Lopez Leaves Horford Open Allowing the Go-Ahead Basket; Prokhorov Not Selling Team

Early Wednesday morning, Atlanta Hawks players Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha were arrested for obstruction of justice by the NYPD, in association with Indiana Pacers Chris Copeland, who is recovering from a stabbing incident outside of 1 Oak nightclub in Chelsea.

Later that day, the Hawks were scheduled to visit the Brooklyn Nets after routing the Phoenix Suns, the previous day, 96-69.

Even without two players that have helped the Hawks clinch the no.1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the remaining group of players posed a viable threat to the Nets, in terms of preventing the Nets from securing their sixth consecutive home win.

And tonight, that's exactly what happened.

The Hawks outlasted the Nets 114-111, executing late in the 4th quarter to seal their 59th win of the season.

With the win, the Hawks are in position to be the second team in the NBA to reach 60+ wins, now (59-19) on the season, while the Nets fell to (36-42).

To the Nets credit they were in this game and put themselves in a position to win.

Their play tonight reflected how their 2014-15 season has played out thus far, with 5 games left in the regular season.

This year, the Nets have battled injuries to their core players, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, and have found a way to remain competitive enough to make the playoffs, even as a low seed.

Tonight, the Nets battled back from numerous double-digit leads through-out the game and gave themselves, as well as, the sellout crowd of 17,732 in attendance, the chance for a home victory.

In the first quarter, the Nets found themselves down 28-17, a run in which five Hawks: Dennis Schroder, Mike Muscala, DeMarre Carroll, Al Horford and Mike Scott all made a contribution.

In the second, the Nets closed the gap that the Hawks generated in the first quarter, after a Bojan Bogdanovic layup +1 got the Nets to within one, down 47-46 with 4:41 left. It didn’t take long for an increased defensive stretch by the Hawks to lead to three fast break dunks courtesy of Scott and Horford, in addition to Jeff Teague attacking the rim which put the Hawks back up by ten, 59-49 around the 2-minute mark.

"We got some open looks and made some big shots, and our defense got some steals to add to the break," Teague said following the win en route to a double-double 15 points and 12 assists in addition to four steals.

More of the same would continue in the third where the Nets fell behind by as many as 14 points late in the third, with the 4th and final quarter within the horizon, the quarter where the Nets would have to make their final bid for the win and they did.

They presented a strong bid but in the end, not big enough to upend a team in position to win its first conference title since 1961 and fifth in franchise history.

With the Nets down one with 1:38 to go till the end of regulation, a missed three-point attempt by Jarrett Jack allowed Brook Lopez, who was in position, three attempts at seizing the offensive rebound and converting the basket, all of 7-feet tall.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Jarrett Jack

Lopez (26 points,10 rebounds) would miss three tip-ins, in point blank range, of course-thwarted by a gang of Hawks who zeroed in on the action, and the final opportunity grabbed by Thaddeus Young led to no avail, as he would miss his attempt to play hero.

But instead, Williams who contributed a double-double in 10 points and 13 assists, became the hero, at least for a moment.

Williams converted a driving, off the glass floater, giving the Nets a one point lead, 111-110 forcing a Hawks timeout with 33.5 seconds to go.

Here, the Hawks showed why they are the no.1 seed and it only comes down to one important fact: they executed.

In the next possession, the Hawks ran a curl play for probably the most feared shooter and three-point specialist in the league, Kyle Korver, who received the inbound pass.

Korver noticed the extra help from the Nets particularly, Lopez who left Horford open and in the end, the Nets suffered the consequences as Korver found the big-man who quietly dunked, scoring his easiest two of the game giving his Hawks the go-ahead basket, up 112-111.

"I was just kind of reacting, and I was expecting Kyle to shoot the ball," Horford said, scoring a team-high 24 points, following the win.

"Kyle just made a great read."

It’s what the good teams do.

They win even when their backs are against the wall and unfortunately for the Nets, this loss meant the Hawks won the season series between the two, 4-0.

If you like moral victories, the Nets lost this game by the lowest margin (3) opposed to the other three contest, which were all routs like last weekend’s 131-99 nightmare, and Williams shed light on that fact.

