Following a letdown loss vs. the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, the Brooklyn Nets saw their season slipping away during Tuesday's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Facing the prospect of falling three-and-a-half games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the East's final play-in spot, Brooklyn trailed a Sixers team without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey by 14 points in the first half and eight points in the fourth quarter.
But unlike Monday, the Nets showed resolve. They closed the game on a 28-15 run, shooting 8-of-12 while holding the Sixers to 6-of-17 over the final 8:40 en route to a 112-107 victory.
“Their resilience [stood out],” interim head coach Kevin Ollie said of the performance. “We talked about that earlier. Philly came out and I think they were up by 14 points and we just dug in, stayed together, stayed connected. I challenged the guys in our pregame walkthrough at five o'clock that we needed to stay together, and they did that.
“Nobody was pouting over there. Nobody was pointing the fingers… This is the fourth quarter of our season, so we have to challenge each other. We can't afford to let a single game slip.”
Nets' resilience pays off in hard-fought win over 76ers
Three role players led Brooklyn in the win.
Dennis Schroder posted a team-high 20 points and eight assists on 7-of-12 shooting. The veteran point guard, who Brooklyn acquired at the trade deadline for Spencer Dinwiddie, has led the team in scoring over the last six games, averaging 17.2 points and 6.5 assists on 51 percent shooting from the field and 59 percent from three.
Dorian Finney-Smith added 20 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from three. The veteran wing led the team's fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the final frame.
Lonnie Walker IV proved to be the final difference-maker. The shooting guard, who was questionable entering the game due to an ankle sprain, scored 19 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three on his way to a team-best plus-29 in 29 minutes.
It appeared in the first quarter that Walker's night could be ending early. After he let up an offensive rebound and putback to Sixers big man Paul Reed, Ollie subbed Walker out and gave him an earful on the sideline. However, he would play the 25-year-old for 25 minutes over the final three quarters, the Nets reaping the benefits of their early confrontation.
“He just told me to pick it up,” Walker said. “He kind of put some more energy in my soul, as far as I gotta lock in and I really got to pick it up and understand we're not taking these possessions for granted, we’re playing the right way. And I owe it to my teammates, to say the least. He’s been challenging me. KO’s a great guy.”
Brooklyn pulled out the win despite another slow night from Mikal Bridges, who scored 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Nic Claxton added 17 points and 10 rebounds while blocking four shots. Cam Johnson exited in the first quarter due to an ankle sprain and did not return. The 6-foot-8 forward said he will receive scans on the ankle Wednesday.
Kelly Oubre led Philadelphia with 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, while Tobias Harris added 18 points on 8-0f-16 shooting.
With the victory, the Nets remain two-and-a-half games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the East's final play-in spot. Brooklyn will kick off a six-game road trip Thursday against the Detroit Pistons before a back-to-back with the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers this weekend.