First came lost poise. Then a lost game.
The Nets squandered a double-digit cushion, and a five-point edge with seconds left in regulation Thursday.
In the end, they fell to Indiana 105-99 before 15,008 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Brooklyn led by as many as 11, and by five when Trendon Watford — who’d led the way with his gritty play — got ejected with 4:48 left in the fourth quarter.
They were still up 91-86 with 41 seconds left in regulation before they allowed the next five points and got outscored 19-8 the rest of the night to turn victory into defeat.
The Nets were just 2-of-11 with three turnovers down the stretch. But afterward, Jordi Fernández pointed out the 31-18 discrepancy at the charity stripe.
“It’s 13 shots right there from the free-throw line of difference with a team that we shot similar paint shots, they picked us up full-court. I find it hard to believe,” said Fernández. “But it’s part of the game; that’s something that I cannot control which way the whistle is going to go…We had a great veteran crew that have called a lot of games. So for us we have to worry about what we can control and got to move on to the next one, which is good because it’s the same team.”
The teams play consecutive games, with a rematch slated for Saturday in what could be testy.
The Nets have dropped 12 of their past 14 games, and are a half-game ahead of Philadelphia for fifth in the lottery standings, and 1 ½ games ahead of seventh-place Toronto pending the Raptors’ result Thursday.
D’Angelo Russell drives to the basket during the Nets’ 105-99 overtime loss to the Pacers on March 20, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. NBAE via Getty ImagesThere were three ties and seven lead changes in overtime. The last — after Ziaire Williams (22 points, season high six 3s) had put the Nets up 99-98 with 1:15 left in OT — came via TJ McConnell.
He went to the line and sank both to put the Pacers up for good.
Then he picked Tyrese Martin’s pocket, passing to Pascal Siakam.
Trendon Watford (left), Center Myles Turner (33) and guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) scuffle during the second half of the Nets’ overtime loss to the Pacers. AP- CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND NETS STATS
The latter sank one of two for a 101-99 Indiana lead with 57 seconds remaining.
Brooklyn didn’t respond.
When Keon Johnson tried to go up for a two-handed dunk, Myles Turner (23 points, 10 boards, five blocks) blocked him at the rim.
Myles Turner blocks the shot of Keon Johnson’s shot in the closing second of overtime in the Nets’ loss to the Pacers. APMcConnell went back to the line, and again this time sank both to put the Nets in their largest deficit of the night at 103-99 with 18 seconds left in OT.
Nic Claxton’s travel on the ensuing possession all but sealed Brooklyn’s fate.
Turner and Watford had gone at it with 4:48 left in regulation, the latter getting two technicals.
It was the turning point after the Nets forward had 15 points, five rebounds, a plus-8.
He was sorely missed.
“Yeah, I mean, you don’t want to get to that point. But at the end of the day nothing happened. There was just two teams playing hard. They were competing, we were competing. The physicality is great,” said Fernández. “Again, we got punished with the free throw line; they didn’t. I just don’t think with a game that was that physical and picked up full court with low scoring, it doesn’t seem to make sense.”
Ziaire Williams of the Brooklyn Nets shoots a 3-point basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 20, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty ImagesBenedict Mathurin had a game-high 28 for the Pacers.
