Nets upset bid against unbeaten Cavaliers falls short after late fade
CLEVELAND — The Nets played a back-to-back at the NBA’s reigning champions and league’s only unbeaten.They led both late, before falling agonizingly short.A night after an overtime loss in Boston, the Nets suffered another tough finish, and a heartbreaking 105-100 defeat before a frenzied crowd at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.The Nets (4-6) fell to the Cavaliers in their first matchup against Kenny Atkinson as a head coach since they fired him in 2020.
He got the last laugh, as Cleveland came from behind to improve to a league-leading 11-0.The Nets were playing as daunting a back-to-back as there is, leading almost wire-to-wire in Boston before falling in overtime to the defending champion Celtics.A night later, it was the white-hot Cavs.The Nets led by seven with 4:09 left before allowing 10 unanswered points and the lead.
Dennis Schroder’s free throws got them back within 99-98 with 1:39 to play, but Darius Garland’s jumper put them back in a three-point hole.Cam Thomas (22 points) hit a tough baseline fade to pull the Nets within 101-100, but Ty Jerome made the margin three again.When Schroder (22 points) missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 27.8 in regulation, this time there would be no overtime.Cam Johnson led the Nets with 23 points.
His sixth straight turnover-free, 30-minute game with multiple 3s tied an NBA record.Evan Mobley had 23 points for the Cavs, while Donovan Mitchell added 22.“Right now, I think they’re playing like the best team in the NBA,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said before the game.“It’s pretty obvious their offense has been amazing.
If the season would be over right now, they’d be the best offense in the history of the NBA, which tells you how well they’re playing and defensively have size, switchability, rim protection.So it’s going to be a good challenge for us.“Our group has built that chemistry.
And obviously, nobody likes to [lose], but especially our group, where we feel like we could have been bett...