Brooklyn Nets hold off late rally by Orlando Magic in 100-98 win

By Neal Nachman
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: January 3, 2015

Mason Plumlee scored 18 points and Brook Lopez and Deron Williams had 16 each as the Brooklyn Nets survived a forgettable fourth quarter on Friday to beat the Orlando Magic, 100-98.

Joe Johnson added 14 points, including two free throws with 22 seconds left to give Brooklyn enough of a cushion to claim its sixth win in the last seven games.

“The first three quarters were great for us,” Williams said. “We created a lot of easy opportunities, especially on offense. The defense was great, but then we looked like we were playing just to hang on instead of going ahead and closing out the game.”

Victor Oladipo led Orlando with 17 points, Elfrid Payton had 16 and Ben Gordon 14 for the Magic, who trailed by as many as 26 points in the second half, before cutting the deficit to three with 1:04 left in the game.

However, a 3-point attempt by Evan Fournier that would have tied the game with 22 seconds to play, clanged off the back rim.

Johnson then hit the two free throws to make it a five-point game and Payton nailed a 3-pointer to make the score 100-98. The Nets ran out the final three seconds.

“I’m proud of the way we played for three and a half quarters,” Brooklyn Coach Lionel Hollins said. “Every time we got bumped (in the fourth quarter), we turned the ball over instead of being strong and that got them on a roll.”

Orlando, which floundered offensively for three quarters, went to a four-guard lineup in the fourth period and hit 14 of 23 shots, including five of 10 from behind the 3-point line. The Magic scored 16 straight points during that stretch.

“When we went small, it changed the tempo of the game,” Gordon said. “We started playing fast, we moved the ball quicker and some shots went down. We put pressure on them and you could see it.”

The Nets outscored the Magic 64-36 in the second and third quarters to turn a three-point deficit into a 25-point advantage heading into the final period.

The Nets shot only 33 percent, turned the ball over seven times and made just one of six free throws before Johnson’s two free throws stopped the bleeding.

The Nets needed a hot shooting start to overcome some sloppy ball handling in the first half when they seized a 52-40 lead.

Brooklyn shot 62.5 percent in the first two periods and all nine players got at least one basket as the ball moved swiftly, if not always accurately, around the Magic defense.

But the Nets turned the ball over on their first four possessions of the game and seven times in the first eight minutes of the game. They finished with 10 turnovers for the half, but offset that by hitting 23 of 38 shots and getting 16 assists.

Williams, now a reserve, had 10 points and four assists in the half and was in control when Brooklyn scored 11 straight points early in the second quarter to go up 45-32.

Late in the game, the Magic almost made the Nets pay for that sloppy early pay as they closed the gap to 98-95 and had the ball with a chance to tie. But Fournier’s 3-point attempt from straight on bounced off the back rim and Brooklyn snagged the rebound.

“The coach (Jacque Vaughn) called the play for me and I had an open lane to get off a good shot,” Fournier said. “I had just hit one from there so I was feeling good about it. I thought it was going in, but it was off. That’s basketball.”

NOTES: Nets F Joe Johnson’s 20 points and 11 rebounds against Chicago last Tuesday was the first time he had double-figures scoring and rebounding in a game in six years. … The Magic recalled swingman Devyn Marble from the Erie (Pa.) Bayhawks of the NBDL and activated him immediately. Marble averaged 20 points in two appearances for Erie. F Maurice Harkless was put on the inactive list to make room for Marble. … The Nets were 9-7 last month, their best December record since 2005. … Orlando is only 4-11 (.266 winning percentage) at home this season and a respectable 9-12 (.428) on the road. Coach Jacque Vaughn says it’s easier for young teams like his to play on the road. “When you’re on the road, it’s just you and basketball and those 14 other dudes in the locker room,” Vaughn said. “When you’re at home, it’s distractions, things get more involved.” … The Magic average just 93.9 points per game, second worst in the NBA and down 2.6 points from last season. … Nets F Mirza Teletovic is just 10 of 49 from the field (22.7 percent) in his last five games.