Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2022
Rookie Cam Thomas hit the tiebreaking basket with 1.7 seconds left in overtime as the Brooklyn Nets ended a five-game home losing streak by outlasting the San Antonio Spurs 121-119 Sunday afternoon.
The Nets won their first home game since beating the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 16 and survived blowing a 12-point lead in the final five minutes of regulation.
Brooklyn won it when Kevin Durant moved into the lane and passed to Thomas, who was in front of the 3-point line. Thomas moved around a screen by Nic Claxton and got midway through the lane before releasing a 9-footer with his right hand over rookie Josh Primo.
After San Antonio called a timeout with 1.4 seconds left, the Spurs were unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.
Durant led the Nets with 28 points but also missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds remaining, and the game reached overtime when an alley-oop layup by Kenta Bates-Diop was short at the buzzer.
James Harden added 26 and his floater gave the Nets a 119-115 lead with 89 seconds left in overtime, but the Nets needed Thomas to come through as Lonnie Walker IV hit a layup and Dejounte Murray hit free throws to even the game at 119 with 46 seconds left.
After Walker stole the ball from Durant with 32.2 seconds left, Murray blew a layup with 26.6 seconds, giving the Nets a chance to finally win it.
Claxton collected 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Nets, who shot 48 percent but committed a season-worst 22 turnovers.
Walker scored a season-high 25 points and Murray added 19 for the Spurs, who are 1-6 in their past seven games. Bryn Forbes contributed 18 as San Antonio shot 43 percent.
After facing a seven-point deficit early in the second quarter, the Nets held a 60-51 lead at halftime. Durant's 17-footer staked Brooklyn to an 84-71 led with 3:47 to go in the third, but the lead was down to 91-89 entering the fourth.
The Nets appeared to seal it when Durant's 13-footer made the score 113-103 with 4:01 remaining, but the Spurs scored 10 straight points and tied the game on Primo's 3-pointer with 40.9 seconds left.
--Field Level Media