, allowing Phoenix to rally late. The Suns led 91-81 midway through the fourth before a 19-5 run put Brooklyn ahead briefly at 100-96. Mark Williams and Grayson Allen then scored crucial points, and Dillon Brooks’ late free throws sealed the 106-102 victory.
The Nets’ next game is Thursday at Denver, while the Suns host the Pistons.
