ATLANTA — The Nets said they wanted another trip down to Atlanta, another shot at the Hawks. And this time they got their payback.
Brooklyn outlasted Atlanta 114-113 at State Farm Arena on Wednesday, behind a brilliant offensive performance from Mikal Bridges.
He helped Dennis Smith Jr. force Trae Young into a last-second miss at the buzzer to preserve the victory.
After their defense bottomed out in a 147-145 overtime loss two weeks ago, the Nets wanted to get the Hawks scheduled as one of their two games added for missing the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals. Ask and ye shall receive.
Bridges, who had a game-high 32 points, six assists and five boards, hit a go-ahead layup off a feed from Spencer Dinwiddie with 32.8 seconds left in regulation.
And after Dinwiddie forced Young into a miss on the other end, he grabbed the defensive rebound and got fouled.
Dinwiddie sank just one of two on the other end, leaving Brooklyn ahead 112-110.
This time Young snatched the lead away, hitting a 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of Smith.
But Bridges gave it back, getting to his midrange and sinking an 18-footer with 5.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
And there would be no overtime. Bridges helped Smith force the clinching miss by Young, who had 30 points.
The Nets are 5-1 since their defense bottomed out that night.
They were looking to prove they’ve turned some kind of defensive corner, that this mini-surge might be an epiphany instead of just an aberration.
Atlanta (9-11) was playing their first home game since beating the Nets, and went for the encore. But they couldn’t pull it out.
In eight career trips to Atlanta, it was the first win for Bridges and Cam Johnson.
Putting these two teams on the court together in this building apparently results in barn burners.
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Each of the last seven matchups in Atlanta have been decided by single digits, the last four now by two points or less.
The Nets fell behind early, letting Saddiq Bey get free for a running layup that made it 17-10 right out of the gate.
The deficit was still a touchdown at 69-62 after Young’s layup with 7:28 left in the third.
The Nets couldn’t get a firm toehold, and still trailed 72-66 until they scored seven unanswered to take a brief lead when Cam Thomas hit from deep with 5:10 left.
Apparently it was a little too deep, minutes later replay wiped out that 3-pointer, overturned as being out of bounds, and the Nets entered the fourth trailing 82-81.
They were down 84-81 on a Saddiq Bey layup before they retook the lead with a 6-0 run, Thomas’ 11-footer making it 87-84. But they couldn’t hold it.
The teams went back-and-forth for the rest of the fourth, as is their wont.
Brooklyn trailed 101-98 on Clint Capela’s dunk with 4:40 to play, but got a Bridges midrange and Dinwiddie drive and kiss off the glass to edge ahead with 3:46 left.
Young’s long 3-pointer erased it, but Dinwiddie knotted it at 104-all, then followed with a 3-pointer of his own to make it 107-104.
Bridges’ jumper put Brooklyn ahead 109-106.
After Young cut it to one with a jumper, the key sequence turned the game.
Dinwiddie drove into heavy contact with no foul called.
Dejounte Murray missed a layup on the other end, but Bey sailed in for the offensive rebound and got fouled.
He sank both at the line to leave the Nets in a hole with 35.4 seconds let in regulation. But they rallied to win.
