FILE–Cam Thomas #24 of the Brooklyn Nets. Steven Ryan/Getty Images/AFP
Rookie Cam Thomas scored 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Brooklyn Nets stormed back from a 28-point deficit and earned a wild 111-106 victory over the host New York Knicks on Wednesday.
The Nets’ rally matched the largest in franchise history. Brooklyn also escaped a 28-point hole to win at Sacramento on March 19, 2019.
Thomas made 7 of 10 shots in the final quarter when the Nets completed the comeback by outscoring the Knicks 38-19. Thomas scored 10 of Brooklyn’s final 19 points and secured the win with a 29-foot, step-back 3-pointer over rookie Quentin Grimes that put Brooklyn up 109-103 with 7.7 seconds left.
Seth Curry added 20 as the Nets won their second straight following an 11-game skid. LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and he wound up with 10 rebounds.
The @BrooklynNets overcame a 28 point deficit as rookie Cam Thomas and veteran Seth Curry lifted them to victory in a battle of the NYC franchises! #NetsWorld@sdotcurry: 20 PTS, 6 AST, 6 3PM@24_camthomas: 21 PTS, 4 REB pic.twitter.com/ObbtspZHlu
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2022
James Johnson chipped in 14 points while Andre Drummond collected 11 points and 19 boards for Brooklyn, which trailed 54-26 midway through the second quarter.
Julius Randle scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half for the Knicks, who fell to 3-13 in their past 16 games. New York blew a 20-plus-point lead for the second time in three games, having squandered a 23-point edge Saturday in a road loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Immanuel Quickley added 18 points and Evan Fournier contributed 16 for the Knicks, who shot 68.4 percent in the opening quarter and finished at 43.5 percent. In the fourth period, New York missed 18 of 26 shots, including 10 of 11 3-point attempts.
The Nets got within 73-66 on Bruce Brown’s dunk with 5:10 remaining in the third. The Knicks ended the quarter with a 14-7 spurt and took an 87-73 lead into the fourth.
Brooklyn ripped off 15 straight points and took its first lead of the game when Thomas hit an 18-footer with 3:58 left to make it 99-97. Randle’s 20-footer forged a 99-99 tie with 3:33 left, and Randle hit a layup around Johnson with 2:52 left to make it 101-99 New York.
Brooklyn regained the lead when Curry hit a wide-open 3-pointer in front of New York’s bench with 2:34 remaining. After Randle missed a short jumper, Aldridge converted a put-back dunk to make it 104-101 with 1:58 to go, and he hit a 19-footer for a 106-103 lead with 56.6 seconds left before Thomas finished it off.