Rookie Danny Wolf erupted for a career-high 23 points, nearly leading the Nets to an upset over the Cavaliers in a tight loss.
The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday evening with hopes of snapping a 7-game skid, but the Cavs pulled out a hard-fought 106-102 victory.
With the loss, Cleveland also extended their win streak as Barclays Center visitors to eight games.
Michael Porter Jr. got back into a rhythm with another masterful shot-making performance, scoring 26 points on 10-for-17 (58.8%) shooting from the field against the Cavs' host of defensive-minded personnel.
Rookie Danny Wolf stepped up in a major way to support the notable All-Star snub with a career-night on the offensive end and inspired defensive intensity. Wolf finished with a career-best 23 points paired with 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in 26 minutes of action.
Wolf had a massive hand not only in Brooklyn's 52-46 halftime advantage, but he very nearly propelled his squad to an unexpected upset.
After taking an early 11-point lead, the Donovan Mitchell-less Cavaliers struggled to come by any offensive rhythm. Nolan Traoré, Wolf, Ziaire Williams and 10-day contract signee Grant Nelson all played a part as disruptors on defense.
Nelson showed out in his home debut, denying three shots at the basket and pouring in an efficient 11 points. The Long Island Nets contributor injected energy into the Nets' bench rotation at perfect times to make an awesome first impression in front of the home fans.
He'd also make franchise history in just his second NBA game, as he became only the second Net ever (Kenyon Martin, Bernard King) to score 10-plus points, dish 5-plus assists and block 3-plus shots spanning their first two career contests, according to stats from ClutchPoints' Erik Slater.
Traoré's play-making took a hit in this one against the Cavaliers' dominant defensive frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen (20 points, 6 rebounds) and 2025 Defensive Player of the Year winner Evan Mobley (17 points, 13 rebounds), but he's impact the game as a scorer after a slow start.
He'd begin 0-for-4 from the field, but his confidence only seemed to grow with each shot he hoisted up. Traoré's final box score figures of 17 points and 2 assists were a product of his lack of hesitation to attack Allen on drives and get two feet in the paint.
2018 NBA MVP James Harden (22 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists) helped Cleveland fight back in the second half, and the Cavs would attain an 8-point lead with a shade under 4 minutes remaining.
Porter Jr. and Wolf would then turn on the afterburners in crunch time with more tough shot-making, especially for the former, who nailed an impossible fading corner three-pointer over the outstretched arms of Cleveland's defensive-minded guard Keon Ellis (4 points, 3 steals, 5 blocks) to trim the deficit to six points with 2:55 to go.
A pair of Traoré buckets and another Porter Jr. triple cut the lead to 102-99 with 24 seconds left, but then the free-throw game would ensue and Cleveland's 'foul up three' strategy kicked in.
Wolf was sent to the line twice in the final seconds. After hitting a pair, he'd step to the line down three points with six seconds left. He'd knock down the first, then fail on his attempt to purposely ricochet the ball off of the rim, hitting only backboard and effectively ending the game.
Brooklyn's record now sits at 15-45 through 60 games, and they'll travel south for a Tuesday evening bout against Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat.
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