The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Nets take over in fourth quarter, win
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 12 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and the Nets beat the Cavaliers, 113-107, on March 6. D’Angelo Russell added 25 points for the Nets, who put things together in time after some sloppy play across the middle two quarters to win their second consecutive game and keep pace with Detroit for the No. 6 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. This one was far more difficult than their 127-88 rout of Dallas on March 4 and nowhere near as wild as their 148-139 triple-overtime victory in Cleveland on Feb. 13.
But the Nets needed it however they could get it, knowing they have just two more home games this month, with a seven-game trip sandwiched in between. Kevin Love had 24 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had won four of six since that loss to the Nets in the final game before the All-Star break. David Nwaba added 22 points. Cleveland outscored Brooklyn, 65-49, in the second and third quarters and took an 85-80 lead into the fourth. But Caris LeVert scored nine points in the first 4½ minutes of the period and then Dinwiddie took over from there. After Cleveland cut it to 96-94, Dinwiddie scored, then threw a long lob pass that Rodions Kurucs dunked to make it 100-94. Joe Harris followed with a 3-pointer, then Dinwiddie ran off seven straight points to cap the Nets’ 14-0 burst and make it 110-94 on his drive with 3:26 to play. Brooklyn led 31-20 after one and pushed it to 37-22 with 9:45 remaining in the second when Russell was fouled shooting a 3 and made two of the free throws. But the Cavs charged back with a 22-7 run to knot it at 44, before the Nets regrouped a bit to bring a 55-50 advantage to the locker room. Russell hit a couple of 3-pointers early in the third as the Nets extended the lead to nine, but eight straight points by Love shortly after turned Cleveland’s six-point deficit into a 66-64 lead, and the Cavs went on to lead by eight in the quarter.
Tip-ins
CAVALIERS >> Collin Sexton made one 3-pointer to tie Kyrie Irving’s record for most by a Cavs rookie. Irving hit 73 in 2011-12. ... Larry Nance Jr. had 17 points and 10 rebounds. NETS >> Russell finished right at his career average in nine games against the Cavs, his highest against any opponent . ... LeVert scored 14 points . ... Jarrett Allen had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
On James
Cavs coach Larry Drew said he was excited for LeBron James, who was set to pass Michael Jordan for fourth place on the NBA’s career scoring list Wednesday night. James needed 13 points in the Lakers’ game against Denver. “You know Bron is a special player and I had an opportunity to coach him,” Drew said. “I’m really excited and happy to say that having gone through my career I’ve had an opportunity to coach a lot of great players, including him. I think it’s an absolutely phenomenal feat.”
Super sub
Dinwiddie’s 14th 20-point game off the bench set a Nets single-season record. Darryl Dawkins, Purvis Short and Orlando Woolridge all had 13.
Up next
CAVALIERS >>Visit the Miami Heat on March 8. NETS >> Visit the Atlanta Hawks on March 9.
Box score
Nets 113, Cavaliers 107 CAVALIERS (107)