Joe Johnson has played enough basketball to know that you can do a lot with that little amount of time.
With the Nets down two with 1.3 seconds to go, Johnson had time for one dribble and a shot – a lifetime of basketball had taught him that – so he took an inbound from Markel Brown and in one motion, turned a dribble into a fading three-pointer.
That 1.3 seconds must have felt like a lifetime to the Denver Nuggets, but the shot was on the right line and with the buzzer sounding, hit the glass and dropped.
Barclays Center erupted. The Nets won 105-104.
“I didn’t have time to take a dribble, square up and shoot, it was all in one motion, one dribble off one leg, shot and in,” Johnson said.
The moment was a bit of a blur for the 34-year-old, who couldn’t tell if the shot had banked or dropped right in. His teammates, many of whom had grown up watching Johnson hit clutch shots, including buzzer beaters, had it crystal clear, as did his coach, who was more-than impressed with the game-winning (and saving) shot.
“He made a heck of a shot,” Interim Head Coach Tony Brown said. “A one-legged bank shot from three, I’m sure it’ll be on some highlight reels tonight.”
While it may have been a more dramatic ending than the Nets would have liked, they took an “all’s well that ends well” approach. Brook Lopez felt that Monday’s game belonged to the Nets, who led for a majority of the contest, leading by as many as 16 at points.
“We had a feeling that this was our game,” Lopez said.
It was certainly Markel Brown’s game, as Brown hit a career-high 19 points along with the game-winning inbound to Johnson. Brown – who hit double-digits in consecutive games for the first time this season – had 14 points in the second quarter and earned the right to play the entirety of the fourth.
“Markel has been playing well of late,” coach Brown said. “So I gave him the opportunity.”
Coach Brown also cited the guard’s defense as a reason to keep him on the floor in key moments of the fourth.
“I’m playing aggressive right now,” Markel Brown said. “I’m playing with a lot of confidence. That’s what I’m going to continue to do. [My teammates] are doing a great job of finding me and continuing to get me open shots.”
While Brown had a career-night, the rest of the Nets’ bench played a key role in Monday’s win. The bench combined for 44 points and was on the court in the second quarter when the Nets had their biggest lead of the game.
Not to be lost in the dramatic finish and back-and-forth, tug-of-war struggle that characterized the fourth quarter, was the NBA debut of Chris McCullough.
McCullough checked into his first NBA game 1:47 into the second quarter. The 6’10 forward hit his first shot and finished the game with two points, two rebounds, a block and a steal in 10:49.
“It just felt good to be out there,” said McCullough, who spent the last 13 months recovering from a torn ACL. “Playing my game, doing what I do, blocking shots, rebounding on the floor.”
Due to his layoff, his debut had been long-awaited by Nets fans, who greeted him with a sizable cheer when PA Announcer Dave Diamante called his name. McCullough said that – and the crazy finish – were memories he’d never forget.
“It was good being on the court,” he said. “Just to finally hear my name called, it felt great.”
The noise of the game-winning buzzer beater sounded pretty great, too.
NOTES: Thaddeus Young had a team-high 20 points… Thomas Robinson had a team-high 11 rebounds… Johnson had a team-high eight assists… Danilo Gallinari had a game-high 24 points, while Kenneth Faried had 22 points and 13 rebounds… The Nets have four straight home games with 100 points… The Nets have one more game before the All-Star Break, hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
