CLEVELAND — The Nets were on the brink of self-doubt, folding up their tents every time they got into trouble.
Sunday’s game against the Cavaliers finally showed the backbone and fortitude that interim coach Kevin Ollie was looking for.
Brooklyn defeated the Cavaliers 120-101 in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,432 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
And the contrast wasn’t as close as the final score suggested, with the Nets outscoring the home team 44-29 in the third and building a 26-point lead in the fourth.
This is tied for the most points Brooklyn has scored in any quarter this season and breaks up Brooklyn’s lackluster game of basketball.
Cam Thomas had 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his second game back from an ankle injury. Mikal Bridges added 25 points and had a rare break, logging 35 minutes, but was allowed to sit behind in an outburst.
The Nets shot 53.2 percent overall and 18-of-35 from deep, including a long, heated checkbomb from Thomas and Dennis Schroder (17 points, eight assists) on that explosive third-and-point goal.
The Nets didn’t have to face All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, and they probably won’t care much. They improved to 26-39 and moved within four games of Atlanta for the last play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets led by as many as 12 points at the half, 46-34.
Nick Claxton’s dunk gave Brooklyn a 50-41 lead, but the score remained the same even when Ollie lost a challenge with 3:18 left in the first half.
Jarrett Allen’s hook shot seven seconds later gave the Cavs a 10-2 lead at the end of the first half. And the Nets completely lost the lead early in the third set.
But what’s different about this is that they actually responded.
Brooklyn, which trailed 60-57 on a 3-pointer from former Net Caris LeVert, quickly responded with a 10-2 run.
LeVert then hit a 3-pointer from Isaac Okoro to tie the game at 67-all, but the Nets completely destroyed the game with a barrage from behind the arc and went on an 18-6 run that essentially ended the game. Ta.
Bridges hit a 3 off a fellow shooter, and Dorian Finney-Smith followed with a shot of his own off Thomas on a fast break.
By the time Schroder used up his 40-footer (his celebration was reminiscent of Jamaican sprinting icon Usain Bolt), Brooklyn was leading 85-73 with 3:22 left in the third. Ta.
Thomas stole the ball with 4.9 seconds left in the period, tucked it in and followed with a highlight of his own, hitting a 37-foot shot to beat the buzzer. The Nets now had a three-point lead, 96-80.
They added 10 more points in the fourth to take a 116-90 lead with five minutes left. The Nets attacked Cleveland at arm’s length the rest of the way.
