Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets entered this game with losing streaks. Oklahoma City has been dealing with a number of injuries with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook highlighting the injury list.
The Nets didn't show much defense at the start of the game, as OKC got 10 of their first 12 points in the paint. By the 7:33 minute mark of the first quarter, Lionel Hollins called for a timeout, while the Thunder was leading 12-5. Brooklyn would then begin to be aggressive in the paint as well, as they finished the quarter with 20 points in the paint. Brook Lopez had eight points with four rebounds at the time.
Brooklyn was able to tie the game at 27 at the 10:46 mark of the second quarter. Mirza Teletovic provided an early bench spark with nine points with just seven minutes of action. Teletovic has begun to show that he can, not only drain shots from the three-point arc, but he can also score in the paint.
By halftime, the Thunder was up 53-49. Although the Nets were shooting at a higher rate, they still found themselves trailing in large part due to the 11 turnovers they had. Joe Johnson had a quiet first half, as he only had two field goals with two points in 18 minutes of action. Another bench player that started contributing for Brooklyn was Jarrett Jack, who had 12 points and three assists after the first two quarters. Reggie Jackson was leading the Thunder at the half with 12 points. Anthony Morrow, who came off the Thunder bench, supplied his team with eight points.
Oklahoma City had a 13-2 advantage in second chance points midway through the third quarter. Brooklyn found themselves in the bonus with four minutes left in the quarter, thus giving them a chance to climb up in this game with the clock stopped. Jack would then make some key buckets to end the third on a 8-0 run to bring his team within three points. The Nets were able to win their first quarter of the night, outscoring the Thunder 22-21.
With 6:48 left in the game, Brooklyn took a 86-83 lead, resulting in a timeout being called by Scott Brooks. Oklahoma City found themselves over the limit once again with lots of time left in the fourth quarter. The Nets took their largest lead of the night, going up 90-83 by the 5:37 mark. With five seconds left in the game, Brooklyn was up by one point, and Johnson got fouled intentionally to get two costless throws. He was only able to convert one, and then the Thunder took a timeout. Jackson had the ball for the last possession and went for a three to try and win it all, but his shot fell short and Brooklyn was able to escape with a close win.
Deron Williams picked up his scoring, as he recorded 17 points to go along with five rebounds. Lopez had a double-double with 16 points and a season-high of 10 boards. Jack had a strong game off the bench, finishing with 23 points. Jackson was the highest scorer for the Thunder, finishing with 21 points. Serge Ibaka also achieved a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards.
The next game for the Nets will be against the defending champions San Antonio Spurs. For the Thunder, they will matchup against the Golden State Warriors on November 23.