NBA: Isaac Okoro’s 3-pointer in final second lifts Cavaliers over Nets
Mar 23, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) celebrates after scoring the game wining basket to beat the Brooklyn Nets 1156-114 at Barclays Center. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Isaac Okoro drained a last-second three-pointer as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a late rally to down the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
Okoro nailed a corner three with 0.7 seconds left on the clock to fire Cleveland to a 116-114 victory at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
It capped a furious comeback by Cleveland, who had trailed by eight points with just over two minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
ISAAC OKORO FOR THE WIN 😱
WHAT A FINISH. pic.twitter.com/21XgHBFyRB
— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2023
The victory edged Cleveland closer towards clinching their playoff place.
The Cavaliers are now fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 47-28 record.
“It means a lot man — we battled back in that game, we were down but we kept fighting,” Okoro said afterwards.
“We could have played a lot better — but a W’s a W in our book so it don’t matter.”
Brooklyn (39-34) however have dropped out of the automatic playoff places after five straight defeats and are now staring at a potential spot in the play-in tournament.
Mar 23, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after being called for a foul in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Brooklyn face a daunting trip to playoff-chasing Miami this weekend.
“I felt like we deserved to win that game,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said afterward.
“We did a lot of good things. Now we have to let that game go and try and win a ball game in Miami.
“A lot of times in defeat you learn who the hell you are — so this is an opportunity for us to learn who we are.”
Brooklyn looked poised to end that losing streak after moving 10 points clear midway through the fourth.
But Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell combined for 13 fourth quarter points to spark the Cavaliers fightback.
Mitchell finished with 31 points to lead the Cavaliers scoring, while Mobley weighed in with 26 points, 16 rebounds and three assists.
Four other Cleveland players finished in double figures.
Mikal Bridges led the Brooklyn scoring with 32 points while Spencer Dinwiddie added 25 with 12 assists and four rebounds.
