D’Angelo Russell sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining as the Brooklyn Nets snapped an 11-game home losing streak with an unlikely 99-97 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night in New York.
The Nets trailed by four with 9.5 seconds left after Houston’s Dillon Brooks split a pair at the line. Following a clean inbounds pass by Tosan Evbuomwan, Keon Johnson sank a 3-pointer over Jae’Sean Tate with 8.1 seconds left.
After Evbuomwan stole Amen Thompson’s inbounds pass for Brooks, he got the ball near the foul line and tapped it to Russell. Russell spotted up and his open trey from the left side of the key cleanly went in.
Following a timeout, the game ended when Jalen Green missed a desperation 32-foot 3-point attempt with four-tenths of a second left.
Russell’s 3-pointer gave the Nets their first home win since beating the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 4 and also capped a 3-of-15 showing for the guard.
Russell hit the game-winner after Alperen Sengun nearly willed the Rockets to the victory. Sengun scored nine points in the final 3:23 and hit two free throws with 18.4 seconds left, but Johnson dunked with 10.6 ticks left.
Johnson scored 22 points to lead the Nets, who tied a season high with their third straight victory. Evbuomwan and Nic Claxton added 14 apiece for the Nets, who shot 46.3 percent.
Sengun returned from missing the previous three games with a calf injury and collected 24 and a season-high 20 rebounds, but the Rockets dropped their season-high fourth straight. Brooks and rookie Reed Sheppard added 16 apiece for the Rockets, who shot 41 percent. The total was a career high for Sheppard.
After the opening half featured 18 lead changes and saw Houston take a 46-44 lead by halftime, Sengun hit a basket for a 57-49 lead with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the third. The Nets scored 14 straight and outscored the Rockets 22-10 the rest of the quarter for a 71-67 edge.
Brooklyn saw its lead cut to 88-87 when Sengun passed out a double team for an open 3 by Sheppard with 3:55 left. Sengun then hit a hook shot that gave the Rockets an 89-88 lead with 3:23 left and converted a free throw with 2:49 to go before helping them go up five.
–Field Level Media
