Nets lose yet another close game, this time to San Antonio

Drop Latest Last-Minute Heartbreaker in 100-95 Loss to Visiting Spurs

January 18, 2018 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Joe Harris’ bid for a tying 3-pointer didn’t go down Wednesday night as the Nets suffered yet another narrow defeat to an elite opponent as San Antonio escaped Downtown Brooklyn with a 100-95 victory. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II

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In cartoon parlance, the Brooklyn Nets are like Wile E. Coyote, who continually tries, but never winds up catching that all-so-irritating Road Runner.

The Nets suffered their latest near-miss Wednesday night in front of 15,425 fans at Downtown’s Barclays Center, overcoming most of a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit, only to come up maddeningly short in a 100-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

“It’s been tough,” admitted Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris of the team’s inability to pull out close games down the stretch.

“We’ve been in this position what seems like a lot, where it’s just a matter of executing down the stretch, both defensively and offensively. We play really well, we’re able to climb back into it, and then we have lapses in judgement. Not sure exactly what it is. But these experienced teams, they seem to find a way to win.”

Brooklyn (16-20) hasn’t been lacking in experience when it comes to late-game heartbreak this year.

The Nets rank second in the NBA in games featuring teams separated by five points or fewer with five minutes remaining in regulation, playing in 29 such contests this season.

But their record in those games, which sunk to 11-18 following Wednesday’s defeat, is the major reason why they own the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference.

“I understand we’re knocking on the door and improving and playing well and playing well against elite teams, but none of our guys are satisfied,” said Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who handed out a career-high 13 assists against the Spurs.

“We’re all frustrated,” he added. “We continue to lose. We want to be better. We’re going to be better. We just have to learn and put things together so we can actually get wins, and not just be close.”

Harris scored 18 points off the bench versus San Antonio, but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 1:14 left to play.

Dinwiddie didn’t commit a single turnover while racking up dimes throughout the evening, but shot a dismal 3-of-13 from the floor in Brooklyn’s third consecutive loss and sixth in seven games overall.

“We can dwell on these tough losses that we’ve had, but we’re making steps in the right direction,” Harris said.

“We’ve just got to keep hammering away at it and hopefully these tough experiences, where we haven’t been able to win down the stretch, execute down the stretch, being in this position, is going to be beneficial for us for a young team going forward.”

Allen Crabbe scored a team-high 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds, but Brooklyn was unable to contend with San Antonio big man LaMarcus Aldridge, who dominated the interior to the tune of 34 points, eight boards and two blocked shots.

The Nets trailed 79-64 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter against a Spurs team that was without superstar forward Kawhi Leonard and future Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili due to thigh injuries.

They battled back to pull within 91-88 on Dinwiddie’s three-point play with 2:16 remaining.

But Tyler Zeller missed a six-footer and Harris’ bid for a tying 3-pointer bounded out before Aldridge settled matters with a three-point play of his own on the other end.

Brooklyn, which dropped its fifth straight at Barclays and endured its fourth loss by five points or fewer in the past two weeks, including a pair of overtime defeats to Toronto and Washington, again was left to wonder what could have been.

“I feel like we’re getting closer,” said Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, whose team will be back at it again here Friday night against the Miami Heat.

“This is San Antonio, Toronto and Boston, these are elite teams in our league and there are no moral victories,” he added. “But I do think they’re encouraged, we’re improving and getting better. Like on a night like tonight, we got better.”

Better, but ultimately bitter over yet another missed opportunity.

Nothing But Net: Before his team beat the Nets for the sixth straight time, San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich heaped praise on Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks, a former Spurs player, assistant coach and executive, for the job he is doing here. “Intelligence level is off the charts, sense of humor is off the charts, compassionate and empathic guy yet willing to make decisions,” Popovich said of Marks. “When he would sit in our meetings, whether he was GMing or coaching, he was always someone whose presence exhibited gravitas. He was someone I listened to and go to for opinions. With Sean, he’s going to stay the course,” Popovich added. “He knows what needs to be done, how to build a culture. He knows what that entails. Part of that is persistence and doggedness. Being able to persist in what you know is going to work.” … Dinwiddie’s rough shooting night extended a stretch in which the savvy playmaker has gone a dismal 9-for-43 from the field over the last three Nets losses … Brooklyn hasn’t won at Barclays Center since Dinwiddie hit a jumper with 10 seconds remaining to knock off Minnesota on Jan. 3.