Buzzer-Beater from Joe Johnson helps Nets shock Thunder

northjersey.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 95 Thunder 93

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pull off their best win of the season thus far on Thursday night in Oklahoma City with a comeback 95-93 victory over Kevin Durant and the Thunder. The win moves the Nets to 11-21 on the season, and are five games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Positives:

- Nets Point Guard Deron Williams had a fantastic game in the Nets best win of the season, as he really carried the Nets for most of the game. Williams finished with a game-high and season-high 29 points on 10 for 17 shooting. Williams really was feeling it from downtown, as he had a season-high six three-pointers on nine attempts, which included a buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter. If Deron Williams can play close to the way he did on Thursday night against the Thunder the Nets can certainly make a run in what is a wide open Atlantic Division even without Lopez.

- With no Russell Westbrook the Nets did a pretty good job keeping Durant's scoring to a manageable number, as he was held to 24 points. Durant was however very efficient shooting the ball going eight for 13 from the field, but he did have five turnovers, and a -6 +/- on the court. Overall Jason Kidd has to be happy with how his team did against the second best player in the NBA.

- Brooklyn saw some good production off the bench from two of their wing players, as Andrei Kirilenko and Alan Anderson lead the way for the Nets bench. Kirilenko in his second game back from the injury played 15 minutes, which was a little more than expected, but he looked good scoring nine points on three for three shooting, and three for four from the foul line. Anderson was the Nets leading bench scorer with 13 points on three for six shooting, and he also got to the free throw line a lot going seven for nine at the line.

- Joe Johnson was having a very quiet game up until the fourth quarter when like last season he was called upon to deliver a clutch shot with the game tied at 93. Johnson who had ice in his veins so many times last year did it again tonight with the buzzer-beater to shock the heavily favored Thunder as time expired. Johnson finished the game scoring only nine points on four for 11 shooting, and was one for six from three-point range.

Negatives:

- The only negative for the Nets in their best win of the season was the disastrous second quarter, which was the reason for the great come from behind win. Brooklyn was more than doubled in the quarter, as the Thunder scored 33 points to the Nets 15. In the quarter the Nets only had three field goals, as the lopsided quarter could have been even worse for Brooklyn. They however outscore the Thunder in every other quarter, but when a team has a quarter like the Nets did in the second it makes it tough to win, and is certainly a thing the Nets wont want to see moving forward.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip back home for a very winnable game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday January 4^th.