NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets welcomed the Cleveland Cavaliers to Barclays Center on Thursday for the third and final matchup this season and lost 116-114. Cleveland has won the regular-season series 2-1.
For the Nets, Mikal Bridges had 32 points and six rebounds while Spencer Dinwiddie had 25 points and 12 assists. Joe Harris had 15 points and Nic Claxton had 11 points.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell had 31 points and six rebounds while Evan Mobley had 26 points and 16 rebounds. Darius Garland had 13 points and Jarrett Allen had 12 points.
In the first half, the game started just like it did on Tuesday. Both teams were playing pretty evenly except for the fact that Brooklyn had issues making the three-ball again. Donovan Mitchell had 12 points in the first quarter as he looked determined to start the game on fire. In the second quarter, it was more of the same except that it was Darius Garland and Evan Mobley giving Brooklyn problems. However, Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges combined for 33 points to keep the Nets in the game.
In the second half, Brooklyn started to build on its lead on Cleveland thanks to some improved shooting from players like Joe Harris and Royce O’Neale. The Nets did a good job of forcing Garland and Mitchell into tough shots, but they couldn’t do much to stop Mobley from scoring in the paint. With a frantic final few possessions, Issac Okoro hit a clutch shot to essentially win the game for the Cavaliers.
Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Nets’ soul-crushing loss:
Nets were completely unprepared to be trapped. Half the team not even looking at Spencer Dinwiddie in the backcourt.
— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) March 24, 2023
…………..
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) March 24, 2023
Shaking my head so violently that my brain is unbalanced.
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) March 24, 2023
The Nets just blew it. Donovan Mitchell makes his first free throw, missed the second, gets his own rebounds, misses the layup and the ball somehow finds Isaac Okoro, wide open for a corner three that gives Cleveland a two point lead with 0.7 seconds to go.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) March 24, 2023
That's a crushing final few minutes for this team.
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 24, 2023
I hate it here
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) March 24, 2023
That’s absolutely heartbreaking
— Mike (@NzNets) March 24, 2023
Brutal. Just brutal.
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) March 24, 2023
A missed free throw then several Cleveland bounces lead to a wide open Okoro three. Nets now trail the Cavs 116-114 with less than a second to go.
Heartbreaker.
— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) March 24, 2023
Three Brooklyn Nets had their hands on that rebound and none could come down with it. That’s how you lose a game.
— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) March 24, 2023
That was ridiculous.
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) March 24, 2023
