Already winners in Brooklyn two days ago, the Cavs did it again last night at the Barclays Center. Led for a long time, JB Bickerstaff’s players pulled away in the last minutes before delivering the coup de grace with Isaac Okoro. Incredible scenario!
To find the home score box of this meeting, it’s right here.
There was like a scent of Playoffs before this meeting between Nets and Cavs. Cleveland is fourth in the East, Brooklyn is sixth, so there’s not much missing for this game to be a first-rounder within three weeks. The icing on the cake, the two teams faced each other two days earlier, which adds a little spice to the confrontation.
If we had to sum up the first half of this match in a few words, we would probably talk about the cat and the mouse, with Cleveland trying to escape and Brooklyn never letting go of the steak. It doesn’t matter Donovan Mitchell’s hot shots or the construction site ofan enormous Evan Mobley on both sides of the field (26 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks!), the Nets find a way to respond. By the inevitable Mikal Bridges (32 points, 6 rebounds, 11/19 shooting) of course, but also a Spencer Dinwiddie who is gradually gaining momentum.
The Cavs can’t make the break so the Nets take the opportunity to take over the reins just before the break. And hop, we reverse the roles for the second half, it’s Brooklyn’s turn to be chased. The two teams go blow for blow, no gap is made but Jacque Vaughn’s men hold the lead until money time.
Then comes the first highlight of this end of the match with the Dinwiddie – Harris tandem which puts a blow on the head of the Cavs. The Brooklyn sniper is hot and he’s chaining the parking lot strings. The Nets are starting to take off. On a new guided missile from Royce O’Neale, the locals take an eight-point lead with 2 minutes remaining. We say to ourselves that it is nicely folded and that Brooklyn has found a way to end its sad series of the moment. It’s bad knowledge of the NBA and its crazier scenarios than each other.
Cleveland’s defense steps up a notch and the Nets lose crucial balls in the final minutes, often sanctioned by a lightning counter-attack. A small 6-0 later and there are only two points left on the board. Dinwiddie restores air to his own but Donovan Mitchell responds to him before another loss of ball from Brooklyn.
Spida manages to get two throws to equalize but he only puts in one! The rear even recovers two new chances on the offensive rebound but he still fails. The ball slips from the hands of everyone to arrive in those of Caris LeVert. This one skillfully shifts an Isaac Okoro all alone in the opposite corner. Boom, huge 3-point shot to come back in front against all odds. The Cavs seemed dead two minutes before and here they are in the lead!
ISAAC OKORO FOR THE WIN ????
WHAT A FINISH. pic.twitter.com/21XgHBFyRB
— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2023
Mikal Bridges will not be able to do anything about the ultimate possession and Brooklyn therefore chained a fifth defeat in a row. A setback that drops the players in the black jersey to seventh place and Miami offers itself a ticket to the Top 6 without even playing. The Cavs remain solidly installed in fourth place and the defeat of New York in Orlando even offers them a very comfortable mattress on their first pursuer.