NBA News Wire
Nets stun Clippers with last-minute rally
NEW YORK — Guards Alan Anderson and Jarrett Jack combined to shoot 4-for-17 over the first 47-plus minutes Monday night.
However, the with the game on the line, the Brooklyn Nets got huge baskets from the duo in the final seconds to cap a frantic, come-from-behind, 102-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Barclays Center.
Anderson made a clutch four-point play with 15.3 seconds left to give the Nets a lead, then Jack calmly drained a foul-line jumper with the score tied at 100 and 1.3 seconds left.
The Nets emerged with an improbable victory in a game in which they trailed 98-90 with 1:11 remaining.
“I have to give my coach (Lionel Hollins) and teammates credit to put the ball in my hands with the game on the line,” said Jack, who scored six points Monday after posting 35 points in a 127-122 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. “I had to come up big for my team. They all had faith in me.”
Jack made just two of 10 shots from the floor prior to the game-winner.
Similarly, Anderson knew that time was running down and he had to be clutch.
“I just had to catch and shoot,” Anderson said. “Blake (Griffin, who fouled out on the play) played me too much, and I was able to execute. I think we were all able to knock down shots. That was the key.”
Anderson connected on just two of seven attempts before his final shot, but he helped the Nets erase an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit.
“It wasn’t just one guy,” Jack said. “It was a combination of everyone all across the board.”
Brook Lopez paced the Nets with 24 points off the bench, the fourth time this season that the 7-foot center has tallied 20 or more as a reserve. Forward Joe Johnson had 22 points, including a huge 3-pointer in the comeback, right after he misfired on two free throws.
Nets guard Deron Williams, playing in his first game since Jan. 7, scored 15 points, also in a reserve role. Williams missed the previous 11 games due to fractured rib cartilage.
“We’ve lost a lot of tough games,” Hollins said. “So to get a win tonight means a lot. At the end of games, you need players to step up. These guys battled like heck down the stretch. They’ve all been in big games before. When you get in moments like this, you just play. You can’t worry about your record.”
The Nets (19-28) lost four straight overall and six straight at home prior to Monday night. It was the first home win of the calendar year for Brooklyn, which dropped 12 of its prior 14 contests.
The Clippers (33-16) received a stellar effort from center DeAndre Jordan, who posted the first 20-20 of his career, scoring 22 points and collecting 20 rebounds. He had seven dunks. Jordan missed 10 of 12 free throws, but coach Doc Rivers didn’t seem to mind.
“D.J. had great energy tonight and might have been the only one to have it for us,” Rivers said. “He plays with such great spirit and heart every night. He does everything right for us. I just think he should walk onto the floor of the All-Star Game and have someone tell him he can’t play. Who’s going to stop him?”
The Clippers also got 20 points from guard Chris Paul, who hit a running layup with seven seconds left that tied the game at 100, setting up Jack’s heroics. Griffin added 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds before fouling out on Anderson’s shot. Forward Matt Barnes scored 12 points.
The Clippers shot just 32 percent from the line (8-for-25), while the Nets were not much better (8-for-18, 44.4 percent).
NOTES: Nets GM Billy King said he is not looking to trade any of the team’s top players, namely PG Deron Williams, C Brook Lopez and SF Joe Johnson. “We’re not actively shopping anyone,” King said. “We have had discussions about trades, but we’re not looking to trade. We’re not going to make a trade simply to make a trade. That would be foolish.” … Williams declared himself fit for action after missing 11 games with fractured rib cartilage. For now, he will come off the bench and Jarrett Jack will remain in the starting lineup. … Clippers F Blake Griffin had 31 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes in a 105-85 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. It was the first time an NBA player achieved such statistics in so little time since Kevin Love did it in 2013. … Clippers C DeAndre Jordan saw his streak of 36 games with a blocked shot end. It was the longest active streak in the league.