Mar 28, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is fouled by Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) as he controls the ball against Johnson and guard Tyrese Martin (13) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets (23-51) were understandably feeling good after the signing of Drew Timme to a two-year contract earlier this week. With Ben Simmons and the Los Angeles Clippers coming to town on Friday, Brooklyn was hoping that they could end their 5-game losing streak at home in front of their fans before they go on the road.

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Unfortunately for the Nets, they did not get their intended result as they lost to the Clippers 132-100 in a game that essentially was over in the second quarter with the way that Los Angeles turned it on in the period. Keon Johnson had 13 points and two steals while Timme had 11 points and 10 rebounds in his NBA debut for a Nets team that needed as much as they could get against one of the better teams in the Western Conference.

Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Clippers as he put up 31 points, six rebounds, four steals, and two blocks in what was arguably his best game of the season against a Brooklyn team looking like they know that the season is close to an end. Here are the Nets player grades following Friday’s loss to the Raptors:

Russell continued to struggle shooting the ball as he seems to not get back his rhythm that he had earlier in his tenure with the Nets this season. It’s unknown whether his right ankle is bothering him enough that he isn’t able to turn the corner off the dribble, but he just doesn’t have it right now. Russell did a good job of being active in the passing lanes, something that he isn’t usually known for.

Johnson had one of his better games in recent memory as his three-point shot was falling while being able to get to the rim as well. Johnson has had times this season where he seems to be putting together on the offensive end like he did against the Clippers and if he can keep that up, things look promising for him and the Nets.

Johnson has had better games for the Nets in terms of shooting the ball from behind the three-point line, but he has continued to do a good job of making things happen off the dribble when his shot isn’t falling. As he has been doing this season, Johnson continued to show his ability to pass the ball and he has been the best playmaker for the team recently.

Williams struggled shooting the ball overall as he couldn’t find his touch from long-range as he had been doing during March. Williams did a solid job of rebounding the basketball, but this was going to be a difficult game for him with his assignments being James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. As expected, Williams got into foul trouble early on and once this game got away from the Nets, Williams did not see the floor much.

Claxton had one of his quiet games for Brooklyn as he wasn’t able to get anything going on the offensive end of the floor against a tough Clippers defense. Claxton wasn’t able to get many shots within the offense due to how aggressive Los Angeles was defending the perimeter and he wasn’t able to get the ball in space either. Claxton did a good job of protecting the rim despite the struggles on the offensive end.

Watford had his moments in this one as he showed his ability to drive to the rim against a variety of defenders within the flow of the offense. Watford struggled shooting the ball from deep, but he countered that with his rebounding, passing, and making some sneaky-good players on the defensive end of the floor.

Timme made his Nets debut after signing a multi-year contract on Thursday and he played well despite the blowout loss that this game turned into. Timme was efficient scoring the ball in the post and him making a three-pointer could be interesting for Brooklyn to use down the stretch as a shooting big. Timme was also a rebounding machine during his time on the floor as he looked to make the best first impression possible.

Due to the blowout loss, Wilson saw some extended minutes in this one, but he was not able to get his shot to fall throughout the game despite getting some good looks. Wilson’s offense comes and goes, but what he has always done was hustle on both ends of the floor and that was evident through how he fought for rebounds and flew around on the defensive end.

With the Long Island Nets unable to make it to the playoffs in the G League, Whitehead has been seeing more playing for Brooklyn, but there wasn’t much to glean from this performance. Whitehead shot the ball at a decent clip, but there seems to be some moments where he is more of a bystander than he is on the floor trying to assert his will. However, blowout losses can be odd when it comes evaluating what would have happened in a closer game.

Martin, who surprisingly didn’t see the floor in Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors, saw his usual amount of minutes in this one, but his offense left a lot to be seen. Martin shot the ball well from three-point land, but his finishing was not as crisp as it has been at earlier points in the season. Martin did a good job of rebounding the basketball, but that’s where his impact ends.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades: Keon Johnson drops 13 in 132-100 loss to Clippers