NEW YORK — Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez was frustrated with the team’s effort on defense in the second half of Monday’s 128-102 road loss to the Chicago Bulls. He appropriately ripped his players at the podium postgame.

In Wednesday’s 99-90 defeat of the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center, they nearly let go of the rope again.

While the Nets were once again without two regular starters in Cam Thomas and Dorian Finney-Smith, and two key reserves in Noah Clowney and Ziaire Williams, they leaned on defense early, holding Indiana to 33.3% shooting in the first half despite shooting just 38.3% from the field themselves.

Brooklyn made nine of its 12 total 3-pointers over the first 24 minutes of action and turned 12 Pacers turnovers into 14 points. It added up to a commanding 51-35 lead at halftime despite poor team shooting. The Nets led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter, their second-largest advantage in a game this season and their largest at any point in a first half this season.

Cam Johnson had 17 points on 4-of-11 shooting in the first half (4-of-8 from deep) while no other Net had more than 10. No players reached double figures in scoring for the Pacers in the first half.

Similar to Monday’s loss, the third quarter was where Brooklyn lost control of the game. It was outscored 35-24 in the period. All of the sudden Indiana’s T.J. McConnell could not miss, and Tyrese Haliburton started to find his groove as well in a 63.2% team shooting effort. Johnson went 2 of 2 from deep in the third quarter but the Nets could not find much offense outside of him.

After giving up 12 points in the paint in the first half, the Nets surrendered 14 points in the paint in the third quarter alone. They clung to a 75-70 lead entering the final frame. What was once a 21-point advantage was shaved down to one with 9:16 left.

However, the Pacers could not finish their rally. Brooklyn — led by Ben Simmons, Shake Milton, Trendon Watford, Jalen Wilson and Day’Ron Sharpe — responded with a 17-8 run to snatch back control of the game at 94-84 with 3:22 left. It cruised the rest of the way.

Johnson led the Nets with a game-high 26 points 7-of-18 shooting (7-of-13 shooting from deep). It was his ninth game with at least 20 points this season, and with another, he will tie a career best. It was also his fourth game with at least six 3-pointers.

Nic Claxton added 16 points and eight rebounds. Milton led all reserves with 15 points off the bench. Simmons finished with seven points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals and three blocks.

Haliburton scored a team-high 17 points for Indiana on 5-of-13 shooting.

This was the first game this season in which Claxton, Sharpe and Simmons were all available. Sharpe had seven points and six rebounds in his second appearance of 2024-25.

The Nets snapped a season-worst three-game losing streak and improved to 10-13. They will return to action on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center.

©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.