The Brooklyn Nets have clinched a playoff berth, checking off a huge milestone on a remarkable resurgence with Sunday night's 108-96 win over the Pacers in Indiana.
Two years ago, the Nets won 20 games. Four months ago, they were 10 games under .500. Last week, their playoff hopes were in danger after dropping a pair of games at home against the Eastern Conference's top two teams, Milwaukee and Toronto.
Now, they'll go into Wednesday's regular season finale against the Miami Heat with their fate assured, having sealed their first playoff berth since 2015 and their first .500 record since 2014.
To do it, they went on the road to sweep a weekend back-to-back against the Bucks and Pacers, two teams they had not previously beaten this season.
Leading by 13 going into the fourth quarter, the Nets made it a 15-point bulge on Caris LeVert's drive before the Pacers chipped the deficit down to 10 points with 5:25 remaining. But with the playoff berth in their grasp, the Nets closed the deal with a 10-2 run.
D'Angelo Russell drove the rim for a three-point play, and after Domantas Sabonis scored for Indiana, the Nets reeled off seven straight.
LeVert dropped in a short jumper and Joe Harris made 1-of-2 from the line. LeVert scored again, then added two free throws for a 105-87 lead with 2:25 remaining.
Russell led Brooklyn with 20 points, plus six assists and six rebounds. Harris had 19 points, shooting 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and LeVert scored 18 with five rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen scored 12 points each, with Allen grabbing eight rebounds and Dinwiddie notching six assists.
A big shooting stretch from Harris gave the Nets some second-quarter separation as they took a 52-44 lead into halftime.
Brooklyn jumped out to a 9-0 lead as Russell had a 3-pointer and three assists in the game's first two minutes, but the Pacers quickly responded with a 12-2 run. A little 7-0 run capped by a Harris 3-pointer put the Nets up 24-18 with 2:13 to go in the quarter and they took a 31-25 lead into the second quarter.
With the Nets up 37-36 in the second quarter, Russell made two free throws and Harris connected for three straight 3-pointers to fuel an 11-0 run that put Brooklyn up 48-36 with 3:19 to go in the half as the Nets maintained an eight-point lead at halftime.
Indiana closed to within four with the first four points of the second half, but the Nets pushed the lead back to 10, then closed the quarter with a 7-0 run for a 13-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Jared Dudley drove and slipped a pass to Ed Davis for a dunk, then dropped in a 3-pointer from the top of the key. LeVert's dunk off a baseline inbounds pass from Treveon Graham put Brooklyn up 82-69.
UP NEXT
The Nets close out the regular season against the Miami Heat on Wednesday at Barclays Center.