Every fan in attendance at Barclays Center was on their feet for the most crucial possession in Thursday’s encore matchup between the Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers: game on, single possession game, who takes the last shot?
This time it was Spencer Dinwiddie, who sized up his man with a flurry of crosses before driving down the lane for a high-arching layup that should have been the nail in the coffin.
Plot twist: It wasn’t: The embodiment of all the struggles the Nets face now that there are no stars left to rescue Brooklyn down the stretch of tight games.
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell hit a mid-range jumper to pull Cleveland within two, then the Nets turned the ball over and the ball found its way to Mitchell, who attacked the rim and made it to the basket. free throw line.
Mitchell made the first free throw and then missed the second before recovering his own miss. He missed the spike, but the ball found its way to forward Isaac Okoro, who hit a game-winning three-pointer that left just 0.7 seconds on the clock.
Mikal Bridges’ buzzer from near half court fell just short. The Nets led as many as 10 in the fourth quarter before that lead evaporated.
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And as a result, the hellish stay at Barclays Center went as expected: winless.
the striped express
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Thursday’s 116-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers marked the Nets’ fifth straight loss and fourth at home in as many games, including the second straight loss to a Cavs team that will clinch the No. the Eastern Conference.
The Nets have no such guarantees and must continue the fight for their livelihood in the playoffs against a rising Miami Heat looking to break out of Tournament Entry territory.
Since the Knicks created a gap between themselves and the No. 7-seeded Nets, the only way the Heat can do that is by winning more games than Brooklyn the rest of the way.
The Nets and Heat are now side by side in the standings, with Brooklyn 13.5 games behind No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks and Miami just a half-game better.
Bridges finished with a game-high 32 points, and Dinwiddie added 25 points and 12 assists. Mitchell led his team with 31 and Cavs big man Evan Mobley unleashed the Nets with 26 points and 16 rebounds.
Joe Harris came off the bench to make five of eight 3-pointers, none more important than the 3-pointer he hit midway through the third quarter to give the Nets a 10-point lead, their biggest lead of the night. Harris broke his career mark of 1,000 3-pointers against the Cavaliers on Thursday. He finished with 15 points and three rebounds on the night.
Next, the Nets travel to Florida for a back-to-back, first against the Heat, then against the Orlando Magic the next night.
