Nets report card: Player grades for Game 3 loss to Milwaukee

The Brooklyn Nets played one of their worst offensive games of both the regular season and the postseason in a close Game 3 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks were also held to under 90 points again – thanks to a defensive performance from Brooklyn that would generally lead to a win – but even though Kevin Durant dropped 30 points in the game, the Nets got just 53 points from the rest of the roster.

Let’s dive into on the Nets’ player rating in the 86-83 loss to Milwaukee.

Kevin Durant: B-

Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

For Kevin Durant's standards, this was his worst game of the postseason. He only had seven points in the first half and for the entire game he shot 11-for-28 from the field to go with four turnovers. Surprisingly, Durant also had the second worst plus-minus on the team with -6. Yes, Milwaukee turned it up a notched defensively on the Nets forward in this game but the 32-year-old was missing shots that he usually makes. Particularly the mid-range shot that he kept going to throughout the game, but didn't find the success he usually does.

Kyrie Irving: B-

Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving did not take a shot in the final four minutes of the game and looking back, his decision not to could have cost Brooklyn the game. His running mate in Kevin Durant seemed like the only source of offense in the closing minutes. Although he was shooting under 50 percent for the game, Uncle Drew could have manipulated the defense by finding his shots too and making it easier for Durant in that time frame. Instead, he somewhat was passive aggressive in those final minutes which isn't really common from the Nets guard.

Joe Harris: F

Joe Harris is one of the best shooters in the league and he showed he was human in Game 3. He made one shot the entire game on 11 shots. Harris even had a mid-range look in the final minute of the game when Kevin Durant got doubled to put the Nets in a secure position to win and missed. It was a point blank look for sharpshooters' standards and he missed. His poor shooting, the team's worst plus-minus of the night with -11 and just the importance of this game is enough to say that this was Harris' worst performance of the season.

Bruce Brown: B+

Bruce Brown played an almost perfect game until the the final minute of the game with the contested lay up on Brook Lopez and the discombobulated inbounds with Kyrie Irving. Although those plays were pivotal, they do not tell the story of Brown's entire game. Brown recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Eight of those points came when the Nets couldn't really score on the offensive end to start the game. As a result of their dry spell, they were down by as many as 21 points. Brown dug them out of that hole almost single-handedly.

Blake Griffin: B

Blake Griffin had a solid game, but foul trouble held him back from making it better. After picking up three quick fouls in the first half, he left Steve Nash with no choice but to limit his minutes. The 33-year-old veteran notched 5 points and 6 rebounds in Game 3. He also strung together some important stops on Giannis Antetokounmpo. Going 1-for-3 from downtown isn't going to cut it though.

Nicolas Claxton: B-

The young big man grabbed some huge boards in this defensive battle with seven. He also added a block to that. Claxton gave the Nets some good minutes off the bench, but you can tell his offensive game has been limited since James Harden went down with the hamstring injury. The two have unmatched chemistry. The 22-year-old finished the game with only two points.

Landry Shamet: B-

Landry Shamet connected on his first three of the game, but missed his next two shots from behind the arc. Although Shamet did pick up five boards as the game progressed, those two shots become more significant when Joe Harris is having a game like this where he is shooting 1-for-11 from the field. It could have also been the determining factor for Steve Nash to go with Landry Shamet instead of Harris in the closing minutes.

Mike James: B+

Mike James controls the game really well when he's playing. Not only did James have the best plus-minus for the team this game with +6, but he had three assists and two points. He's an offensive threat at any time because of his playmaking ability. Yes, only went 1-for-5 from the field, but he constantly puts pressure on the Bucks' defense..

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