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Here we go again, in a situation where the Brooklyn Nets with championship aspirations were on the road "hoping" to beat a young, athletic team that wants nothing more than getting a great draft pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
What could possibly go wrong? Well...famous last words, as they say.
Deron Williams went down early in this one, injuring his left ankle, which turned into a sprained left ankle. He left with about seven minutes left in the first quarter and did not return. Not good. His status going forward is still unknown.
Shaun Livingston, however, stepped up and helped carry the Nets to their first road win of the young season over the Suns, as the Nets dropped Phoenix, 100-98.
Livingston scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting in 37 minutes, coupled with Brook Lopez who was dominant, scoring 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting in 36 minutes, Joe Johnson came up big at the end of regulation, hitting a floater at the end of regulation and then putting the Nets over the top at the end of the overtime period by hitting the soft runner, 100-98.
Overall he shot just 6-of-19 from the floor, but Joe will be Joe. He hit two big shots for the Nets, including this one...
Livingston also played good defense against Bledsoe, holding him scoreless from from 0:48 left in the second until 2:20 left in the fourth, almost 23 minutes in a tight game. Indeed, the Nets held the Suns scoreless for for 7:46 over second and third quarters, from 0:48 in second to 5:02 in the third, easily their best defensive stretch of the season.
The Nets shot just 43.7 percent from the floor and hit only two three-pointers in this one, but they were able to limit the Suns offensively and get buckets against a team that has had great success at defending the rim. Between Lopez and the penetration from Livingston, the Nets were able to provide nice looks inside-out, with 50 points in the paint and some nice looks in the mid-range game. On the break, the Suns held the advantage, out-scoring the Nets 25-7, but it was expected from a quicker, more athletic Suns team.
After the game, Jason Kid admited he expects to be more expressive. He was up and down all night.
"I’m trying to find my way as a coach and this is process for me,’’ Kidd. “There’s a lot of different theories of what to do and I’m trying to find that. I felt sitting wasn’t doing my part or helping my guys so I was going to try something new.’’
In the Battle of the Brothers Plumlees, Mason emerged supreme. He had seven points and three rebounds in 13 minutes while Miles was completely dominated by Lopez and in 35 minutes, had six and seven. Other than in scrimmages and their driveway back in Warsaw, IN, it was the first time the two had played against each other.
Again, it wasn't the prettiest win, against a team that will most likely end up in the Lottery this year, but the Nets needed a win, especially on the road, and picking one up after playing a poor first quarter was just what they needed,
For more on the Suns, see: Bright Side Of The Sun
- Nets at Suns - November 15, 2013 - Box Score - NBA.com
- Game Thread: Brooklyn Nets at Phoenix Suns, 9:00 PM - NetsDaily
- Roll Call: Nets drop Suns in overtime, 100-98 - NetsDaily
- Johnson lifts Nets to 100-98 OT win over Suns - Jose Romero - AP
- Johnson's Winner (Video) - NBA.com
- Tucker's Big Bucket (Video) - NBA.com
- Williams Leaves the Game -Video) - NBA.com
- Suns on the Run (Video) - NBA.com
- Bledsoe Through the Lane (Video) - NBA.com
- Post Game Plus: Nets beat Suns in OT, 100-98 (Video) - Chris Shearn - YES Network
- Kidd discusses overtime win over Suns (Video) - YES Network
- Livingston discusses overtime win over Suns (Video) - YES Network
- Johnson discusses his game-winner over the Suns (Video) - Sarah Kustok - YES Network
- Fratello demonstrates how to defend pick and roll (Video) - YES Network
- Deron Williams injures ankle in first quarter but Nets rally to win in OT - Rod Boone - Newsday
- Nets Lose Williams in Overtime Win - Andrew Keh - New York Times
- After Deron Williams sprains ankle, Joe Johnson nails OT buzzer-beater to push Nets past Suns - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
- Deron Williams' left ankle sprain is latest sore point for Nets - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
- Nets point guard Deron Williams sprains ankle, will not return against Suns - Stefan Bondy - NY Daily News
- Rapid Reaction: Nets 100, Suns 98 - Brooklyn Nets Blog - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Joe Johnson hits another buzzer-beating game-winner - ESPN New York
- Deron injured, but Johnson’s OT buzzer-beater saves Nets - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Plumlee brothers face off for first time - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- X-Rays negative on Deron’s latest sprain - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Joe Johnson makes overtime buzzer-beater to seal Nets win - Seth Highkin - USA Today
- JOE JOHNSON DOES IT AGAIN! Nets 100, Suns 98 (OT) (GAME GRADES) - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
- Final Score: Nets 100, Suns 98 (OT) - Jim Mancari - SNY Nets
- Joe Johnson buzzer beater gives Nets the win in overtime - Ed Boulanger - Nets Take Over
- Nets win in OT on Johnson floater - Lenn Robbins - Brooklyn Nets
- Brooklyn Nets' Joe Johnson downs the Phoenix Suns at the overtime buzzer - Paul Coro - Arizona Republic
- Recap: Phoenix Suns lose to Brooklyn Nets in final millisecond, 100-98 - Dave King - Bright Side Of The Sun
- NETS DEAL SUNS SECOND HEARTBREAKER IN A ROW - Matt Peterson - Phoenix Suns
- SUNS HAVE PASSED THE 'GUT-CHECK' - Ben York - Phoenix Suns