MILWAUKEE — Cam Johnson was flat on his again after an enormous, game-breaking 3-pointer, splayed on the Fiserv Discussion board flooring.
He wasn’t damage. He wasn’t even relishing within the shocked crowd’s vexation. Johnson was simply catching his breath.
Not surprising. He had simply carried his Nets to a come-from-behind, 111-105 win, beautiful the shorthanded Bucks in entrance of 17,957 followers.
Milwaukee performed with out superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
And the Nets — who trailed by as many as 13 factors and 97-92 with simply 4:53 left — couldn’t care much less. Not after this one.
Not after closing the sport on a 19-8 run to grab victory.
Not after a crew that’s had one of many league’s worst offenses over the previous two weeks erupted within the fourth.
Johnson had 10 of his game-high 29 in that remaining interval.
Backup guard Shake Milton had 14 of his 20 within the fourth quarter, and younger large Noah Clowney additionally added 20 on a career-high 6-of-9 from deep.
Bucks on Dec. 26. NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
And in the long run, the Nets (12-18) snapped a two-game skid.
“Just continue to believe, continue to fight,” Johnson mentioned. “That’s the one factor that may’t go. And after we consider we will win the sport, which we did the whole recreation, we give ourselves an opportunity. So it simply begins with that perception.
“And then play by play, stopping their runs, creating runs of our own, and then that empowers guys to go out there and make plays like Shake did, like Keon [Johnson] did. Just big buckets. Noah hitting 3s. So it’s just that belief that we have to have across the roster and that showed up in the second half for us today.”
the Bucks on Dec. 26. NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
Brooklyn, one of many NBA’s worst offenses the previous two weeks with Cam Thomas damage and Dennis Schroder traded, was capturing simply 44 p.c and 9-for-27 from deep getting into the fourth.
However they hit 57.7 p.c and 7-of-11 when it mattered.
The Nets trailed 97-92 after Khris Middleton (21 factors) sank a free throw. However that’s after they seized the sport with a 17-5 blitz.
“I’m proud of those guys. Proud of everyone on the roster for just kind of coming together and getting a dub,” Johnson mentioned.
Added head coach Jordi Fernandez: “We cleaned it up. I think we came together. We had good energy. We were not disappointed. A lot of times, a lot of our guys just get down on themselves, and we have to find the way to support each other and keep fighting. And I think the group did it. They did a great job.”
It was knotted at 99-all earlier than Clowney beat the shot clock with a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:33 left.
Nic Claxton drove baseline and obtained fouled, hitting 1 of two from the road to make it 103-99.
Then Johnson took a cross from Ben Simmons (eight factors, 9 assists, plus-16) and hit a protracted 3-pointer, getting fouled and laying on the courtroom for a breather.
He sank the free throw, as effectively, placing Brooklyn forward 109-102 with 47.9 seconds left in regulation.
“Second half, we started guarding. I don’t know how many they scored in the fourth [quarter], but playing defense and getting good shots on the other end, one thing leads to another,” mentioned Clowney, who mentioned the Nets’ getting stops within the fourth allow them to get out in transition and into early offense. “We dialed in. We picked up our ball pressure. We did what we know we’re supposed to do. You know when we do what we supposed to do, you know we can disrupt teams. Got a lot of length out there. I think we forced a lot of turnovers and that helps.”
