NEW YORK _ The Nets finally found an offensive spark off the bench as rookie Rodions Kurucs played the final 14 minutes and sparked a comeback from 13 points down to tie the score in the final minute. But they suffered their seventh straight loss when Alec Burks made a great move for the winning dunk with 3.2 seconds left in the Cavaliers' 99-97 victory Monday night at Barclays Center.
The Nets managed to cut a 13-point third-quarter deficit to two early in the final period. But the Cavs were playing like the more desperate team and put together an 11-2 run, including four points from Burks to push the margin back to 11 at 91-80.
The scenario was eerily similar to the Nets' previous loss Saturday in Washington, when they had trouble generating an effective offensive attack and were missing from 3-point range. Kenny Atkinson played Kurucs the entire fourth period, and he and Spencer Dinwiddie scored all the points in a 13-2 run that cut the Cavs' lead to 95-93 when Dinwiddie nailed a 3 with 1:34 left.
The Nets finally drew even with 18.9 seconds left. DeAngelo Russell missed a right-wing 3, but Kurucs crashed inside to get the rebound and a putback to tie it at 97. At the other end, Burks got past Russell with a behind-the-back dribble drive for the winning dunk.
Atkinson drew up a play on which Allen Crabbe got the ball on the right wing, but his potential winning 3-point attempt fell woefully shot.
Russell topped the Nets (8-17) with 30 points and added eight rebounds and six assists, Dinwiddie totaled 18 points, and Kurucs had 12 on 6-for-10 shooting in 14 minutes. But the Nets shot only 39.4 from the field. Jordan Clarkson led the Cavs (5-18) with 20 points and 11 rebounds, Tristan Thompson totaled 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Collin Sexton had 15 points.
With his team mired in a six-game losing streak that included four blown-double-digit leads, Atkinson tried to maintain a positive outlook. Referring to three straight games when they blew double-digit leads, he said. "I felt like we had great shots at three really good teams, Philly, Utah, Memphis. We were close. We've had some big wins this year against some good teams, so let's keep getting better. It starts tonight with Cleveland."
In the first season since the departure of LeBron James 2.0, the Cavs have plunged precipitously from Eastern Conference champions to a team that came in with a 4-18 record, second-worst in the NBA. With games against the powerful Thunder and Raptors later this week at Barclays Center, it was imperative for the Nets to take advantage of the chance to end the losing against the lowly Cavs.
"Hopefully, our offense will get back on track by itself," Atkinson said, "but I really think it starts with our defensive mentality tonight."
With Russell scoring 12 first-quarter points, the Nets got out of the gate to a 27-20 lead. But an offensive foul on Ed Davis wiped out a basket by Shabazz Napier, and the Cavs finished the period on a 10-0 run for a 30-29 lead.
Russell was quiet in a scoreless second period when he played barely five minutes, and none of his teammates picked up the slack. A 9-2 burst just before halftime pushed the Cavs' lead to nine points before a Dinwiddie three cut it to 56-50 at the break. By that time, center Thompson already had 13 points to help the Cavs a 38-24 advantage in points in the paint.
The Nets' offense seemed lifeless for much of the third quarter. The Cavs mounted a 12-4 run midway through the period to build their biggest lead at 76-63. At that point, only Russell and Dinwiddie were in double figures, and none of their teammates were offering much help.
So Russell just took over, scoring the first seven points in a 13-4 run to end the third period and cut the Cavs' leads to 80-76.
