3 Nets takeaways from 113-100 loss to Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets (3-14) were playing on the second night of a back-to-back against a New York Knicks (10-6) team that is looking to play the way that head coach Mike Brown wants them to. Brooklyn was hoping to end their home losing streak at six games after suffering a tough loss at the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, but things don't always go your way.

The Nets lost to the Knicks 113-100 in a game that was essentially a competitive one until the third quarter when Brooklyn didn't have answer for New York center Karl-Anthony Towns. Forward Noah Clowney had his best game of the season with 31 points (career-high) and four rebounds while rookie Drake Powell continued to show his potential with 15 points and four assists off the bench.

The aforementioned Towns did whatever he wanted to do against the Nets as he dropped 37 points and 12 rebounds with most of his points coming from point-blank layups. Guard Jalen Brunson did his part to make life easier for Towns as he had 27 points and three assists. Here are three Nets takeaways from Monday's 113-100 loss to the Knicks:

Noah Clowney Has Arrived

Clowney was already having a great November coming into Monday's loss to the Knicks as he was becoming a regular contributor on the offensive end of the floor for a Nets team trying to create offense without Cam Thomas in the lineup. Clowney went on to drop a career-high 31 points, including making a career-high seven three-pointers, to show that he's not only ready to take the next step, but that he may have already taken that next step.

Drake Powell Shows More Of His Offense

Powell has been a regular member of head coach Jordi Fernandez's rotation since he recovered from his ankle injuries and thus far, the former North Carolina Tar Heel showed glimpses of his offensive potential. Powell has slowly getting more aggressive with the ball in his hands, as evidenced by his persistence in attacking Knicks guard Tyler Kolek on switches, and with what he is able to create with his athleticism, Powell should be interesting to see during the second half of the season.

Michael Porter Jr./Nic Claxton Struggle Mightily

This was the second night of a back-to-back and while most athletes and coaches would not use that scenario as an excuse, it was clear that Porter and Claxton were missing that second gear against the Knicks. Porter wasn't able to make many shots even when he was wide-open and Claxton had trouble sticking with Karl-Anthony Towns, a tough task for any center. However, Porter and Claxton can't play like they did against New York if Brooklyn has a chance of winning any game moving forward.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 113-100 loss to Knicks