VIDEO – Nets Recap: #Nets 117 – #Pacers 109
Nets 117 -Pacers 109
The game was a physical battle down low between David West and Reggie Evans to start the game. Joe Johnson made his first two jumpers and Brook Lopez was a scoring inside early on. Nets up 12-8. With a quick 6-0 run, Nets take a 14-8 lead against Pacers and have hit 7 of first 8 shots. Johnson has 8 points in under 8 minutes so far. Lopez and Johnson have combined for 20 points and missed one shot. Nets up 27-13. Ridiculous FG% early in this game so far. Nets are shooting lights out at 76% (13-17) and Pacers are shooting well at 60% (9-15). C.J. Watson and Jerry Stackhouse in for the Nets. Lopez on fire with 14 points and Johnson with 8 while nets shot 71 percent in the first to lead 34-27.
The Bench Mob started the second quarter with Deron Williams, Watson, Stackhouse, Kris Humphries and Andray Blatche. Nets match their biggest lead of the game with a Watson three. Nets up 10 points, 39-29 early second. Humphries gets a technical for cursing at the referee after he thought he was fouled. Watson with the swipe and the twisting layup! 43-38, Nets lead with just under 7 minutes to go in the half. D-Will is balling right now with 14 points and 7 assists. This might be Williams best all-around half of the year. The passes have been unbelievable and he looks so quick. Williams is feeling it with three straight buckets, and Nets lead 54-40. The Pacers are shooting 50%, but the Nets are 65%. With 2:29 left in the 2nd quarter, BKN 57- IND 44. Nets notch a season-high for points in a half (69). D-Will had 20 points in the second quarter and 25 overall with 8 assists. Nets up 69-50 at half shooting 75 percent.
Second half started to get more physical and the Nets responded. Williams and Johnson hits jumpers to get the lead to 24 at 76-54 with nine to play. Evans got a cheap technical when he missed an assignment and threw the ball into the stantion. Lopez continued to score on Roy Hibbert at will. Pacers went on a 12-2 run to make it 79-64 midway through third. Evans argued a bad call of over the back and hit a second technical and hit ejected. Pacers on fire in third and are on a 31-16 run to bring the Nets down to four at 85-81 with less than two to play. Nets responded and ended the quarter up 92-85. Williams with 30, Johnson with 21 and Lopez with 20 after three.
[blockquote]”It was a playoff-type atmosphere and we knew they were going to make a run,” said Johnson, who, along with Lopez, had 24 points. “We kind of lost our composure for a minute. But when it counted, we were able to lock down defensively and come up with big shots.”[/blockquote]
Fourth started with a DWill airball. Pacers look more focused and angry than the Nets right now clawing their way back. Stackhouse helping Brooklyn stay in front. Humphries could not handle David West and the Pacers got to within 96-94 with eight to play. It is now a game in Indiana. Lopez has 5 blocks already keeping the Nets in the lead. Lance Stephenson hit a three to give the Pacers the lead 101-98. Johnson hit a HUGE three to get the Nets back in front 104-101 with 3:30 to play. Stackhouse answers Paul George’s game tying three with his own three from the corner. Nets up 109-104 under two to play. Big plays by Blatche and Lopez help Brooklyn seal this game. Nets up 113-104 with .45 left. Free throws sealed it and Nets win 117-109. Nets clinch fourth seed with win.
[blockquote]“We didn’t do a good job in that third quarter, particularly composure-wise,” Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “We’re not going to outscore them by 24 again in the second half, they’re going to make some shots and get going, and that’s what happened. But we cooperated, and it happened quicker than it should’ve happened.”[/blockquote]
Season Series – SWEEP
01/13 – IND 86 @ BKN 97
02/11 – BKN 89 @ IND 84
04/12 – BKN 117 @ IND 109
LEADERS:
Points – Williams – 33
Rebounds – Evans – 12
Assists – Williams – 14
GAMECHANGER: Deron Williams has had three 20-point quarters this season: Houston, Washington and tonight in the second quarter. He had 23 in the quarter and broke open the game late with is outside shooting
STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Nets Big 3 (Williams-Johnson-Lopez) have back to back plus 70 point games. Wednesday night with 70 in Boston and tonight with a solid 81 points in Indiana to get two more great road wins.
BOXSCORE REPLAY