Caris LeVert scored 15 of his career-high 28 points in the fourth quarter and hit the tiebreaking layup with one second remaining as the Brooklyn Nets made their home opener a success with a 107-105 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.
LeVert snapped a 105-105 deadlock by showing some quickness and a strong finish at the rim after getting the inbounds pass from Joe Harris. He began his drive above the 3-point line at the top of the key and drove around former University of Michigan teammate Tim Hardaway Jr.
After New York called timeout, the game ended when Hardaway's long 3-point attempt clanged off the rim.
LeVert helped the Nets improve to 6-1 in home openers in Brooklyn since leaving New Jersey in 2012 by shooting 8 of 13 from the floor. Two nights after getting 27 in Detroit, he made all three of his shots in the fourth and scored Brooklyn's last seven points.
It was the first time in his career that LeVert topped 20 points in consecutive games.
D'Angelo Russell and Jarrett Allen added 15 points apiece as the Nets shot 49.3 percent and overcame allowing 29 points on 22 turnovers.
Hardaway and Enes Kanter led all scorers with 29 points apiece as the Knicks came back from a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter. Kanter forged a 105-105 tie with his third three-point play of the night before LeVert's game-winning drive.
Rookie Kevin Knox added 17 points and six rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who shot 40.2 percent and lost despite committing only three turnovers.
Brooklyn held a 65-55 lead on a 3-pointer by Russell with 9:18 remaining in the third, but the Knicks scored the next 11 points and took their first lead of the game on a Hardaway 3-pointer with 5:38 left. The Knicks carried a 76-74 lead into the fourth, but Russell helped the Nets regain the lead at 82-80 with about 8 1/2 minutes left.
The Nets were up 93-88 on a 3-pointer by Jared Dudley with 4:56 remaining, but 34 seconds later, Knox tied it with a 3-pointer. LeVert gave Brooklyn a three-point lead at 105-102 by hitting two free throws with 73 seconds left, but the Nets needed one more clutch play from LeVert to squeeze out the win.
--Field Level Media
New York | Brooklyn | |
Tim Hardaway Jr. 29 | Scoring | Caris LeVert 28 |
Trey Burke 4 | Assists | Spencer Dinwiddie 6 |
Enes Kanter 10 | Rebounds | Jarrett Allen 11 |
Tim Hardaway Jr. 6 | Free Throws Made | Caris LeVert 10 |
Tim Hardaway Jr. 3 | Steals | Jared Dudley 1 |
Noah Vonleh 1 | Blocks | Jarrett Allen 4 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
New York | 105 | 40.2 | 9-28 | 18-20 | 14 | 36 | 1 | 10 | 3 |
Brooklyn | 107 | 49.3 | 12-30 | 21-24 | 22 | 55 | 6 | 2 | 22 |