Heading into Monday’s rematch with the Atlantic Division leading Raptors in Brooklyn — which came six weeks to the day after the Nets embarrassingly threw away the last meeting between the two teams inside Barclays Center — the Nets didn’t hesitate to say they were out for revenge against their division rivals.
Then the Nets went out and backed up their words on the court, recovering from a sluggish start to knock off the Raptors, 101-97, in front of 17,351 to keep their hopes of winning the Atlantic Division alive and potentially previewing what would be a terrific first-round playoff series between these teams next month.
“If we lose this game, there’s probably no chance of winning the Atlantic Division,” said Paul Pierce after hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:14 let to put the Nets ahead for good. “It was a huge game, knowing we still have a chance to win the division, move up as a seed and you never know, this could be a team we play in the first round.”
With the win — the sixth victory for the Nets (32-30) in their last seven games, and their eight straight win in Brooklyn — the Nets moved within three games of the Raptors with 20 games to play, and knotted up the season series at two games apiece. The Nets also moved within a half-game of the fifth-place Wizards after Washington lost in Miami Monday night.
Ever since Deron Williams’ errant inbounds pass turned into a Patrick Patterson buzzer-beater that gave Toronto a 104-103 back on Jan. 27, the Nets had been looking forward to a chance to get the Raptors back.
And the Nets found themselves in virtually the exact same situation they were in January, holding onto a lead inside the final minutes after Pierce — who Nets coach Jason Kidd initially didn’t expect to play after he left Sunday’s win over the Kings after 73 seconds with a sore right shoulder — hit a 3-pointer over Kyle Lowry to give Brooklyn a 97-94 lead with 1:14 remaining.
“Paul made a three over me and I was literally on him, in which I could smack him in the face,” said Lowry, who was terrific with 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. “They got hot, and that is it.”
But this time, the Nets managed to execute down the stretch and hang on for the win. After a pair of free throws with 1:03 remaining by Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan cut the Nets’ lead to 97-96, Williams had his shot blocked by Amir Johnson at the other end, giving the Raptors a chance to take the lead inside the final 30 seconds.
When Terrence Ross tried to drive to the basket with 25.9 seconds left, however, Livingston got his hand on the ball and stripped it, then knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Nets ahead by three with 22.8 seconds left.
“I was just trying to stay with the play,” Livingston said of his steal. “Luckily, I was able to get a hand on the ball and make a play on it.”
Lowry then had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but his 3-pointer missed long, and the Nets corralled the rebound and Andray Blatche knocked down a free throw to secure the win.
“The guys, they might have marked the game [on the calendar], and I think it showed,” Kidd said. “Guys defensively have been together as one, and offensively the guys are sharing the ball. It’s been fun to watch.”
Williams and Livingston each had 18 points to lead the Nets, while Pierce added 15 and Joe Johnson 14 in a game that had a playoff atmosphere both on the court and in the stands, where the fans were as into the game as they have been all season.
“We’re definitely into it,” Pierce said. “It’s that time of the year, against a division rival, and it was a game we knew we must win if we were going to have a chance at the division lead.
“It definitely felt different.”