|
 On the strength of two clutch plays the Nets are the ones enjoying a
sweep.
Brook Lopez scored 20 points, including a game-winning tip-in with
four-tenths of a second left in overtime, and Brooklyn defeated the
Nuggets 121-120 on Friday.
Markel Brown scored a career-high 21 points and Bojan Bogdanovic had
17 for the Nets, who have won three in a row in Denver and five
straight overall against the Nuggets.
It was the second time in less than a month Denver had a win ripped
away against Brooklyn. The Nets (18-44) beat the Nuggets 105-104 in
Brooklyn on Feb. 8 when Joe Johnson hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer
from well behind the arc.
"Both games we're one stop from getting a win and we were unable to
do so," Denver coach Michael Malone said.
Emmanuel Mudiay had 25 points and seven assists and Gary Harris tied
a career-high with 21 points, but Denver suffered another tough loss
to Brooklyn.
"It's always a tough loss," Mudiay said. "We didn't defend so that's
what happens when you don't defend late situations like that."
Johnson, who was waived last week, wasn't around to be the hero.
This time, it was Lopez who came through when he tipped in Shane
Larkin's missed layup.
"We were trying to get into a pick-and-role, Shane made a great move
and beat Mudiay off the dribble and drew (Nikola) Jokic," Lopez
said. "I went to crash the basket and it came back out."
It ended a back-and-forth overtime in a game that had 17 lead
changes. Bogdanovic's layup put Brooklyn ahead by one early in the
overtime and Brown's dunk made it 119-116 with 2:28 left.
Mudiay's layup with 1:02 remaining cut the lead to one, and after
Thaddeus Young's hook rimmed out at the other end, Mudiay hit two
free throws to put Denver ahead 120-119 with 40 seconds left.
A Brooklyn turnover and missed 3-pointer by Denver's Will Barton
with 6.2 seconds left set up the last sequence.
"Anytime Brook sets a screen, it's going to create some openness for
Larkin," Nets interim coach Tony Brown said. "He was able to get to
the rim and the missed shot we were able to put it back in. Huge
play, huge game."
[to top of second column] |
Jokic's desperation shot was well short at the final buzzer.
Kenneth Faried had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Jokic finished with
15 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets (24-38).
The Nets are 3-3 on their nine-game road trip that continues
Saturday night in Minnesota. They head to Minneapolis with a hot
shooting hand after hitting 59 percent of their 3-pointers Friday.
They made their first five and were 9-for-13 in the first half from
long range.
"It's a joke how badly we defended," Malone said. "The second half
was much better, but you can't pick and choose when you are going to
defend."
The Nuggets nearly rallied to win in regulation when Mudiay's
three-point play with 5.1 seconds left put them ahead 112-110.
After a Brooklyn timeout, Mudiay fouled Bogdanovic on a 3-point
attempt with 3.3 seconds left but he hit only two free throws to tie
it at 112.
Mudiay said he didn't think he fouled Bogdanovic.
"He sold it," he said. "It is what it is, I got all ball but they
called it a foul."
Harris' 3-pointer at the horn rimmed out and sent the game to
overtime.
NOTES: Nuggets coach Michael Malone said F Axel Toupane will get a
chance to show what he can do. Toupane was signed to a 10-day
contract Thursday to help add depth, and will see some game action
with F Danilo Gallinari out with torn ligaments in his ankle. "With
Gallo being out, bringing in another small forward can help us get
through practice," Malone said. "There's also some intrigue there.
He's talented, he's versatile and if we can get him out there the
next couple of games or so we will do so." ... Nets G Sean
Kilpatrick signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn on Sunday. He
played under two 10-day contracts with Denver this season. ... G
Will Barton is the only Nugget to appear in all 62 games this
season.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
