Basketball fans in London got their moneys' worth Saturday as the Nets and Raptors battled into triple overtime, the Nets emerging with the win, perhaps their most rewarding of the season.
The 137 points by the Nets were the most since the double overtime classic between Jason Kidd and Steve Nash in December 2006. They scored 157 in that one but lost.
The Nets were up by seven with less than two minutes left in the third OT, but DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani hit tough shots to bring the Raptors within two with 47.2 seconds left. After Jordan Farmar and Kris Humphries misconnected on a pass, Leandro Barbosa hit a three at 20.6 seconds, giving Toronto the lead.
Then, Travis Outlaw, who finally lived up to his reputation as "Mr. Fourth Quarter", made two clutch free throws to give the Nets a one point lead. Bargnani, who finished with 35 to lead all scorers, missed a last second shot. Outlaw scored the Nets last eight points, blocked a Bargnani layup, held on to jump ball with Amir Johnson and grabbed a critical rebound, all in the last 2:37.
In a game with more than 25, ties, there were some extraordinary individual efforts. Three Nets finished with double-doubles, four with 20 or more points: Deron Williams had 21 points and 18 assists; Brook Lopez 34 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high eight blocks before fouling out in the second OT; and Humphries, 20 and 17. Sasha Vujacic finished with a career high-tying 25. It was D-Will's fifth double-double in five games.
After the game, Williams expressed confidence there's a lot more to come. "We have a lot of cap space, a lot of room to add some good guys to the roster," he said. "Our ownership is motivated to do so, our general manager is motivated to do so. I definitely think we have some great young talent on this team. Mix that with some veteran guys and some more talent and we will definitely be a playoff team." The Nets are now 7-3 with Mikhail Prokhorov watching.
Boxscore - NBA.com
Game Highlights (Video) - NBA.com
Nets hold off Raptors 137-136 in triple OT - Mattias Karen - AP
Raptors-Nets notebook - Sekou Smith - NBA.com
Nightly Notable - Brook Lopez (Video) - NBA.com
Avery raves about true Brit grit - Ian Whittell - ESPN
Rapid Reaction: Nets 137, Raptors 136 - Ian Whittell - ESPN New York
Life in London: Part IV with Kris Humphries - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
Nets sweep Raptors on London trip as Brook Lopez, Deron Williams headline 137-136 triple-OT win - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
Post-Game Plus (Video) - Jessica Taff - YES Network
From the booth (Video) - Marv Albert & Mike Fratello - YES Network
Deron Williams interview (Video) - Mike Fratello - YES Network
Brook Lopez interview (Video) - Frank DiGraci - YES Network
Raptors vs. Nets (Video) - NBA.com
Postgame Press Conference: Avery Johnson (Video) - NBA.com
Postgame: Kris Humphries (Video) - BBC via NBA.com
Outlaw Explodes in 3rd Overtime, NETS Leave London Winners - Ben Couch - New Jersey Nets
World Domination a Tall Order for New Jersey's Mikhail Prokhorov - Ian Winrow - FanHouse
NBA European adventure a success for Nets, Britain - Steve Douglas - AP
NBA: New Jersey 137, Toronto 136 (3OT) - UPI
Nets top Raptors in triple-overtime London game - Reuters
New Jersey Nets beat Toronto Raptors in overtime - Rob Dugdale - BBC Sport
FIBA holds the future of GB basketball in its grasp - Brendan Gallagher - The Telegraph
Olympic 'gift' could make British hoop dreams a reality - Owen Gibson - The Observer
Photo Gallery: New Jersey Nets v Toronto Raptors - The Guardian
NETS EDGE EPIC LONDON ENCOUNTER - Sporting Life
COACHES IMPRESSED WITH LONDON SET-UP - Sporting Life
Back-to-back losses not dampening Raptors’ overseas trip - Doug Smith - Toronto Star
Raptors lose in triple OT - Mike Ganter - Toronto Sun
Nets' Williams making a difference - Mike Ganter - Toronto Sun
Bayless shows no fear - Mike Ganter - Toronto Sun
Raptors Swept By Nets In London After 3OT Heartbreaker - Jay Satur - Toronto Raptors
