If there was ever a must-win game for the Brooklyn Nets this season, it was Saturday's matchup in Miami. Brooklyn came into the game on a five-game losing streak that pushed them a half-game back of the Heat to seventh in the Eastern Conference. Miami entered winners of seven of their last 10.

The Heat delivered their best punch in the first quarter, shooting 13-of-16 from the field and 6-of-7 from three to open up an eight-point lead. They would carry over that offense to the second with Max Strus shooting 9-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from three to open the night. But a three-point barrage from Brooklyn to end the half cut the deficit to four.

Brooklyn found themselves at a crossroads in their roller-coaster season as they made their way to the locker room. A loss would make it increasingly likely that they land in the play-in for the second consecutive season.

The Nets weren’t ready to roll over just yet.

They emerged from the tunnel and turned in their best quarter of the year, opening the period on a 31-6 run while shooting 11-of-15 from the field and 5-of-6 from three. The offensive explosion coincided with a defensive clinic as they held Miami to 6-of-19 shooting in the frame while forcing four turnovers.

The Nets would slam the door shut in the fourth, coasting to a 129-100 victory. All in all, they held Miami to 31 points on 11-of-39 shooting (28.2 percent) in the second half on their way to a 33-point advantage. And Jacque Vaughn said that flow of production between both ends of the floor is the identity he envisions for his new-look team:

“It was a prime example of who we have to be,” he said. “This is without a doubt our capability to be able to turn defense into offense. You got a chance to see us get out in transition and make threes, which was impressive. We have enough shooting to space the floor, but the determination to get the 50/50 balls and come back and rebound the basketball tonight was impressive from a lot of guys.”

The Nets again turned their rebounding weakness into a strength, a trend that has emerged over the last three games. Brooklyn grabbed 17 offensive rebounds compared to eight for Miami on their way to a 29-14 second-chance points advantage. The critical win came despite an off night from Brooklyn’s best player, Mikal Bridges. The breakout forward shot just 7-of-19 in the victory, but would still finish with a game-high 27 points thanks to 10-of-11 shooting from the charity stripe.

It was Bridges’ “twin” Cam Johnson who proved to be the difference. The 26-year-old poured in 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field while draining five triples.

Johnson had struggled heading into the matchup, shooting 35.1 percent from the field over his last 10 appearances. But Bridges said he wasn't surprised that his longtime teammate broke out in a huge spot:

“He’s built for the moment,” Bridges said of his Nets teammate. “We all know he can shoot the heck out of the ball. He was doing everything, putting it on the floor, creating, and doing what he does. Once he gets in the rhythm, trust me I’ve been a witness of it for years, he don’t get out of them.”

Johnson admitted that he viewed the matchup as a must-win following his big night:

“Coming in I thought it was a must-win, I thought the whole locker room did,” he said. “This is as close to a playoff game with big implications as you’ll get in the regular season. So this was a big one for us. And one where we just bared down and got it done.”

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Spencer Dinwiddie turned in a well-rounded performance, posting 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Nic Claxton stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting with 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Edmond Sumner provided a spark off the bench in his first extended action in over two weeks, scoring 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Sumner has been out of the rotation since the All-Star break. However, his high-energy play galvanized Brooklyn as they began their comeback in the second quarter and carried it over after the break. The guard sent the Nets into the half by going coast-to-coast for a layup at the buzzer.

Johnson went out of his way to rave about Sumner's effect on the team during the Nets' dramatic turnaround:

“Edmond came in and gave us a huge lift today,” he said. “I know he's been through some stuff in his career, but to just see him playing with joy on his face, I think that elevates everybody. He's out there playing hard with a smile on his face. He plays out 100 miles per hour and flies around. I thought a lot of people fed off that today. It was a lot of fun watching him hoop.”

The win pulls Brooklyn a half-game ahead of Miami for sixth place in the East with eight left to play. Brooklyn won't have much time to celebrate as they will be back in action at Orlando Sunday.