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| As a Net, Joe Johnson has came through in the clutch to win games on many occasions. Tonight was no different, except the buzzer-beater came on a floater, not jumper |
It sure is nice to feel good about the Nets again.
After a wretched first quarter, countless lead changes and momentum shifts in the second half, and pulse-pounding back-and-forth action in the overtimes, Joe Johnson did what he does best: hit buzzer-beating shots to win games for the Nets. Joe sent the game into extra time in the first place with score-tying 9-footer late in the fourth quarter. Then he did it against as the clock hit 0:00 at the end of the first and only overtime of tonight's game at the US Airways Center.
The win does come with a major caveat, though, as Deron Williams re-sprained his left ankle in the first quarter. D-Will was driving to the basket when he pulled up lame and collapsed onto the court. He only played five minutes before he had to limp to the locker room. X-rays taken during the were fortunately negative, but even so, the last thing Brooklyn needs is Deron playing at less than 100 percent as the Nets attempt to right themselves as team and collective unit.
Brooklyn started the evening's festivities very sluggish, letting the fast-paced Suns run up and down the court with relative ease as they built a double-digit first quarter lead. It appeared early as if the Nets were going to just fade away, like they did in their loss to the Kings. Then, Brooklyn struggled throughout much of the second frame before a late-quarter surge (a 8-2 run) cut Phoenix's lead from ten points to a more manageable four by halftime.
Surprisingly enough, the third quarter–which tends to ruin the Nets–was a godsend, as Brooklyn continued it's good play at the end of the first half into the next one, scoring the first 16 points. The Suns didn't score until Marcus Morris hit a jumper at the 5:01 point of the third quarter, meaning they were held scoreless by the Nets for nearly seven minutes. That stretch gave Brooklyn a 12-point lead, which was cut in half by the conclusion of the quarter. Brooklyn led by six (73-67) at the end of the third.
The Suns wouldn't be trailing for long, as three-pointers from Marcus Morris and Channing Frye immediately tied up the score right as the fourth quarter began. The rest of the fourth saw the lead switching hands multiple times as Phoenix answered every Brooklyn with one of their own and vice versa. But, down one with 39 ticks remaining, a driving Goran Dragic found a wide open P.J. Tucker in the corner for a totally uncontested three. However, instead of succumb to their late deficit and lose, the Nets turned to their late-game guy, Joe Johnson, who came through with a nifty floater in the lane to send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, the Nets were up by four points (98-94) when a Dragic lay-in (on which he was fouled but missed the free throw) and Tucker jumper tied up the score at 98, giving Brooklyn the ball. Kevin Garnett would subsequently missed another open 17-footer (he was just 2-for-8 from the field) which Brook Lopez rebounded and promptly was stolen from by Dragic. Then Channing Frye missed a three on a broken play with just six seconds left. The loose ball was tipped to Joe, who bounded up the court with his long strides, cut into the lane, and hit a high floater as the buzzer went off, giving the Nets a much needed win.
Some other observations I had from the game: Brooklyn committed a reasonable 12 turnovers in regulation and overtime. Interestingly enough, 11 of those turnovers came in the first half, with none in the third or fourth quarters and just one in overtime. If you want a reason why the Nets were able to pull out this win, look there…..I'm willing to forgive Joe's 6-for-19 shooting because two of those six field goals made sent the game to overtime and won it in overtime. He truly has been incredible late in close games since coming over from the Hawks…..Brook Lopez was unstoppable yet again. He dropped 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting along with seven rebounds. Brook swatted three shots too. Nobody on the Suns came close to interfering with Lopez' offense dominance in the paint, so it's a wonder he only took 16 shots in 36 minutes…..Tonight's game could have also been known as the Brother Battle. Brook's twin, Robin Lopez, used to play for the Suns. Mason Plumlee, first-round pick of the Nets, faced off against his brother Miles for the first time since the pair were growing up in Indiana. Also, the Suns' own pair of twins–Markieff and Marcus Morris–played some time together on the court. So at any time during the game, all of part of three of the NBA's active brother-brother combinations were on the floor…..Shaun Livingston, playing for D-Will, brought a lot of fire to the Nets and engineered much of the team's comeback effort late in this game. He put up 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with six assists. Livingston had been one of the more consistent Nets this season and further validates his signing this offseason by Billy King. What a steal.
Looking Ahead
Brooklyn does it all over again on Saturday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers. The Nets' left coast swing ends in LA, as they head back to the east to take on the Trail Blazers on Monday night at the Barclays Center.
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