Thursday night’s matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks came down to the wire. As the Mavs continued their climb in the Western Conference, the Nets were trying to avoid a four-game losing skid. With 27 seconds left in regulation, Nets star Kyrie Irving made a head-scratching play that helped cost his team the game.

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As Irving looked to attack the basket, he somehow blew the layup with an airball. As the Nets were trailing by six points in the game, they desperately needed a basket to keep themselves alive.

Irving’s airball layup became a momentum changer for Nets, in a negative way. The Mavericks would later ice the game off of free throws to win on their home floor, 113-109. Irving was the game's leading scorer with 45 points.

Irving and the Nets have been able to remain a top team in the East despite their different lineup changes. The dynamic trio of Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden have only played a total of seven games together.

Irving has missed 17 games this season for the Nets due to various issues. Despite those circumstances, Irving is averaging 27 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the floor.

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The Nets will look to close out the regular season on a high note. Their next matchup will be against leading MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are coming off of a strong win over the New York Knicks Wednesday night, while also being 10-2 in their last 12 games.

The Nets will look to change momentum with a strong performance in the Mile High City.