Small gains: Nets (2 wins), Jazz (1) enter clash on best runs of season

In recent weeks, the Brooklyn Nets began making incremental progress by displaying more competitiveness in losses.

For the first time this season, their progress has led to a winning streak, and the Nets will attempt to earn a third straight victory on Thursday when they host the Utah Jazz.

After a 113-103 road win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, the Nets are 4-5 in their past nine games since opening the season with 11 losses in 12 games.

"Very happy with the energy with the effort, the purpose, so that was a great one," Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said after his team limited the Bulls to 42.2% shooting from the field on Wednesday.

The Nets' low point in terms of competitiveness was a 134-98 road loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 9.

Since the uncompetitive loss, Brooklyn has not allowed more than 119 points. On Wednesday, the Nets allowed their second-lowest opponents' shooting percentage and held Chicago to 7-of-30 accuracy (23.3%) from 3-point range.

Brooklyn earned its first home win on Monday when Michael Porter Jr. returned from a minor back injury and scored a season-high 35 points in a 116-103 decision over the Charlotte Hornets.

Porter was equally effective on Wednesday as he scored 33 points on 10-of-20 shooting, hit five 3-pointers and pulled down 10 rebounds. Porter has consecutive 30-point games for the first time this season and is 12-for-23 from 3-point range in his past two games after going 1-for-9 against the Knicks on Nov. 24 when his back tightened up.

"I'm very happy to see the growth," Fernandez said about Porter. "I believe he'll still keep growing because he's having fun."

The Nets are also getting steady contributions from Noah Clowney. The 2023 first-round pick scored 20 points on Wednesday and has reached double figures in 13 of 15 games since entering the starting lineup on Nov. 3.

Clowney hit six 3-pointers Wednesday as Brooklyn tied a season high with 19 treys. The Nets are shooting 39.7% (52-for-131) from behind the arc over the past three games after the team was making just 33.3% from long prior to that stretch.

Utah is seeking its first two-game win streak of the season after shooting 50% in a 133-125 home victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday. A day earlier, the Jazz trailed by as many as 37 in a 129-101 loss to Houston in Salt Lake City.

Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points on Monday, hitting 9 of 17 attempts from the floor after shooting 38.4% in his previous four games. Keyonte George added 28 on Monday after going scoreless Sunday.

The big showings by Markkanen and George occurred after a team meeting during a film session on Monday.

"Yesterday wasn't us. Today, we played Jazz basketball, we played team basketball, the fans deserve it," George said postgame on Monday. "Yesterday wasn't us. So today, we had to come with energy."

"It shows that we're capable of focusing as a group," Utah coach Will Hardy said after his team topped 130 points for the fifth time this season. "It shows that we are capable of managing emotional moments."

George and Markkanen are being aided of late by Ace Bailey. The rookie first-round pick (No. 5 overall) finished with 19 points on Sunday, two off his season high. He is averaging 13.8 points in 11 games since joining the starting lineup.

--Field Level Media