Cameron Johnson #2 hugs Mikal Bridges #1 of the Brooklyn Nets as the seconds tick off the clock as the Nets defeat the Houston Rockets to win the game at Barclays Center on March 29, 2023 in New York City. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP
Cameron Johnson scored 31 points as the Brooklyn Nets closed the game on an 18-4 run and handed the Houston Rockets their seventh straight loss, 123-114, on Wednesday in New York.
Mikal Bridges had 27 points, Spencer Dinwiddie added 20 points and 11 assists and Nic Claxton contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds for Brooklyn, which snapped a four-game home losing streak after shooting 9 of 11 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter.
Kevin Porter Jr. led Houston (18-59) with 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Alperen Sengun added 21 points and 12 rebounds. Kenyon Martin Jr. scored 15 points, Josh Christopher and Jalen Green had 14 apiece and Jabari Smith Jr. added 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Brooklyn (41-35) moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Miami Heat (40-37) for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets have six games remaining.
An all-around effort from CJ tonight 🎥
31 PTS | 7 REB | 5 AST | 61.1 FG% pic.twitter.com/LNHOYTxc3z
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 30, 2023
Green hit two free throws with 3:05 left in the contest to put Houston ahead 110-105 before Brooklyn gained control in a game that featured 25 lead changes and 15 ties.
The Nets moved ahead 119-112 with 32 seconds left after Royce O’Neale drained two 3-pointers and Johnson and Dinwiddie added one trey apiece during a 14-2 run. Bridges made four free throws in the final seconds to secure the Nets’ third straight win over Houston.
Houston missed six of its first seven 3-point attempts and trailed 30-25 at the end of the first quarter.
The Rockets held a 55-54 advantage at the end of the first half. Johnson and Bridges combined for 27 points for Brooklyn before the break.
Johnson scored with just 5:29 left in the third quarter to put the Nets ahead 76-69 before Houston responded with an 11-0 run. Porter scored 11 points in the third to help give the Rockets a one-point lead going into the final period.
Christopher scored six points during another 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter to give the Rockets their largest lead, 98-89. Brooklyn answered and pulled within 102-101 on consecutive 3-pointers by Bridges and Johnson.
Houston shot 9 of 30 (30 percent) from 3-point range compared to 17 of 35 (48.6 percent) for the Nets.