Brook Lopez stars as New Jersey Nets edge past Dallas Mavericks 93-92 - NBA Update
New Jersey Nets have had a disappointing season so far, mainly because of the injuries to the main players. There is hardly any player in the team that has played all the games, however now it looks like that they are finally looking good.
Centre Brook Lopez, after missing first two months of action is also back and that is great news for Nets. On Tuesday night, in what was his 3rd game after the comeback, Lopez put up a magnificent performance to guide his team to an important 93-92 win over the reigning NBA champions Dallas Mavericks.
Lopez was outstanding and finished with a game high 38 points on 17 for 28 from the floor. More importantly, he scored 2 of those points in the clutch which helped the Nets in winning the game. Anthony Morrow added 15 points while Deron Williams, who struggled with his shooting throughout (3-for-15), finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Kris Humphries and reserve Gerald Green both tallied 10 points each.
"Brook was a monster tonight. He carried us from the start. With him back, we're a different team," Deron Williams said. "I just wasn't feeling it and Brook was."
Big man Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 24 points and 10 boards while Brandon Haywood pounded 18 points on 7 for 10 from the floor. Jason Terry finished with 12 points. The Mavs were poor with their shooting, managing only 36% from the floor.
New Jersey Nets dominated the first quarter, finishing it with a 28-23 lead, and after the Mavs struck back in the second, they capped the half with a 9-2 spurt to go into the break with an 11 point lead, 56-45. Dallas started the third quarter with a fierce 15-2 burst, capped by Haywood’s layup, to make it 60 all in the first 5 minutes.
In the ensuing passage, both teams put up a good fight and the scores were tied at 76 all with few seconds remaining in the third. Anthony Morrow drilled a three in the dying moments to ensure that the Nets entered the final frame with a 3 point lead 79-76.
New Jersey then rattled a 10-3 spurt at the start to get in a commanding position at 89-79. However, it was followed by a 13-2 reply, capped by Jason Kidd’s downtown missile, that turned the game on its head and put the Mavs ahead by 92-91, with less than a minute remaining in the game. It was then, when Brook netted those two crucial free throws to guide Nets home.
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