"It's not really a moral victory," Williams said post-game.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Deron Williams

"I guess it is good because we pretty much got blown out by them every game before this one. It's a game we definitely wanted. It's a little disappointing how we started the game but we did finish well and we had our chances."

They did and with this loss, the Hawks came in and halted the momentum the Nets have been gathering over the past couple of weeks.

"I think it’s a good team win in a tough environment on the road," Hawks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer told the media, post-game. "You need to have some close games, you need to be tested and a lot of credit to Brooklyn for how they played. We feel fortunate to get a good win on the road."

But a pat on the back won't do.

The Nets should have and could have won this game but that won't settle the unrest within the team's collective psyche.

This would've been a great win in proving to themselves that they can beat the best team in the east and now the Nets are left wondering whether or not they even have a shot against this team if they were to meet in the first round of the playoffs starting next weekend.

The 0-4 season sweep by the Hawks does not offer confidence, and this loss drops the Nets back to the 8th and final spot, only a game ahead of the Indiana Pacers (35-43), who just received their star, Paul George, back from the compound fracture he suffered during the Las Vegas scrimmage this past summer for Team USA.

The Nets have four games left in the season.

This Friday, they will host the Washington Wizards, travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Sunday and then finish the season hosting the Chicago Bulls on Monday and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Nets can't look ahead or to any of the teams aiming for their spot.

They have to handle their business because if not, owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who addressed the media before tip-off will.

"I will do my best in order to find the opportunity to reach our common goal," Prokhorov expressed when asked about the team’s future.

"You know that if you analyze a championship team, 20 percent of it is draft picks and 80 percent are trades. So now we have talent, and I am sure that our front office is good enough and have a great eye to find some balance in order to improve our team if we need."

Sounds like somebody who means business.

Joe Johnson Provided the 3-Point Dagger with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter en route to 21 points

Until the end of this season, every game the Brooklyn Nets play will feature the same overall theme: the race for 8th.

With nine games left in the regular season excluding tonight's game-hosting the Indiana Pacers, the Nets playoff chances are still very much up in the air.

In yesterday's 116-104 win against the Charlotte Hornets, the Boston Celtics moved back into 8th place, which the Nets enjoyed for a day, following their win on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, which was nice for the time being.

This essentially means the Nets still have work to do, which basically means the Nets have to continue winning.

And tonight, that's exactly what the Nets did: win.

Behind the strong play of Brook Lopez, once again, scoring a team high 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, his 14th double-double of the season, the Nets claimed victory over the Indiana Pacers, 111-106 for their fourth straight win.

Brooklyn Nets center, Brook Lopez

The Nets improved to (33-40) with nine games left in the season while the Pacers fell to (32-42).

Before tonight's contest, I caught up with Pacer's center Roy Hibbert (7 points) about his approach towards his 1-on-1 match-up with Lopez, to which he was nonchalant about.

"Gonna go out there and give it my best," Hibbert said during the pre-game media availability period.

"It's a tough match-up because he scores really well, so Imma have my hands full the whole way."

And that's exactly the night Hibbert fore-saw which became a reality.

Lopez scored 14 of his 24 points in the first half and continued his strong play which has contributed to the Nets winning six of their last seven games when Lopez scores 20+.

"I think the ball has just been moving really freely the past number of games," Lopez said post-game.

"You can see everyone is really comfortable on the court, and we have been gelling and playing well together."

Fortunately for the Nets, tonight's outcome wasn't just about Lopez.

He wasn't the only player that made headlines.

This was an all-team performance, where contributions were generously dispersed from several members of the Nets cast tonight.

Deron Williams looks like he has his boogie back, and was a pest during the first quarter.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Deron Williams

He did a little of everything, scoring eight of his total 11 points, finding his teammates for five assists, two steals and was pretty much the main catalyst who sparked the Nets’ early run in the first quarter, pinning the Pacers up against the wall, as the Nets entered the second quarter up 33-15.

"I'm just trying to get guys the ball, run the offense and do whatever I can," Williams said post-game.

