The Brooklyn Nets' five-game winning streak over the Miami Heat ended Thursday at Kaseya Center with a 122-115 loss. Miami entered the game on a six-game winning streak, with their last defeat coming on Nov. 1 to Brooklyn.

Here are three key takeaways from a decisive Nets loss.

Lonnie Walker continues Nets breakout

Walker has been Brooklyn's most pleasant surprise early this season after signing for the minimum. The 24-year-old has firmly planted himself in the way-too-early Sixth Man of the Year conversation. Entering Thursday's matchup, Walker led the NBA in scoring among players averaging 24 minutes per game or less, posting 15.0 points per game on 51/46/77 shooting splits.

He continued his stellar play in Miami, scoring a season-high 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting. With the Heat threatening to pull away in the third quarter, Walker scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting to keep Brooklyn within striking distance.

As the Heat pressured Brooklyn's ball-handlers near halfcourt, Walker was the only Net able to put consistent pressure on the rim. His three-level scoring will continue to be crucial as the Nets search for halfcourt shot-creation with Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons sidelined.

Turnovers plague shorthanded Nets

Ball handling is at a premium for Brooklyn without Simmons and Thomas. It showed Thursday as the Nets committed 14 turnovers. Brooklyn held a six-point lead approaching halftime. However, they shot 0-of-7 and committed three turnovers in the final four minutes, allowing Miami to close on a 14-0 run and take control of the game.

“Their little run going into halftime. You can't have that momentum shift. That's something we have to learn about, finishing strong and having momentum on our side going into the break,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said postgame. “We were never able to get over the hump after that. We just couldn't get the stops late.”

After scoring a season-high 29 points in Tuesday's win over the Magic, Spencer Dinwiddie struggled against an aggressive Heat defense, scoring 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting with seven assists and two turnovers. Without Simmons and Thomas, the Nets have had difficulty finding offensive initiators outside of the veteran guard.

Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson have struggled with their handles after playing off-ball roles for most of their careers in Phoenix. Walker continues to provide a scoring punch but is not a natural facilitator. And while Dennis Smith Jr. posted five assists off the bench for his fifth-straight game, he shot 2-of-6 from the field, struggling to produce as a ball-handler given his lack of an outside shot.

Brooklyn has no answers for Jimmy Butler

The Nets turned in one of their best defensive performances of the season during Tuesday's win over Orlando. However, they had no answers for Jimmy Butler in Miami.

The six-time All-Star overwhelmed Brooklyn's defense to the tune of 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Butler routinely muscled his way to the rim against a cohort of Nets defenders, converting 10 of a game-high 11 free-throw attempts.

The Nets' off-ball defense was also a major disappointment. Miami shot 42-of-81 (52 percent) from the field, 15-of-35 (43 percent) from three and 23-of-24 (95.8 percent) from the free-throw line, with Brooklyn frequently losing track of cutters and spot-up shooters off doubles or late rotations.

Thursday's loss brings the Nets' record to 6-6. Brooklyn will have an opportunity to get back in the winning column when they host the Philadelphia 76ers for a Sunday matinee matchup at Barclays Center.