Joe Johnson scored 19 points and Andray Blatche added 14 for the Nets, who can clinch a playoff spot with a New York Knicks loss at Utah on Monday. Mason Plumlee, Shaun Livingston and Alan Anderson put up 13 points apiece as Brooklyn remained within 1 1/2 games of fourth-place Chicago in the Eastern Conference and 2 1/2 behind Toronto for the Atlantic Division lead.
Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin each scored 21 points to lead the Timberwolves, whose dwindling playoff hopes took another hit. Kevin Love was limited to 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting and Nikola Pekovic added 13 as Minnesota slipped seven games behind Phoenix and Dallas for the last playoff spot in the West.
The Nets led by seven early in the third quarter but watched the advantage quickly evaporate with an 11-0 spurt that gave Minnesota a 69-63 lead. Johnson scored eight and Livingston added five during a 13-3 burst as Brooklyn surged back in front.
Brooklyn's lead was 85-82 entering the final stanza, and the Nets never relinquished control. Anderson hit three 3-pointers in the quarter to help stretch it back out and a pair of Plumlee dunks sandwiched a Pierce 3-pointer to stretch it to 105-91 as the Nets coasted to the finish.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Minnesota G Ricky Rubio (177) broke the franchise record for steals in a season, surpassing Tyrone Corbin's mark of 175 in 1989-90. … Brooklyn has held opponents under 100 points in 12 straight home games. … Johnson became the 15th active player with 17,000 career points, joining teammates Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Minnesota | Brooklyn | |
Corey Brewer 21 | Scoring | Paul Pierce 22 |
Ricky Rubio 12 | Assists | Deron Williams 5 |
Gorgui Dieng 11 | Rebounds | Mason Plumlee 8 |
Corey Brewer 3 | Free Throws Made | Shaun Livingston 5 |
Corey Brewer 4 | Steals | Jorge Gutierrez 3 |
Dante Cunningham 1 | Blocks | Andray Blatche 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Minnesota | 99 | 47.0 | 3-12 | 18-27 | 24 | 42 | 1 | 12 | 20 |
Brooklyn | 114 | 50.0 | 12-33 | 16-22 | 21 | 43 | 6 | 13 | 20 |