Joe Johnson can be counted on for 20+ points a game and timely shooting, as he provided the dagger tonight, giving the Nets an eight point-lead, up 108-100, on a corner three, with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter en route to 21 points.

"...If there is one guy you want open at the end of the game, that is the guy, and they left him open," Lopez said, regarding the three-point shot he assisted to Johnson.

Alan Anderson was very effective throughout this game and knocked down two three's in the third-quarter, scoring 20 points by games-end, pacing the Nets, as the Pacers made their run to come-back from their early 1st-half deficit.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Alan Anderson

Jarrett Jack is proving to be incapable of having a bad game, even in limited minutes, scoring 13 points along with four assists in 18 minutes of play and rookie Markel Brown is making the most of his time on the floor with his perimeter defense and shooting, scoring 10 points.

Brooklyn Nets guard, Jarret Jack

These individual performances strung together as a group has the Nets peaking at the right time, gaining confidence as they prepare to enter a tough April schedule for the final push towards the playoffs.

The operative word here is together, and Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins acknowledged that this has been the most together the team has been all season.

And it’s showing in their play as the Nets totaled 16 assists.

"When we play the way we are playing, we're sharing the ball," Hollins said.

Hollins even mentioned that guys care about one another now, and if they didn't earlier in the season, they definitely picked the right time to share the love.

This was the type of the game the Nets would've lost maybe two months ago.

The NBA is full of runs and after the Nets lost their early advantage, the Nets would've found a way to lose this game in the closing minutes.

But this is a different team.

George Hills’ 28 points didn't matter nor did three double-digit scoring outputs by Luis Scola, C.J. Watson and rookie Damjan Rudez.

The Nets are in a different space.

Instead of folding it in and quitting on games, the Nets found a way to execute late in the game where it was most necessary to do so and that is what post-season basketball is all about.

If the Nets continue doing what they are doing, they will find themselves exactly where they want to be, even if it means a first round exit, just kidding.

Up next, the Nets will travel to the city to take on the woeful New York Knicks which should be a guaranteed win.

All in all, this team realizes the moment, and it’s not just one player or two, it’s a collective mindset.

"...We hold our destiny in our hands, so it is up to us," Anderson said following the win.

"We have, I think, nine games now. We control that so we just have to take it game by game. We have a tough one tomorrow on the road against the Knicks and we just have to go from there."

Brook Lopez Puts On Another Great Show With 20 Points and 9 Rebounds

The Brooklyn Nets are a half-game out of the 8th and final playoff spot, currently occupied by the Boston Celtics, and tied with the Indiana Pacers.

Excluding Friday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who look primed for a title run, the Nets have 12 games left until the end of the regular-season.

Due to their current position, every game is important for the Nets with wins as the only option, and the results of their last contest helped.

The Nets returned home from a one-game road trip defeating the Charlotte Hornets, 91-88, thanks in large part to Brook Lopez (34 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks vs. Hornets) who is playing some of the best basketball of his season, averaging 30.7 points in his last four games.

As for the Cavs, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving are leading a team that has clinched a playoff berth (47-26), currently enjoying a four-game winning streak, which includes a win against the Nets in a rout, 117-92, last Wednesday.

Fortunately for the Nets, they were able to put forth the effort necessary to achieve their revenge.

Behind another strong game from Lopez and healthy contributions courtesy of Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Johnson, the Nets defeated the Cavs, for a change, behind what seemed like a capacity crowd, 106-98.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guards Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Johnson

The Nets improved to (31-40) while the Cavs, who's four-game winning streak snapped, regressed to (47-27) on the season.

Now how much of this game is a result of the Cavs clinching their playoff spot remains to be seen, but what the Nets achieved is exactly what they have to do if they indeed want to compete in serious spring basketball.

And that's take advantage.

A win is a win and at this point of the season, the Nets do not have the luxury of playing down or up to any opponent, like the Cavs can.

Surprisingly the Cavs were unable to put the Nets away as the home team went neck and neck with the visitors for the majority of the game but early in the fourth quarter, the Nets capitalized on the opportunities they were given in keeping the Cavs out of the winners circle.

