Nets’ latest comeback bid falls short in 108-103 loss to Pacers

Sometimes awkward scheduling has its perks.

The Nets playing back-to-back road games against the Indiana Pacers meant they had opportunity to quickly avenge Thursday’s overtime loss inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a game that featured a heated scuffle between the teams and Trendon Watford’s first career ejection.

Things were just as dramatic this time around, though there weren’t any physical altercations. The Nets pushed the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference to the brink thanks to another late-game rally, but Indiana did just enough in clutch time to escape with a 108-103 win.

The Nets fell to 23-48 with the loss and have now dropped nine straight road games dating back to Feb. 24.

Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton returned from their respective absences for Saturday’s rematch in Indianapolis. Ziaire Williams (right hamstring tightness) and D’Angelo Russell (right ankle soreness) sat for precautionary reasons, per Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez.

Leaning on Haliburton’s shot making and creation, the Pacers established control early and went up 28-19 with 1:02 left in the first quarter. The Nets cut their deficit to three by the end of the period, thanks in large part to stellar play from their bench, fueled by Watford.

However, by the 3:01 mark of the second quarter, Brooklyn found itself trailing by 13 points because they couldn’t limit the Pacers in transition or guard the 3-point line. Indiana shot 54.5% in the second quarter and went 6 for 10 from deep.

While both teams made 12 shots in the period, Indiana doubled up Brooklyn from behind the arc and had a three-make advantage at the free-throw line. It added up to a nine-point deficit for the visitors at halftime, and they didn’t exit the break with much juice.

The Pacers opened the third quarter on a 13-5 run to go up 71-57 with 9:51 left. Similar to the first half, Brooklyn’s bench trickled in and continued to chip away. It was a nine-point game with 4:01 left in the period. But the Nets failed to score for the remainder of the quarter. Indiana went into the final frame with a 20-point lead, its largest advantage of the night at that point.

But the Nets weren’t done. In a wildly efficient offensive fourth quarter, they used a 21-2 run, capped off by a Tyrese Martin 3-pointer and a Nic Claxton dunk, to make it a one-point game with 4:30 left.

The rest came down to poise and execution. Once again, the Nets couldn’t find a way to finish. From there, Indiana responded with a 10-4 run to go up 102-94 with 27.8 seconds left. Watford drilled a ridiculous 3-pointer that made it a three-point game with 8.1 seconds left, but the Pacers were able to salt the game away at the free-throw line, putting what was another furious Brooklyn rally to rest.

Watford and Haliburton were seen exchanging words before and after the final buzzer.

Watford, perhaps playing with an extra layer of motivation following Thursday’s ejection and subsequent fine, enjoyed his finest performance in a Nets uniform, finishing with 26 points and five rebounds in 30 minutes. Johnson added 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Pascal Siakam paced Indiana with 26 points, three rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes. The Pacers outscored Brooklyn 54-48 in the paint and 21-8 in transition.

The Nets will return to action on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center.

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