Nets win 3rd straight after close finish against Rockets at Barclays Center
NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets found themselves in desperation mode late in Tuesday’s rematch against the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center. Keon Johnson connected from deep to cut their deficit to two with 6.9 seconds left. From there, all Houston had to do was inbounds the ball cleanly and ice the game at the free-throw line.
That’s it.
But then the improbable happened. Searching for an angle under his own basket, Amen Thompson tried to get the ball to Dillon Brooks but threw a lousy pass. The ball somehow rolled into the hands of D’Angelo Russell’s, and he was wide open with his feet set behind the 3-point line.
Houston couldn’t contest and the veteran point guard did the rest. The Nets capitalized on the chaos and beat the Rockets, 99-97.
The Nets threw haymakers last Saturday at Toyota Center, but through the first 30 minutes of Tuesday’s game, they threw up nothing but bricks.
Effort wasn’t the problem. They played hard from start to finish, just like they did three nights ago in Houston. Tosan Evbuomwan and Jalen Wilson were a combined 5 for 6 in the first quarter, which kept the game close early, then Johnson ignited for nine points in the second quarter.
Despite shooting just 40.5% from the field in the first half (4 for 13 from deep), the Nets trailed by just two points at halftime because the visitors were shooting worse at 39.5%. Once Nic Claxton caught fire in the third quarter, momentum shifted in Brooklyn’s favor.
Claxton, the subject of recent trade rumors in Los Angeles, scored eight of his 14 points in the period, and Tyrese Martin added eight points of his own. They spearheaded a 55% shooting effort for the Nets in the third quarter, where they outscored the Rockets 27-21 to take a 71-67 edge into the final frame.
The fewest points Brooklyn has allowed through three quarters this season have come in the last three games. 63 points last Wednesday in Charlotte, 64 points last Saturday in Houston and 67 points Tuesday night at home.
Houston roared back in the fourth quarter. A Reed Sheppard 3-pointer cut the Rockets’ deficit to one with 3:55 left. Then a 3-foot Alperen Sengun hook gave them their first lead since the 5:52 mark in the third quarter. Sengun struck again moments later, snatching an offensive rebound and finishing through contact to put the Rockets up 92-88 with 1:30 left.
But the Nets kept fighting. With 45.7 seconds left, Ziaire Williams drilled a trey from the left corner to make it a one-point game — an opportunity created by the Rockets taking two awful 3s early in the shot clock while up four in the final minute.
Sengun thought he made it right for Houston in the end. Brooklyn couldn’t keep him out of the paint, and his four straight makes at the free throw line in the final seconds seemingly put the game out of reach. The nonsense began after Brooks split a pair of free throws seconds later.
For the Rockets, it was an epic collapse in every sense. They committed 18 turnovers, which created 25 points for Brooklyn, and their final giveaway was the costliest of all. The Nets outscored them 52-40 in the paint and limited them to 41% shooting on the night.
The Nets, winners of three straight for the first time since November, improved to 17-33 with the win. Johnson, one of Brooklyn’s heroes on Tuesday, led the team in scoring with 22 points in just over 29 minutes. Sengun paced the Rockets with 24 points and 20 rebounds.
Brooklyn will return to action on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards at Barclays Center.
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