WHAT IT MEANS: For the Nets, almost wasn’t good enough. After falling behind to the Pistons by as many as 18 in the third quarter, the Nets cut their deficit all the way down one in the final period, but couldn’t get any closer as they ended up dropping their fourth game in a row, 99-92, on Wednesday night at the Prudential Center. The Nets (8-19) allowed the Pistons (7-20, 2-12 road), the NBA’s lowest scoring team, to shoot 53.4 percent from the field.

TURNING POINT: The Nets used a 24-10 run to get within one, 78-77, with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter. They Nets trailed 86-83 and could’ve tied it up, but Jordan Farmar's turnover led to a backbreaking 3-pointer by Brandon Knight on the other end with 4:26 remaining.

ON POINT: Deron Williams and Farmar combined for 56 points and 10 assists.

D-Will had 27 of his game-high 34 points in the second half, and rallied to finish 10-for-21 from the field -- 6-for-9 from 3-point range after a 1-for-5 start. Farmar had 16 of his 22 points in the third quarter. Williams added seven assists and hit 8 of his 9 free-throw attempts.

AWFUL: The Nets’ first half was their worst half of the season. They opened up 3-for-16 from the field and wound up shooting 34.2 percent in the opening 24 minutes. They went into the locker room trailing, 51-39.

CHIPPY: Hump was given a technical foul in the first quarter after he slapped a ball back in Jason Maxiell's face after Maxiell dunked on him. Johan Petro was originally assessed a flagrant-two foul and automatically ejected after hacking Jonas Jerebko as Jerebko was trying to finish in transition during the second quarter. But the officials changed the call, lessening it to a flagrant-one, and allowed Petro to remain in the game. Greg Monroe was T’d up in the third quarter for arguing. There was also a double technical on Shawne Williams and Jerebko in the fourth quarter.

STAT OF THE GAME: The Nets missed their first nine 3's, but went 10-for-18 from beyond the arc the rest of the way.

PLAYS OF THE GAME: Shelden Williams' one-handed dunk along the baseline put the Nets in front 4-2. He had another one-handed dunk along the baseline in the fourth quarter that brought the Nets within 74-69.

UP NEXT: Nets at Pistons, Friday night, 7:30.