With four days into preseason action, the Brooklyn Nets finally hit the court against a Turkish squad that was ready to play. By the end of the first stanza, Ulker was shooting 50 percent from the floor while Brooklyn was at 42 percent as they trailed by one.
During the second frame, Luigi Datome got the crowd “oooing” by rejecting the fast break bucket of former Ulker Bojan Bogdanovic. The second quarter turned out to be the highest scoring period for Ulker as they outscored Brooklyn 31-26. By halftime, the Nets were down by four points.
Thomas Robinson got the start and nearly recorded a double-double after two quarters with 10 points and nine boards. Ulker had lots of ball movement go their way as they recorded 18 assists. Fenerbahce had three players in double-digit scoring at the time while Brooklyn had two. However, eight out of the nine Net players to see action in the first half had at least contributed with one point.
It wasn't until the 4:38 mark that Brooklyn tied the game, though, Ulker was able to once again outscore them in the frame to obtain a commanding 82-72 lead.
In the final quarter of the game, the comeback for Brooklyn was strong. They were able to win the quarter 24-19 and fought until the final seconds of the game, but Fenerbahce remained standing tall, having protected their lead.
With 38 seconds left in the game, Justin Harper knocked down a shot from downtown to make the Nets come within three points. They intentionally fouled Datome, and he sealed the deal by hitting two clutch free throws.
Brook Lopez was the high man for the Nets, as he concluded with 18 points and four blocks. Wayne Ellington put up 16 points, while Thaddeus Young contributed with 12 points and six boards as both players came off the bench.
For Ulker, Jan Vesely led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Ekpe Udoh, who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers when he was in the NBA last season, recorded eight points, eight boards, and four assists. The Nets took a total of 28 free throws and converted on 19 of them.
On the other hand, Fenerbahce hit 16 of their 18 attempts at the line. Despite the seven blocks and 12 steals by Brooklyn, the offensive game of Ulker turned out to be the stronger side as they converted on a total of 11 three-pointers while shooting 52 percent behind the arc.
Looking ahead, the Nets have a total of six preseason games with the likes of the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and the upcoming Detroit Pistons, which will take place on October 8th at 7:30 P.M. EST.