In the 4th quarter, with the game hanging in the balance at the 6:08 mark, Bogdanovic converted a 12-foot jump-shot which gave the Nets a five-point lead, 92-87.

After six straight made free throws, courtesy of Johnson and Lopez (4), that improved the Nets lead to seven, 98-91, Irving got to the line and cut the deficit to six with two made free throws, in an attempt to spark a late Cavs comeback.

But Johnson had other thoughts and sealed the Nets fate with one shot.

After the aforementioned free-throws by Irving, Johnson, with the shot-clock expiring pulled up from 26' feet, beyond three-point range, knocking down the dagger, which enhanced the Nets lead by eight, up 101-93.

"It felt good," Johnson said reflecting on the deep three-pointer.

"I wasn't sure that it was going in but it felt good."

Good enough to provide the Nets with breathing room.

Good enough to seal the win.

But let's be honest here.

This wasn't the Cavs; this was the Cavs post clinching their playoff berth.

I was waiting for the Cavs to make that run, a run filled with highlights featuring the likes of LeBron (24 points, 9 assists), Love (18 points), Irving (26 points) and other key players that would impose their will on defense and string to get a series of baskets that would suck the life out of the Nets only to the benefit of the crowd and guys sporting red from Cleveland.

It never came.

In other words, the Cavs didn't come to play, they were uninterested in this competition and it showed through the duration of yesterday's affair.

Just ask Cavs Head Coach David Blatt.

"I don't feel like we played like ourselves today and we paid for it," Blatt said postgame. "We’re still not at the finish line. We have to refocus our attention immediately to get on track."

The Cavs are only 2.5 games ahead of the Chicago Bulls who are also streaking, winning four of their last five games (44-29).

And looking at the remaining schedules of both squads it seems as though the Cavs have a rougher road to end the season than the Bulls, but who cares.

This is about the Nets right?

Regarding the positives of this game, Brook Lopez, for the fifth straight game, was among the Nets top scorers, continuing his strong play inside en-route to a near double-double in 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Johnson shot 50% from the field chipping in 20 like Lopez.

Bogdanovic did not disappoint scoring 18.

Alan Anderson, who reminded everyone during the postgame locker-room media availability period that his alma-mater, Michigan State was playing, supplied a healthy scoring out-put in 13 points and Jarrett Jack in a little over 25 minutes poured in 16 and 5 assists.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Alan Anderson (l) and guard Jarrett Jack

In other words, the Nets had five players in double-figures which is the recipe to win your share of games in the NBA, but the under the radar performance award goes to Earl Clark.

The former Louisville Cardinal, who most recently played in China for the Shandong Flaming Bulls, signed a 10-day contract with the Nets on Friday and immediately announced himself when he entered the game in the 3rd quarter.

In the final seven minutes to close the 3rd quarter, Clark went 3 of 4 from the field which included one three, netting seven points in his Nets debut.

"The reality was, after he made the shot, I decided to just let him go," Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins said during his post-game press-conference. "I didn't feel comfortable at first watching him, and then after he made the shot, he looked comfortable, and then he did something on the defensive end, and then I said, come on back out, and let him have some time."

With Mirza Teletovic and Sergey Karasev both out for the season with their respective ailments, Clark will be given an ample amount of opportunities to prove himself in earning a permanent roster spot.

And honestly, if the Nets need Clark, that's a problem.

All in all, the Nets won whether the Cavs wanted to play or not, and I cannot stress enough how important it is for the Nets to put forth a winning effort until April 15th.

"At this point for us every game is important," Johnson said.

"We know what is at stake for us and that is more important than anybody that we are playing against," said Jack.

"We've talked about it a lot lately, what every game means to us, so this was a big win for us," said Deron Williams.

At least the Nets are aware and focused on the task at hand.

The Nets next opponent is the Los Angeles Lakers also at home on Sunday, March 29, with a 3:30 p.m. tip-off.

"We can't take them lightly," Williams said post-game.

"They've won some ball games, have a lot of young guys that are hungry to get out there and play and show they belong in this league. We can't look past anybody."