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 Center Brook Lopez totaled a season-high 31 points and 10 rebounds
and the Nets never trailed in a 116-106 victory over the Oklahoma
City Thunder on Sunday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Although the opening tip was pushed back four hours, the Nets did
not have time to practice or watch much film from Friday's 22-point
loss to the Utah Jazz as the New York area was blanketed with over
two feet of snow. Even without the practice, Brooklyn bounced back
from a game, which featured its defense giving up 37 points in the
third quarter and a night that saw Lopez get held to eight points.
Coming off his second game of the season under double digits, Lopez
rebounded by shooting 11 of 19 and surpassed the season high he set
Jan. 2 in Boston. He scored 17 of his points after halftime when the
Nets withstood some charges by Oklahoma City.
"Our focus," Lopez said of the difference between Friday and Sunday.
"That's the way we need to play every night. We had a different
attitude."
Lopez also helped the Nets get a win on a night when Oklahoma City
stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook had productive nights.
Durant finished with 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting. It was the
forward's 10th game with at least 30 points and only the second time
the Thunder lost one of Durant's 30-point showings.
Westbrook added 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists but the
guard shot 12 of 27 and it was not enough as the Thunder had a
seven-game winning streak and lost for the seventh time in their
last 33 games.
"We battled and fought, but the level of consistency wasn't where it
needed to be," Thunder coach Billy Donavan said.
Those showings by the stars were not enough because Oklahoma City
could not contain Lopez like Utah did.
"They kicked our (expletive) all night, rebounding the ball, scoring
in the paint," Durant said. "They did what they wanted to and we
have to do a better job helping our bigs down there. They kind of
controlled the game (with) their bigs."
Lopez recorded his 18th double-double and also hit one of the
biggest shots in Brooklyn's second win in its last 15 home games.
Oklahoma City was within 98-93 on a 3-pointer by reserve guard Dion
Waiters with 6:17 remaining.
The Nets responded with a 9-2 run over the next 2:07 and it was
highlighted by Lopez's off-balance fade-away jumper around center
Enes Kanter with 4:47 left. The shot put the Nets up 103-92 and
Brooklyn never let the lead slip below eight the rest of the way.
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"I thought Brook was outstanding," Brooklyn interim coach Tony Brown
said. "He had a big presence in the paint. We posted him (up). He
had a lot of shots at the rim, he got to the foul line. That's the
kind of showing I'd like to see from going forward -- be a threat in
the post and dominate."
While Lopez helped the Nets get their second wire-to-wire victory,
others contributed as Brooklyn improved to 12-33.
Reserve guard Bojan Bogdanovic hit four of Brooklyn's eight
3-pointers and added 18 points. Forwards Thaddeus Young chipped in
14 and Joe Johnson contributed 13 as Brooklyn shot 48 percent and
won despite giving up 60 points in the paint.
"It means a lot for us especially because we are going through a
tough stretch," Bogdanovic said. "I thought we played great
tonight."
Before Lopez's fade-away sealed the game, the Nets had numerous
answers each time the Thunder cut into the lead. . They saw an
eight-point lead whittled to two on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by
Durant in the first quarter but took a 60-52 edge at halftime.
The Nets built a 78-65 lead on a free throw by guard Donald Sloan
with 3:54 remaining in the third. Oklahoma City made it 81-77 on a
3-pointer by guard Cameron Payne with 44 seconds left in the third
but the Nets took an eight-point lead into the fourth on a
transition dunk by Bogdanovic.
NOTES: Oklahoma City C Steven Adams (sprained right elbow) sat out a
second straight game. The injury is not considered serious but he is
unlikely to play Tuesday in New York and Wednesday in Minnesota. ...
The Thunder also lost G Andre Roberson to sprained right knee when
he collided with G Russell Westbrook around the basket with about 2
1/2 minutes left in the first quarter. ... Sunday marked the second
time the Nets faced Westbrook in Brooklyn. Westbrook scored 25
points in the Thunder's six-point win at Barclays Center on Dec. 4,
2012, and then missed the next two meetings recovering from knee
injuries. In the Thunder's two visits to Brooklyn without Westbrook,
Reggie Jackson was the starting point guard. ... Although the
Thunder and Nets are in the New York area through Tuesday, the game
could not have been rescheduled for Monday since the New York
Islanders are hosting the Detroit Red Wings.
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