Joey Clutch! Joe Johnson did it again. Johnson hit a game-winning floater as time expired, giving the Brooklyn Nets their first road victory of the season in a wild one Friday night in Phoenix. The Nets ultimately prevailed, 100-98, in overtime over the Phoenix Suns at U.S. Airways Center.
WHAT IT MEANS: Johnson, who hit four game-winning shots last season, got it done when it mattered the most. The Nets (3-5, 1-4 away) desperately needed this win, and they got it, snapping a three-game losing streak. Johnson went just 6-for-19 from the field. In this game, the Nets rallied from a 14-point deficit and blew a 13-point lead. They went on a 30-4 run bridging the second and third quarters. Brook Lopez had just two points in the first half, but poured in 21 points in the second half and four in overtime.
The Nets lost $98.7 million point guard Deron Williams with 7:20 left in the first quarter, but they didn’t need him. Williams sprained his left ankle and did not return. X-rays were negative. Shaun Livingston scored 18 points and had six assists in 37 minutes in place of Williams.
UP NEXT: The Nets wrap up their three-game West Coast swing Saturday night in Los Angeles, when they take on the Clippers. For KG and Pierce, that means facing their former coach, Doc Rivers, for the first time since they all left Boston. At one point, it looked like the trio would end up in L.A. Didn't happen. Let's see how the reunion goes.