Kevin Durant said at training camp that the Brooklyn Nets' response to adversity this season would be the true test of their camaraderie. Like students in the first week of class, that test is coming earlier than Ben Simmons and Brooklyn's squad may have liked.

The Nets fell to 1-3 with a 110-99 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. It was a high-intensity defensive battle that saw five technical fouls called on Brooklyn and Nets head coach Steve Nash ejected for the first time in his coaching career:

Brooklyn closed the first half on a 16-9 run to take a 55-43 lead at the break. But as has been the case this season, and for much of Nash's tenure, the Nets were dominated 35-21 in the third quarter and failed to regain the lead at any point in the fourth. Brooklyn is minus-41 in third quarters through four games.

Nash's squad played solid defense for the majority of the game but failed to stop former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo down the stretch. After struggling early, Antetokounmpo exploded for 34 points on 13-of-15 shooting in the second half to hand Brooklyn its second straight loss.

Some observations and takeaways from the Nets' performance.

3. Nets' offense sputters down the stretch

For the second straight game, the Nets were in control after two quarters. And for the second straight game, they gave the game away in the second half. But unlike Brooklyn's 134-124 shootout loss in Memphis, it was the offense that failed them down the stretch Wednesday.

The Nets mustered just 44 points on 14-of-40 (35 percent) shooting in the second half. The team got just eight points out of anyone not named Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in that span. Brooklyn couldn't buy a 3-pointer if they were on clearance at the 99-cent store, shooting 1-of-16 in the half as Milwaukee climbed back into the game and took control.

3-point shooting was supposed to be a strength for the Nets this season, but they have failed to find their groove from deep early on. Brooklyn is 39-of-124 (31.5 percent) from deep through four games. Uncharacteristically, Durant and Irving have been ice-cold from deep to start the year, shooting 1-of-11 against Milwaukee and 14-of-53 (26.4 percent) for the season.

There is little doubt the star duo will improve there given their track records. Joe Harris' rust after missing all of last season is also a main factor in the Nets' struggles from deep. His re-acclimation, along with the return of Seth Curry, should provide a major boost for Brooklyn's 3-point efficiency. Both are among the top shooters in the league at 43.9 percent from deep for their careers.

With Curry and T.J. Warren sidelined, Irving and Durant are also the only players in Brooklyn's rotation who can create their own shot. The star duo did not play one of their better games Wednesday, shooting a combined 19-of-44 from the field, but they got virtually no help from their top role players.

Ben Simmons finished with four points and did not attempt a shot in the second half. Royce O'Neale hit four first-half triples before going 0-of-5 in the second. Joe Harris took three shots. Nic Claxton finished 1-of-4 shooting. And, finally, Patty Mills missed both of his field goal attempts.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are capable of carrying a heavy load, but Brooklyn will need greater contributions across the board to compete with elite teams like the Bucks.

2. Problems at center

It was known heading into the season that Brooklyn's center position was going to be a problem. Nic Claxton had his worst game of the season Wednesday but has played well for the most part to open the season. The major issue lies with backup Day'Ron Sharpe.

As was the case in Brooklyn's first three games, Sharpe looked completely overmatched in 13 minutes against Milwaukee. The Nets made the decision to stick the 20-year-old on Antetokounmpo for defensive stretches, and the results were as could be expected. When Sharpe has been on the floor, the team has struggled defensively with the big man and Brooklyn's guards frequently out of sync. Markieff Morris' return will help in this regard, but general manager Sean Marks may have to address backup center sooner rather than later.

While he has been productive early, Claxton presents fit issues alongside Simmons that put greater pressure on Irving and Durant as shot creators. Claxton and Simmons' presence as non-shooters greatly limits what Brooklyn can do offensively. This was evident in the second half with defenders sagging off Simmons deep into the paint and Claxton struggling to find his spots.

Playing Ben Simmons at center remains a logical answer to this problem. Brooklyn has shown this look very sparingly through four games, but found success with it Wednesday. The Nets closed the first half on a 16-7 run with a lineup of Kyrie Irving, O'Neale, Kevin Durant, Yuta Watanabe and Ben Simmons. They went back to Simmons at the 5 for the final minute of the third quarter and again with six minutes remaining. However, Milwaukee's lead had already swelled to seven at that point.

Lineups with Simmons at center will struggle to defend and rebound against bigger teams. However, if the offensive issues with Simmons and Claxton/Sharpe persist, Nash may have no other choice than to commit to the idea for extended periods.

1. Ben Simmons' struggles continue

Ben Simmons' start to the game Wednesday felt different than any of his opening three. The three-time All-Star came out with an assertive mentality, barreling into the chest of Antetokounmpo on two opening plays in attempts to get to the rim. Simmons then initiated contact down low to clear space off a pass from Durant for a lay-in. He also attempted a runner from the free-throw line:

The results were below average with Simmons finishing the first half 2-of-7 from the field. However, the seven field goal attempts were more than double what he had taken in any half in his first three games. Regardless of the outcome, the mentality was the most aggressive Simmons had shown in a Nets uniform and a positive development.

However, similar to Brooklyn's loss in Memphis, Simmons completely disappeared down the stretch. He did not attempt a shot in the second half with Milwaukee's defenders sagging disrespectfully low into the paint. The 26-year-old finished the game with four points, five rebounds and nine assists.

Irving was noticeably frustrated after the game when asked about Simmons' ongoing struggles:

Ben Simmons came up grabbing his back after initiating hard contact with Antetokounmpo in the first quarter. He did the same thing Monday after being bumped by Steven Adams on his way to the basket. It is clear that Simmons is a shell of his old self athletically while still recovering from offseason back surgery.

The Aussie's teammates and coaches continue to emphasize patience when asked about his performance, but the pressure to produce will only increase if the losses continue to pile up.

Brooklyn's coaches and players understood it would be a long road to success for the new-look team this season. The Nets have been tested with four of the league's better teams to open the season. Outside of the season-opening blowout loss to New Orleans, the Nets have been competitive and led in each game in the second half.

However, moral victories will do little to quell the avalanche of speculation coming if Brooklyn continues to lose following Kevin Durant's trade request this summer. It does not get any easier for the Nets as they get back to work Thursday night as they host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.