NEW YORK _ The fourth quarter is where Nets leads apparently go to die. It happened for the third straight game as the Nets coughed up a nine-point third-quarter lead and allowed 34 points in the fourth quarter in a 121-114 loss to the Cavaliers and LeBron James Sunday afternoon at Barclays Center.
The Cavs put together a 7-0 surge early in the fourth period to take a 97-95 lead with 8:39 left with James resting. The teams traded the lead three more times before James returned with 6:17 left and the Nets holding a 100-99 lead. But the Cavs immediately ran off eight straight points for a 107-100 lead, including two alley-oop dunks by James plus an assist and a steal, and that was all she wrote for the Nets.
James totaled 37 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Cavs (44-29), who also got 20 points and 15 rebounds from Kevin Love, 18 points from Jordan Clarkson and 17 from George Hill. Former Cav Joe Harris came off the bench to lead the Nets (23-51) with a career-high 30 points on 11-for-14 shooting, including six of seven from three-point range, DeMarre Carroll added 18 points, and Spencer Dinwiddie had 16.
Coming off two straight losses in which they blew double-digit leads, the Nets were in search of redemption. They also wanted some payback against the Cavs, who barely pulled out a win in their last meeting a month earlier in Cleveland, where coach Kenny Atkinson said he believed the Nets were "one rebound away" from winning.
Atkinson said the Nets would take any win they could get but admitted there is more motivation against the elite teams. "These are the fun games because you've really got nothing to lose," Atkinson said. "You can go out and compete your tail off. The pressure of playing a lesser team, you've got to get that win. This is like, 'Let's just go out and play and give ourselves a chance.'"
The Nets did exactly that in the first half. As usual, they couldn't contain James, who had 22 points, but they did a good job of matching his output. Carroll, who was tasked with trying to defend James, had 12 points in the first quarter to help the Nets to a 30-28 lead.
Harris took over in the second period, scoring 15 points as the Nets got to the break with a 62-60 lead. Thanks to James, the Cavs were dominating the paint, but the Nets hit 10 of 21 three-point attempts, including 4-for-4 by Harris, who also drove to the rim hard against close-outs. The Nets also had 14 assists on 19 baskets, an indication of how well they were moving the ball.
The Nets stretched their lead to nine points midway through the third quarter after a pair of threes by Carroll and Allen Crabbe. But the Cavs closed the period on a 16-9 run to cut their deficit to two points.
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