The shorthanded Brooklyn Nets fell 144-122 to the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday at Barclays Center. Brooklyn rested nearly its entire rotation on the back end of a back-to-back after defeating the Pistons in Detroit Tuesday.

The Nets ruled out Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton ahead of the game. Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas and Royce O'Neale played nearly the entire first quarter but did not touch the floor after. Despite trailing by just eight entering the fourth quarter, head coach Jacque Vaughn did not play Dennis Smith Jr. or Day'Ron Sharpe in the final period.

Vaughn was asked postgame about his decision to rest Brooklyn's active rotation players down the stretch:

“My thought was getting a feel and pulse of the game,” he said. “Mikal played 40 minutes last night, and so the thought was it wouldn't be wise for me to continue and go down this path and then have him play 40 minutes again. You have those decisions in the course of the game. I ran Cam, Royce, and Mikal pretty long in the first quarter. Just envisioned at the end of the night that I didn't want them touching 40 minutes again. That's really what it boiled down to.”

Vaughn's decision to effectively give Bridges the night off shouldn't come as a surprise. The 27-year-old, owner of the NBA's longest active games played streak, has not missed a game since high school. The coach admitted pregame that Bridges' streak played a role in him playing Wednesday.

Mikal Bridges reacts to Nets benching, resting starters; Jacque Vaughn sounds off

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn with fire coming out his mouth

 

However, Mikal Bridges had a different take on his decision to play and wasn't a fan of Brooklyn resting most of the rotation.

“I guess for their purposes is why. But I’m healthy, so I [don't] see why I wouldn't play,” he told the New York Post's Zach Braziller. “Didn’t like the choice [to rest everyone] and whatever that was. But it’s whatever. Definitely was not a fan.”

While Jacque Vaughn was wary of playing Bridges extended time after he played 40 minutes Tuesday, Thomas played just 23 minutes at Detroit, sitting the entire fourth quarter. Despite the Nets leading with less than six minutes left in the third quarter, the 22-year-old remained on the bench.

Brooklyn used an All-G-League lineup down the stretch, with rookies Jalen Wilson, Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney playing alongside two-ways Armoni Brooks and Keon Johnson. Milwaukee would remain in full throttle, playing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Damian Lillard and others until the game's final minutes, allowing them to pull away late.

Vaughn gave a passionate response when asked about treating the matchup like an “exhibition game” following the blowout loss.

“I have too much respect for the dudes that suit up and put their bodies on the line and the competition level to even mention the word exhibition,” he said. “Any guy could've ended their career tonight by one play, and so I treat it as such. It is an honor, it is a sense of gratitude that you do this for a living, and you never, ever underestimate that. If you do you'll pay for it.”

“So that was my approach tonight. I coached these dudes as hard as I could tonight because they deserved it. Each dude that stepped on the floor, they deserved to be coached, and they deserved to be on the floor tonight.”

Wilson led the Nets with 21 points and 10 rebounds (seven offensive) on 5-of-13 shooting from the field and 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. The second-round pick's 11 made free throws are the most by any rookie this season. He is also the first Nets rookie with a 20-point, 10-rebound game since Mason Plumlee in 2014.

Trendon Watford added 17 points, five rebounds and four assists on 6-of-9 shooting in 27 minutes. Dennis Smith Jr. posted 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists on 7-of-17 shooting in 30 minutes. Rookie first-round pick Noah Clowney chipped in 14 points and four rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting in the first extended action of his NBA career.

Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on 10-of-12 shooting, while Middleton added 27 points and 10 assists on 11-of-18 shooting.

Vaughn's decision to rest most of his rotation will give the group two days off before they travel to face the Washington Wizards on Friday. Brooklyn will close out 2023 in Oklahoma City against the Thunder on Sunday.