NEW YORK _ Coach Kenny Atkinson said the Pacers would provide a "measuring stick" of the progress the Nets had made during their seven-game winning streak, and the Nets gave a great account of themselves Friday night at Barclays Center. But they were outscored 14-3 in the final three minutes in a 114-106 loss that marked their ninth straight loss to the Pacers.
The Nets were playing their fourth game in six days, but after getting back into the game with a strong third-period rally, they engaged in one of the tooth-and-nail fourth-quarter fights that have come to characterize them. They came in leading the NBA with 21 "clutch" games, which are defined as games with a margin of five points or fewer in the final five minutes, and when they put together a 7-2 surge to tie the game at 93 on a Spencer Dinwiddie dunk with 5:42 left, they were assured of another frantic finish.
The Nets finally put a nose in front at the 4:33 mark when Joe Harris buried a 3 from the top of the arc for a 99-98 lead. But Victor Oladipo scored eight straight Pacers points, ending with a dunk that gave them a 106-104 lead with 2:01 to go. That came in the midst of a 9-0 Pacers run to put the game away.
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson was ejected with 1:09 left and the Nets trailing 109-104.
Rookie Rodions Kurucs led the Nets (15-19) with a career-high 24 points, and they got 16 points from DeMarre Carroll, 15 points and nine assists from Dinwiddie and 13 points each from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Joe Harris. The Nets hit a remarkable 16 of 31 3-point attempts (51.6 percent).
Oladipo topped the Pacers (19-12) with 26 points, including 14 in the fourth period, Thaddeus Young had 21, Domantas Sabonis added 17, and Myles Turner had 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The Nets came into the game riding a seven-game winning streak that was their longest since the 2012-13 season. But the streak that concerned Atkinson was the Nets' eight-game losing streak to the Pacers, a team they last defeated in the 2016-17 season opener at home.
"They've completely dominated us," Atkinson said. "I don't know if it's the team with our biggest point differential since we've been here. It's not that they've beat us, they've beat us badly. This is kind of a test for us to see where we are. I think they have been the more physical team. ... This is going to be a little bit of a measuring stick to see if we can combat that and do a better job."
During their eight-game losing streak to the Pacers, the Nets were outscored by an average of 11.5 points, including a 20-point loss earlier this season in Indianapolis. During those games, mobile Pacers big men Turner and Young have proven to be matchup problems, and they added Domantas Sabonis to the mix last season to further complicate the defensive challenge.
"They're not big, slow guys sitting back there," Atkinson said. "They're elite at playing the pick-and-roll. They get up and defend and put pressure on you. They're a very complete team with a strong bench."
The Pacers' dominance was evident early, and it was that trio of big men, Young, Turner and Sabonis, who helped them build a 35-20 lead late in the first period. By halftime, the Pacers still had a comfortable 59-49 lead, and Young (14), Sabonis (14) and Turner (nine) had combined for 37 points and 16 for 26 shooting.
The tide turned for the Nets in the third quarter when they made seven of eight 3-point attempts, including five in a 25-11 run that gave them an 80-76 lead late in the period. But the Pacers regained control with an 8-0 run that gave them an 84-80 lead heading to the final quarter.
