NETS WIN WITH RECORD COMEBACK
Russell career-high lifts Nets to biggest rally ever
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a breakthrough season of improbable comebacks, this was an impossible one. If the Nets hang on to make the playoffs, they’ll look back at Tuesday’s 123-121 miracle comeback over Sacramento — the biggest rally in team history — as the result that got them there. Brooklyn overcame a 28point deficit in the third quarter, and became just the fourth team in the shotclock era to erase a 25point hole in the fourth. In the end, they refused to lose. Or D’Angelo Russell wouldn’t let them. The All-Star guard poured in 44 points, including 27 in the final period, largely surrounded by bench players after Kenny Atkinson had pulled his ineffective starters. And after Rondae Hollis-Jefferson forced a huge Kings turnover with 5.9 seconds on the clock, he drove for the gamewinning layup with just 0.8 seconds left. When Buddy Hield missed a heave at the buzzer, the Nets stormed off the bench, their celebration the only noise amidst a stunned sellout crowd of 17,583 at Golden 1 Center. “Once we started getting stops our bench came alive as well, we started making shots, it was quiet in the arena and all we heard was the bench,” said Russell, whose 44 points were the most by a Net in the Brooklyn era, and whose 27 in the fourth quarter were the most in the final stanza in the NBA this season.
“I’m speechless, really. The locker room wasn’t speechless, that’s a jubilant locker room,” said Atkinson, who praised the bench of Hollis-Jefferson, Jared Dudley and Treveon Graham that played out the fourth quarter, when the Nets outscored Sacramento 45-18.
“We were at our wit’s end. It was desperation. ... I wasn’t expecting an amazing comeback. I just have to be honest.”
Facing the toughest schedule in the NBA the rest of the way, the Nets (37-36) snapped a three-game skid.
The Nets got a stellar win to move 1 ½ games ahead of Miami for the eighth spot in the East. They’re now three clear of the Magic.
“We started making tough shots and we started getting stops. It was piggybacking off each other. It was a snowball effect and they couldn’t put out the snow,” Russell said. “We knew going into the game win by any means. That was the key to the game, do whatever you’ve got to do to win.”
The Nets fell behind 41-25 on Bogdan Bogdanovic’s corner 3, Atkinson called a time- out just 20 seconds into the second quarter. Brooklyn cut the deficit to eight by the end of the first half, but conceded a 20-0 run to open the second.
But the Nets rallied. And rallied. And won.
Still trailing by 25 going into the fourth, Atkinson went to his bench and went small with Hollis-Jefferson at center. They played five out and created space for Russell.
Dudley was setting screens high at the halfcourt to put Nemanja Bjelica in the pickand-roll because of his limited lateral movement.
“D-Lo had to make the plays and he did all night, all fourth quarter,” Dudley said. “D-Lo went Kobe out there.”
Down 107-87 after Harry Giles’ basket with 8:54 left to play, Russell spurred a 10-0 run. He actually scored 16 straight Nets points at one juncture.
Russell’s 3-pointer pulled the Nets within 107-97, Dudley hit one of his own to make it 109-102, then after he took a charge on Bjelica, saw Russell cut it to five.
Dudley twice cut it to one on drives, then found Dudley for a straight ahead 3-pointer and an improbable 121-119 lead with 1:11 remaining. Sacramento knotted it with 46.8 seconds remaining on a pair of De’Aaron Fox (27 points) free throws.