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NEW YORK — — The Brooklyn Nets simply wanted any residence win, in order that they weren’t about to complain when one which seemed to be coming simply nearly did not come in any respect.
A blown lead late in regulation resulted in 5 extra minutes, but it surely lastly ended with their first win at Barclays Middle since Dec. 16.
“Completely different challenges every sport, so we work out what they’re, struggle by means of them and do higher,” Kevin Durant mentioned.
Rookie Cam Thomas made a runner within the lane with 1.4 seconds left in additional time and the Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 121-119 on Sunday to snap a five-game residence shedding streak.
Durant scored 28 factors for the Nets and James Harden had 26 factors, 12 assists and 7 rebounds. However each struggled after the Nets had a 10-point lead with 4 minutes to play in regulation, forcing the additional interval.
The Spurs made Durant surrender the ball on the Nets’ last possession and he acquired it to Thomas.
“I simply belief the work I put in,” Thomas mentioned. “I’ve put in lots of work, so I am all the time prepared each time KD or James kicks it to me in a state of affairs like that.”
Lonnie Walker IV scored 25 for the Spurs, whereas Dejounte Murray completed with 19 factors, 12 assists and 9 rebounds.
However the Spurs could not rise up shot on the final possession of regulation or additional time of their sixth loss in seven video games.
Harden’s basket gave the Nets a 111-99 lead with 4:59 left and it nonetheless was 113-103 when Durant scored with 4:01 to play. However Brooklyn was shut out from there, with rookie Josh Primo’s 3-pointer tying it with 40 seconds to play.
Durant missed a collection of jumpers afterward and his solely basket OT was a observe shot. However he made the cross the Nets wanted to finish their woes at residence, the place they’d fallen to 10-10.
“If you want and will make your want come true, you don’t need him taking pictures the final shot, that’s for certain,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich mentioned. “However we let the younger man go center. A tricky closeout. We wanted to ship him the other way, so he made a tricky shot.”
Nic Claxton had 16 factors and 14 rebounds for the Nets, who opened a cross-country, back-to-back set of video games. They play at Portland on Monday in a sport that was initially scheduled for December however postponed when the Nets had a coronavirus outbreak.
The Spurs had a three-point lead with 4:23 left within the second quarter earlier than the Nets closed with a 16-4 spurt to take a 60-51 result in halftime.
Brooklyn pushed it to 72-58 when Patty Mills made a 3-pointer in opposition to his former crew, however Bryn Forbes had end to the third quarter because the Spurs reduce it to 91-89.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Forbes scored 18 factors. … Primo scored 12 and Jakob Poeltl had 11 factors and 12 rebounds.
Nets: Former Spurs ahead LaMarcus Aldridge missed the sport with a sore proper foot. Coach Steve Nash mentioned he believed the damage was just a few irritation and would not sideline Aldridge lengthy. … Nash mentioned he had no replace on Joe Harris, who’s recovering from left ankle surgical procedure.
CAPTAIN AMERICA
Earlier than the sport, Popovich offered Durant with a trophy for being chosen final yr’s USA Basketball male athlete of the year. Requested about teaching Durant in Tokyo, the place he grew to become the People’ profession scoring chief, Popovich mentioned: “I’m going to the widespread denominator: No Kevin, no gold. That’s essentially the most simplistic and an trustworthy assertion one could make.”
BRUTAL BACK-TO-BACK
Nash mentioned the Nets had been nonetheless figuring out how they might deal with who would play Monday in Portland. He mentioned the Nets would not use the bizarre schedule as an excuse however could not bear in mind one fairly prefer it.
“I can’t bear in mind all of the back-to-backs I ever performed in, however I don’t bear in mind any six-hour flights in between a back-to-back and three-hour time zones and all that stuff,” Nash mentioned. “So it’s totally different, however we’ve acquired to take it as a chance, a chance to succeed beneath adversity.”
UP NEXT
Spurs: Go to the New York Knicks on Monday.
Nets: Go to Portland on Monday.
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