The Brooklyn Nets emphatically buried both an offensive slump and a three-game slide, beating the Denver Nuggets 135-130 at Barclays Center Wednesday night.
With their 29th win, the Nets surpassed last season's total of 28 in their 56th game. It was Brooklyn's 10th home win in its last 11 games at Barclays Center.
The Nuggets came to Brooklyn as winners of eight of their last 10 with the Western Conference's second-best record -- just a half-game behind Golden State -- and the NBA's fourth-best net rating. With the win, the Nets secured a season sweep of one of the NBA's top teams, having beaten the Nuggets 112-110 in Denver on Nov. 9.
After falling behind by 14 points in the first quarter, Brooklyn roared in to and out of halftime, going up 84-64 just minutes into the third quarter and eventually taking a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Nets shot 46-for-90 (51.1 percent) and 19-for-34 (55.9 percent) from 3-point range and had a season-high 36 assists on 46 field goals -- including 20 of 24 in the first half.
D'Angelo Russell posted his career-high sixth double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 assists, plus six rebounds. Russell shot 6-for-9 from 3-point range.
DeMarre Carroll had a double-double as well with 18 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six assists, plus a season-high four steals. He also set career highs with 10 free throws made and 13 attempted. Joe Harris had 17 points, making 3-of-6 3-point attempts, and Treveon Graham had 16 points while shooting 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
Shabazz Napier had a career-high 11 assists and 10 points to give the Nets their third double-double of the game. Jarrett Allen scored 15 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 14 points.
Four Nets scored in double figures in the first half alone as Brooklyn wiped out an early 14-point deficit and roared to a 42-point second quarter and a 12-point halftime lead.
The Nets were down 27-13 seven minutes into the game as Denver opened up making 13 of its first 22 shots. But an 8-2 burst capped by Russell's dunk had Brooklyn back within 35-30 at the end of the first quarter.
They kept rolling from there, right into a 12-0 run. Allen Crabbe's 3-pointer tied the game, and Graham's triple put the Nets up 38-35 just over a minute into the second quarter. Crabbe's 17-foot jumper 4:41 later to put the Nets up 51-49 was the sixth lead change in less than five minutes, and the last of the half.
With a 55-54 lead, the Nets outscored the Nuggets 17-6 over the last three minutes of the half, starting with Napier hitting a three then handing off a nifty dish to Carroll for a transition basket. The Nets kept on running -- 11 fast break points in the half -- with Carroll hitting a trailing Allen cutting down the lane.
Harris added a reverse layup and two threes as the Nets went up 72-60 at halftime, outscoring Denver 42-25 in the second quarter.
With a 12-4 run to open the third quarter, the Nets extended their lead to 20 points. Russell had the last 10 points of the run, including three 3-pointers, with back-to-back threes putting the Nets up 84-64.
Denver cut into that lead and got within 11 before the Nets closed the third quarter on 13-3 run to take a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter. With the Nets up 95-84, Harris hit a 3-pointer, then Brooklyn scored the quarter's final eight points on two Hollis-Jefferson drives and four Carroll free throws, going up 108-87 at the end of the third quarter.
UP NEXT
The Nets wrap up their home stretch against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, then go on the road to visit Toronto on Monday and Cleveland on Wednesday before the All-Star break.