Nets help their lottery chances with loss on road to Bucks

The Nets lost 125-108 in Milwaukee on Friday in a result that greatly enhanced their lottery chances next month.

Brooklyn (20-61) are third in the race to the bottom with just one game left, their regular season finale Sunday in Toronto.

They’re a game behind second-place Indiana, but moved 1 ½ games clear of both Utah and Sacramento, pending the former’s tilt against Memphis and the latter’s matchup against visiting Golden State.

Now, after losing without 10 players on Friday and getting wins from Utah and Sacramento, the Nets clinched a top 3 spot in the lottery standings. The Top 3 lottery seeds all have identical 14 percent odds of winning, and a 40.1 percent shot at one of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer.

They now have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery and 40.1% odds of a Top 3 pick, drafting no worse than seventh.

As for Friday night’s ugly loss, the Nets allowed 55.6 percent shooting, with AJ Green pouring in a game-high 35 points on 11-of-16 from deep and Cormac Ryan adding 28.

Nets guard Tyson Etienne had 15 of his career-high 23 points in the first quarter.

Malachi Smith added career-highs of 19 points and 10 assists, along with a career-high tying eight rebounds for the Nets, who played without Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Drake Powell, Josh Minott, Terance Mann, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf.

Smith is the first rookie in team history with at least 15 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a game.

Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a 13th straight game, theoretically with a hyperextended left knee and bruised bone, but really because of a busted relationship with the Bucks and Milwaukee’s tanking.

For a change, though, the Nets would not be out-tanked.