The Nets have gotten off to a good start in their inaugural season in Brooklyn, but came to Barclays Center for last night’s game against the Celtics in search of a signature win.
The Nets left the building having earned one. They erased a fourth-quarter deficit and came away with their fourth straight victory, a 102-97 win over the Celtics in front of a sellout crowd of 17,732.
“This was a huge win for us,” said Deron Williams, who finished with 24 points and eight assists. “We came out and battled, made a run and we were able to sustain that run and knock down our free throws at the end of the game. We made some key stops when we needed to, so this was a huge win for us.”
It looked like it might not happen when the Celtics (5-4), who trailed the entire first half, surged into the lead with a 29-15 third quarter. Boston took the lead for the first time when Paul Pierce, who finished with a team-high 22 points, hit a jumper with 3:49 left in the third to give the Celtics a 73-71 lead.
But the Nets (5-2) kept fighting, and eventually tied the game midway through the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer from Jerry Stackhouse from the right corner before turning to Johnson, their marquee acquisition this summer, to bring them home.
“Down the stretch … I thrive for moments like that,” Johnson said afterward. “My teammates and my coaching staff have done a great job of putting me in good position to make plays.”
After Pierce missed a runner that could have put Boston ahead, the Nets brought the ball up and gave it to Johnson on the right side The shooting guard, who had struggled with his shot all night long, calmly rose up and buried a 12-footer over Celtics forward Brandon Bass to give the Nets an 89-87 lead, before hitting an 18-footer the next time down to give the Nets a four-point lead.
Brook Lopez followed up a Johnson miss the next time down with an offensive rebound and put-back to give the Nets a 93-87 lead with 1:45 left that they never would relinquish.
“It was a fantastic environment to play in,” said Lopez, who finished with 24 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots. “The crowd really brought it tonight. … They were there for us at the end of the game. And, then, my teammates played the way they are capable of.”
Though the Nets never surrendered the lead late, the game got tight when Celtics forward Jeff Green hit a 3-pointer from the corner to pull Boston to within one at 93-92 with 58.3 seconds left.
But Williams drove to the basket, drew a foul and made a pair of foul shots to extend the lead to three, and then after Pierce missed a pair of free throws at the other end, Johnson hit a pair of free throws to seal the win.
“This was one of the bigger games that we’ve had,” coach Avery Johnson said. “It’s great to see our fan base shouting “Brook-lyn” and giving our team support. … It’s fun to be a part of.”