NEW YORK — Mikal Bridges had 30 issues and 7 rebounds, serving to the Brooklyn Nets move closer to clinching a playoff berth within the Eastern Conference by means of preserving off the Utah Jazz 111-110 on Sunday.
Spencer Dinwiddie had 17 issues and 12 assists, his 8th double-double in 23 video games for Brooklyn. The Nets gained their 3rd directly, however best after blowing virtually all of a 20-point lead halfway throughout the fourth quarter.
“There’s only one winner and one loser in every single game; we won,” Nets trainer Jacque Vaughn mentioned. “So we’re going to take the win and we’re going to keep this thing moving.”
Cam Johnson scored 18 issues because the Nets gained for the fourth time of their previous 5 video games, opening a two-game lead over Miami for the No. 6 seed and dipping their magic quantity to two to clinch the final assured playoff spot within the East.
“It was a nasty win,” mentioned Nets heart Nic Claxton, who had 14 issues and 7 rebounds. “We know where we are. We know every game is extremely important.”
Talen Horton-Tucker scored 32 issues and Lauri Markkanen had 23 issues and 9 rebounds for the Jazz, who misplaced for the 5th time in six video games and are twelfth within the West, two spots in the back of the final play-in spot. Ochai Agbaji had 19 issues.
“I love the competitiveness,” Jazz trainer Will Hardy mentioned. “I thought the guys dug in, stuck with it when they very easily could’ve folded at different times in the game.”
Brooklyn led by means of 11 at halftime, then outscored Utah 28-15 over a span of 10 1/2 mins between the 3rd and fourth quarters to construct a 23-point lead. Bridges had 17 of his 19 second-half issues within the 3rd quarter.
“We were really moving the basketball,” Vaughn mentioned. “Mikal had a good stretch where he was able to convert for us, but (Claxton) was getting to the rim for us, (Dinwiddie) was getting downhill. It was kind of spread throughout the team, which was a good thing.”
Horton-Tucker scored 15 within the fourth and Utah outscored Brooklyn 42-26 within the quarter. The Jazz used a 26-8 run to minimize Brooklyn’s lead to one and had an opportunity to win after Seth Curry neglected two unfastened throws, however Kelly Olynyk’s jumper on the buzzer went lengthy.
“I didn’t want (Horton-Tucker) or (Markkanen) taking that last shot,” Bridges mentioned. “You can’t control that, just was hoping they wouldn’t get an opportunity. … I was hoping for a stop.”
Markkanen, who leads the Jazz by means of averaging 25.7 issues in step with sport, began simply 2 for 8 from the sphere and was once held scoreless till the 7:21 mark of the second one quarter.
“You want to try to get the ball out of the hands of the guys that are designed to make plays,” Dinwiddie mentioned. “You want the other guys beating you.”
Brooklyn held Utah to simply 42 first-half issues, the second-fewest of any first 1/2 this season, and the Jazz made simply 8 of 32 3-pointers within the sport.
“A really tough night shooting from the perimeter,” Hardy mentioned. “Even when we were able to find 3-point looks we weren’t able to knock them down tonight.”
Brooklyn made 13 of its first 25 pictures, together with 4 of its first seven 3-pointers, and used a 20-5 run to construct a 34-19 second-quarter lead.
TIP-INSÂ
Jazz: Center Walker Kessler (head) left the sport within the 3rd quarter and didn’t go back. … Forward Rudy Gay (decrease again) neglected his 6th directly sport, and guards Jordan Clarkson (left ring finger) and Collin Sexton (left hamstring) have been additionally inactive. … Horton-Tucker began his 18th directly sport, and Agbaji began his sixteenth in a row. … With one Sunday, Markkanen added to his NBA report for single-season 3-pointers amongst 7-footers (200)
Nets: Dinwiddie led the NBA with 146 assists in March. He is averaging 8.7 in step with sport in 23 video games for the reason that Nets obtained him from Dallas within the Kyrie Irving industry Feb. 6.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Host the Lakers on Tuesday
Nets: Host Minnesota on Tuesday