When the Nets took a 57-41 lead over the Pacers in the first half, they appeared to be heading for a second-straight dominant victory. Unfortunately, they learned a hard lesson about life on the road in the NBA in an overtime loss.
Brooklyn led by as many as 19 points at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but fell apart in the third quarter as the home side reeled off a 28-11 run sparked by Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner. The Nets managed to force an extra period, thanks to Spencer Dinwiddie hitting three clutch free throws, but couldn’t regain the lead.
Brooklyn loses the season series to Indiana with one game left (a Valentine’s Day encounter at Barclays Center). The team goes on a two-day break before heading to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Dec. 26.
Here are Three Observations From the Loss:
Nets Struggle to Contain Oladipo and Turner Again
The Pacers' star duo have had Brooklyn’s number in their three meetings.
Oladipo poured in a game-high 38 points and has averaged 57 percent shooting against the Nets in the series. Turner was a crucial factor in the Pacers’ remarkable turnaround in the third quarter as he shot 5-for-5, including two three-pointers. The center was also incredible on defense, swatting away six shots. He finished the game with 23 points and nine boards on 80 percent shooting.
Brooklyn was assertive defensively on in the first half, but both players surged in the second half, resulting in Indiana’s rally.
Brooklyn Reverts to Bad Habits on Offense in the Second Half
In the first half, the Nets appeared as if they were sticking to what made them successful against the Wizards on Friday. The ball movement was impeccable as they had 16 assists and 22 made field goals. They had eight assists for the rest of the game. After halftime, the team appeared to resort into forcing bad shots – which may have been a result of playing less than 24 hours ago and having to travel.
While Kenny Atkinson or his players won’t use fatigue as an excuse, they were playing their fourth game in seven games. It definitely appeared to have played a role at the start of the third quarter when the Pacers went on their run.
Brooklyn Shows Resilience on the Road
The Nets at one point fell behind by nine points with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It would have been very easy for them to mentally move on and look forward to the holidays. They refused to do that.
The players and coaching staff deserve credit for being relentless in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, never giving up – despite some questionable no calls by the officiating crew. Replays showed that Dinwiddie was fouled Bojan Bogdanović late in the fourth quarter, but the point guard didn't let that deter him as he scrambled back immediately to play defense.
This was a tough defeat for the Nets, yet Atkinson will likely be proud of the effort shown by his young team.