Kyrie Irving recognised the Brooklyn Nets have to do more to support Kevin Durant as the two-time Finals MVP's career night from three-point range was not enough to beat the Atlanta Hawks.
The Nets fell to 10th place in the Eastern Conference with a 122-115 reverse to the Hawks, who are eighth.
As things stand, Brooklyn will have to win consecutive games in the play-in tournament just to make the playoffs, while Atlanta get two shots at reaching the postseason.
This Nets setback came despite Durant scoring 55 points and making eight of 10 attempts from beyond the arc.
Eight threes made represented a career high for Durant, but he was more focused on the result.
"Every loss is deflating," Durant said. "I ain't even worried about [losing after a career high], I'm just mad at the loss.
"I'm glad I shot the ball well, made eight threes, a career high, but I wish we would have came out with a W just by doing the little stuff.
"My points are going to come, my shots are going to come, but the little stuff that we've got to do we've got to be on the same page with."
Team-mate Irving had 31 points but was the only other Net to make double figures. Brooklyn became the first team in NBA history to lose a game while having one player score 55 points and another 30.
Irving's came on 12-of-32 shooting, however, compared to Durant's 19-of-28 performance.
"It doesn't even feel like he had 55 tonight," Irving said. "You know what I mean? Just the way that we feel about the game afterwards.
"We just have to ease his burden on the offensive end. He's going to be Kevin Durant. We know who he is. We know what he's capable of.
"But we have to be there to support him. And we have to be there ready to play just as much as he is and not allow frustration seep in at all."
Irving did not go to the foul line once, with the Nets having only 19 free-throw attempts to the Hawks' 49.
"It's not because of the refs," said a frustrated Durant. "It was because we're reaching and being undisciplined and just playing too aggressive. That's the game."