Brooklyn Nets Set NBA Record for Fewest Rebounds in a Game

The Brooklyn Nets made history on Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder—but it wasn't the good kind. That's because the Nets set the NBA record for fewest rebounds in a game.

Against OKC, the Nets were only able to bring in 17 rebounds, with only three coming on the offensive end. The Thunder, for their part, grabbed 41 boards, more than doubling Brooklyn's paltry output. 

The previous record was 18, posted by the Detroit Pistons in a 2001 game against the original Charlotte Hornets. 

As one would imagine whenever history of this sort is made, there was a confluence of contributing factors.

For one, the Nets simply aren't a great rebounding team. They came into the night ranked 20th in defensive rebound percentage. They're even worse on the offensive glass, ranking 24th in the league.

But it's not like the Thunder are an elite rebounding team in their own right. They're 14th on the defensive glass and ninth on offensive rebounding. Slightly above average—not elite.

Though, it wasn't just an inability to rebound that caused the record-breaking performance. Also contributing to it was Brooklyn's porous defense. The Nets allowed OKC to shoot a scorching 63.6 percent from the field on 77 field-goal attempts.

Use your deductive reasoning. If the Thunder are making their shots, then it's impossible for the Nets to grab the rebound, which is exactly what happened. Oklahoma City only missed 28 field goals all night long.

"A lot of makes. The ball was going through the basket a lot," Shaun Livingston said, per Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York. 

Brooklyn has played much better in recent weeks, but Friday's game was just another example of the team's struggles this season. And if the Nets ever need a reminder, all they need to do is check out the record books. They'll find themselves there under the fewest rebounds in a game.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com. 

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