Nets suffer an embarrassing loss to Clippers for the fifth loss in a row

Suddenly the Nets have become colder than the snowstorm at home.

For the second time in three games, the free-falling Nets suffered an embarrassing drubbing, this one being a 126-89 loss to the Clippers before a sellout crowd of 17,927 in Los Angeles.

It meant a fifth defeat in a row and the tenth in the past eleven games. Considering the Nets are tanking, the losses aren’t even a small concern. The lack of competitiveness is serious.

It took no effort at all, a horrible way to start a five-game road swing – and six of the seven away from home.

Last Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks by 54 points is the second-worst loss in franchise history. The biggest was the 59-point caning they suffered on January 15 last year, again at the hands of the Clippers on the road.

This time they faced multiple deficits of 38 points. The Nets shot just 33.7 percent from the floor and 9 of 43 from behind the arc. And on the other hand, they were torn to shreds by the Clippers behind future Hall of Famers Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

Leonard had a game-high 28 points and five rebounds, while former Nets star Harden added 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds to finish plus-22. The Nets watched the Clippers hit 56.4 percent from the field and 12 of 25 from behind the arc.

Michael Porter Jr. was held to just nine points on uncharacteristic 3-for-11 shooting and 0-for-4 from 3-point range. He was dealing with a sprained MCL and was off his game.

Rookie Danny Wolf added 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench, all Nets-highs. Lottery pick Egor Dëmin added 12 points but was 3 of 11 overall and 3 of 10 from deep.

The Nets trailed 38-14 after one quarter — their lowest-scoring first quarter of the season — and allowed 18 unanswered points in the second.

They trailed 64-26 with 3:13 left in the half after a Jordan Miller bucket.

The next part might have been even more embarrassing. The Nets finished with a 5-on-4 possession after Kris Dunn came up on the play. But the Nets missed four shots on a possession before Dunn stumbled back into the game and grabbed the defensive rebound.

The rest was trash time, and that trash stunk.

The Nets fell to 12-32 and finished fifth in the lottery standings. They are a game and a half behind Sacramento for fourth place and just two out of the coveted top three.

The Clippers are the best in the league at 14-4 in their past 18 games.