Nets fall to Indiana Pacers in slow, yet chippy overtime bout, losing 105-99

Things were rough and tough early from a scoring perspective. Then they were from a more literal one. In the end, it all led to another loss.

The eyes of most basketball fans were likely focused on the collegiate level tonight, but the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers sure gave us something to watch anyway. However, it didn’t look like it would be that way early on.

For one, game No. 69 for Brooklyn began in a familiar fashion, with two Jordi-isms coming less than two minutes into the game, those being a prompt introduction to the 3-ball and a green light special. The Nets’ first four shots came from beyond the arc. Fernández also challenged what could have only been the game’s third or fourth whistle, reversing an early out-of-bounds call. That’s just what the man does.

But familiarity didn’t equal efficiency. The Nets connected on just one of their first eight attempts from deep despite getting solid looks. Between that and Indiana posting .350/.250 first period splits, the game’s opening minutes moved like a mollusk in molasses.

It wasn’t until the bench mob checked in that things started picking up steam. As the first quarter bled into the second, Brooklyn splashed five of seven from range. Trendon Watford got the highlight amid that run which eventually put Brooklyn up 11 early in quarter two…

The Pacers didn’t take long to swing back, but Brooklyn wasn’t exactly phased by what was undoubtedly their best punch of the first half. A lackadaisical inbound from Nic Claxton found Ben Sheppard’s hands, who then found a trailing Myles Turner for a thunderous dunk to help carry Indiana on an 8-1 burst…

Loud as the jam was — and Gainbridge Fieldhouse got at that moment, Brooklyn’s defense wasn’t intimidated. The Nets went on to force eight Indiana turnovers in that second frame, leading to eight extra points. Their trademark ball-pressure and ability to recover also forced the Pacers into 38/28 first half splits…

As a result, the Nets led at half by 10 despite shooting just 39.1% from the field themselves. It was a pitcher’s duel — and the Nets were getting ahead with their “fastball.”

“It was really just sprinting, honestly,” said Ziaire Williams of the defense at halftime, sitting at that point with 10 points while shooting a perfect 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from deep. “Like, simple as that, just run back.”

He would go on to finish with 22 points, five rebounds, two steals, and an assist while shooting 6-of-12 from deep, beating the career-high for triples made in a game he set only a few weeks ago.

After posting such low shooting numbers in the first half, the Pacers did the same thing any wise team would do in the second: search for high percentage looks. After tallying just 14 points in the paint in the entire first half, the Pacers put up 12 just over halfway through the third. As the Nets on the contrary missed a handful of shots right around the rim in the, Indiana began to apply pressure once more.

Again, Brooklyn continued to fend them off. The Nets entered the fourth with a 71-67 lead. Each time the Pacers looked ready to take control, the Nets blew a bit more air into the cushion keeping them separated on the scoreboard. D’Angelo Russell, who had nine points in the frame and 22 for the game, had his hands on the pump most of the time.

But after almost 45 minutes of the Nets stiff-arming the home team, they eventually shoved back, literally. After a tough bucket from Bennedict Mathurin, who was only just getting started at that point, Trendon Watford got into with Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner. Even Jordi Fernández appeared to take a shot.

“I think that’s just the level of intensity that you got to rise to,” Russell said postgame. “It’s not the playoffs but it’s a playoff environment. We’re a young group trying to get there so as a group to be able to handle our emotions throughout those moments — don’t let them get the best of us at any point in the last five minutes of the game.”

Watford received two technical fouls and was ejected. Turner and Nembhard each drew one, making everything offset.

But Indiana’s fighting wouldn’t stop there, and on the latter part of a back-to-back sequence, they’d even go a few extra rounds with the Nets. Two blanked possessions from Russell down the stretch, split by a flurry of points from Mathurin whittled Brooklyn’s lead down to three with under a minute to go.

Then, with 14 seconds to go, Mathurin made three final chips that brought it to zero. After Keon Johnson closed out too hard on a would-be game-tying three from the Indiana guard, he went to the stripe. Mathurin found the net all three times. A broken offensive play later and we were introduced to free basketball…

At the tail end of an unbelievably grueling game, everyone looked exactly as you’d expect in the overtime period. Players on both sides were missing short, missing free throws, and even missing their man in transition on a few occasions.

As the teams dredged along, nobody got ahead by more than two, that was, until the Pacers went up three and four with 18 seconds to go following a Myles Turner rejection and a pair of game-sealing free-throws from T. J. McConnell.

It was a bitter end to a bitter game, and therefore, a welcome one. Despite the hostilities, both teams (or at least front offices) will end their nights having gotten exactly what they wanted. It wasn’t pretty, but it was fun, and we’ll do it all again on Saturday.

Final: Indiana Pacers 105, Brooklyn Nets 99

Milestone Watch

• Ziaire Williams (22 points) recorded the seventh 20-point game of his career tonight (third this season). He also buried a career-high six 3-pointers.
• The Nets forced 25 turnovers tonight, making it their 10th game with 20+ turnovers forced this season.

Jordi Gets Real Pre-Game

It’s understandable for teams on the brink of being eliminated from postseason contention to develop a broader definition of what a “win” is every night. But for Fernández’s Nets, who’ve spent a year pissing off tank commanders by going for literal wins night in and night out, it was interesting to hear them admit there’s more to the game than finishing ahead on the scoreboard.

“It just shows with the the competitiveness, the good spirits, you know, our ability to be in games or win games, and I think that goes with showing up every day and working and getting better, a lot of the things that you guys cannot see,” said Fernández. “We really value the day-to-day work and what this group is doing, and this is just the first year right now. It’s been very positive.”

“We’ve gotten better, and it doesn’t stop right now,” Fernández then went on. “So like we always said, winning starts now. Whatever that win means for us, that can stay in the locker room or in the organization, but it’s very important that we’re not wasting any time.”

Next Up

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Want more Indiana Pacers? You got more Indiana Pacers. The Nets will stay in the Hoosier State for the weekend, playing Mathurin and company once more late Saturday afternoon.

• Boxscore: Indiana Pacers 105, Brooklyn Nets 99 (OT) – NBA
• Game Highlights: Indiana Pacers 105, Brooklyn Nets 99 (Video) – NBA
• Jordi Fernandez on improvements needed for the Nets (Video) – YES Network
• Jordi Fernández Postgame Press Conference vs Indiana (Video) – Brooklyn Nets
• Nets lose composure, blow late lead in overtime loss to Pacers – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Bennedict Mathurin scores 28 and leads Pacers to a 105-99 overtime victory over the Nets – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News