It was a sport the Nets needed to have.
And they flew right down to South Beach and took it.
The stakes have been better Saturday night time at FTX Arena than they’ve been at any level this season: Win and leapfrog the Miami Heat within the standings for sole possession of the Eastern Conference’s remaining assured playoff seed.
Lose and the hole between the Nets and Heat would widen, shifting Brooklyn nearer to a sudden-death play-in match actuality no playoff hopeful desires to dwell.
And after 5 straight losses, together with 4 in a row at dwelling, the Nets secured a signature victory in a 129-100 romp over the Heat on Saturday. It marked each the most important margin of victory and probably the most factors scored in opposition to the Heat in franchise historical past.
The Nets have swept the Heat within the season sequence, 4-0.
It was a vital victory as a result of the worst of the Nets’ hellacious post-All-Star break schedule has handed — save for the season finale at dwelling in opposition to a championship-contending Philadelphia 76ers group.
The Nets now have the second-easiest remaining schedule. They play the Orlando Magic within the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday, then play six of their final seven video games at Barclays Center.
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, nevertheless, doesn’t prefer to look that far down the highway. His message to the group had been to give attention to the duty of the day.
On Saturday, that meant securing a victory in a must-win sport. Against a Heat group that had gained 4 of its final 5 and 7 of its final 10, the Nets have been purported to have their work lower out for them.
And early into the night time, it seemed like Brooklyn’s dropping streak was headed for loss No. 6. Miami made 13 of its first 16 shot makes an attempt and jumped out to an early 14-point lead.
Midway by the second quarter, a flip switched. The Nets began getting stops and the hot-shooting Heat cooled off.
Brooklyn held Miami to simply 31 factors within the second half and simply 13 factors within the fourth quarter.
All 5 Nets starters scored in double figures, led by Mikal Bridges, who completed with 27 factors and 7 assists. Cam Johnson broke free from a capturing stoop and hit 5 threes for 23 factors, and Nic Claxton added 14 factors and 10 rebounds, together with an alley-oop tomahawk poster dunk over Heat ahead Caleb Martin.
Spencer Dinwiddie tallied 15 factors and 9 assists, and reserve guard Edmond Sumner stepped in for the absent Seth Curry (private causes) and contributed 12 factors off the bench.
The Nets led by as many as 30 within the fourth quarter for one in every of their most convincing victories because the Feb. 9 NBA commerce deadline.
STANDINGS CHECK
Thursday’s victory moved the Nets a half-game forward of the Heat for sole possession of the Eastern Conference’s No. 6 seed.
The win strikes the Nets out of the play-in match with solely eight video games remaining on the schedule.
The Nets are additionally solely a game-and-a-half behind the Knicks, who maintain the East’s No. 5 seed and personal the fourth-lightest remaining schedule within the NBA.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com