Nets' Michael Porter Jr. drops 18 in 148-111 loss at Celtics

The Brooklyn Nets (15-44) have not been able to win a game since coming out of the All-Star break and part of the explanation is the competition that the Nets have been facing since their break. Brooklyn's tough schedule continued with a visit at the Boston Celtics (39-20) and despite an encouraging first half, the Nets weren't able to sustain that level of play.

The Nets lost at the Celtics 148-111 on Friday despite trailing by as little as six points in the middle of the third quarter due to how well Boston played as a whole. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points and two rebounds to lead the team in scoring while rookie forward Danny Wolf had 16 points and two rebounds off the bench in the blowout.

The Celtics were led by guard Jaylen Brown and his 28 points and nine assists, but center Nikola Vucevic also had a terrific effort with his 28 points and 11 rebounds coming off the bench. The Nets suffer a tough loss, but they have to get ready to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Until then, here are the Nets player grades after Friday's loss at the Celtics:

Nolan Traore: B

Traore did a good job of scoring the ball against one of the best defenses in the league, especially on his floaters that he is clearly working on when he is not playing. Traore also did a better job of creating more for his teammates while limiting his turnovers and that is something that the Nets want to see from him, no matter what the end result of the game is.

Egor Demin: D

Demin's struggles with being aggressive on the offensive end continues as he remains entirely too passive when the ball comes his way within the flow of the offense. Demin mostly remained in the background in this game and that has been disappointing to see from the rookie, especially given the way that he played on both ends of the floor earlier in the season.

Michael Porter Jr.: B-

While Porter didn't get close to scoring 30 points against Boston, it was due to the fact that this game turned into a blowout in the third quarter and he didn't stay on the floor too much longer. Porter was efficient with his offensive touches and used his length to cause some issues in the defensive passing lanes, but this game was a letdown for the entire team.

Noah Clowney: C+

Clowney had a solid game on the offensive end of the floor as he had his game working for the most part, but Brooklyn's offense couldn't sustain itself in the second half against Boston's defense. Clowney was decent with his rebounding effort, but it has been disappointing to see him not apply more pressure in the paint by trying to be as physical as possible.

Nic Claxton: B-

Claxton had a solid outing against the Celtics when considering that he spent the bulk of his minutes going against Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic. Claxton made quick work of Queta in this one, but he struggled to defend Vucevic, who is one of the better big men in the league on the offensive end of the floor due to his versatility and touch around the basket.

Ziaire Williams: D

Williams did a solid job of scoring the ball and seemed to make the most of his touches on the offensive end of the floor when the ball came his way. Williams wasn't overly disruptive on the defensive end, but for a veteran team like the Celtics, he just didn't have much to do against Jaylen Brown with the way that he was getting to his sweet spots on the floor.

Josh Minott: B

Minott finally made his debut for the Nets and it came at an opportune time since it came against his former team in the Celtics, who essentially traded him to Brooklyn in exchange for cash. Minott had one of the better debuts for a Net this season as he had a huge dunk and he showed some pop and quickness on the perimeter to complement his shooting ability.

Danny Wolf: B+

Wolf saw some extra playing time in this one with the game turning into a blowout in the third quarter and he played pretty well on the offensive end of the floor since everything was working for him. Wolf, who has struggled with his shot this season, was able to get some three-pointers to fall and that opened up the rest of his game like his drives to the rim.

Day'Ron Sharpe: C-

Sharpe had one of his quieter games this season as he couldn't get anything to fall over the length of the Celtics' backline, especially with how much Boston's defense collapsed in the paint. Sharpe did a good job of rebounding and passing the ball, but he has had more impactful than he did against the Celtics, especially in his matchup against Vucevic.

Terance Mann: C+

Mann has been one of the more interesting players on the team as he could not play one second in one game, but be ready to play the next game when he receives the playing time. That was the case in Boston as he did a good job of scoring the ball and creating for his teammates in a game that got out of hand early in the second half.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Michael Porter Jr. drops 18 in 148-111 loss at Celtics