MILWAUKEE — Maybe the Nets got a new offense for the holidays.
Brooklyn seemed destined for another offensively challenged loss.
That is until they turned destiny around with a 111-105 come-from-behind win over a shorthanded Milwaukee team missing stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard at Fiserv Forum on Thursday night.
Cam Johnson poured in 29 points, including a dagger 3-pointer in a late 17-5 run that turned a five-point deficit into a shocking victory.
Second-year big man Noah Clowney continued his breakout, adding 20 points, four rebounds and a career-best 6-for-8 from 3-point range.
Brooklyn trailed 97-92 after a Khris Middleton free throw before seizing the game.
It was knotted at 99-all before Clowney hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:33 left.
Nic Claxton drove baseline and got fouled, hitting 1 of 2 from the line to make it 103-99.
Then Johnson took a Ben Simmons pass and hit a long 3-pointer, getting fouled and laying splayed on the court as he soaked in the crowd’s vexation.
He sank the free throw as well, putting Brooklyn ahead 109-102 with 48.6 left in regulation.
The Nets made sure there was no overtime.
“Yeah, just keep improving,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said beforehand. “I think our ball movement was good. Try to have more opportunities when we run. We just have to take advantage of certain opportunities when we run. I think those are things that we can watch and be better. And then defensively, just staying consistent. I think when we do what we’re supposed to, we’re good.
Bucks on Dec. 26. NBAE via Getty Images
“I was happy with the way we competed all the way through [in Miami]. Obviously, you want to win, but we can keep building with who we are right now. And it’s exciting because you see things [taking] shape in different ways as far as style of play. We still obviously want to take the right shots every time, but it has to be in different ways, for obvious reasons. So, happy overall. Guys have been locked in, and they’ve been challenging themselves and owning it. So that’s a good thing. It’s a good sign for development.”
They showed that development Thursday.
During their early-season comebacks, they’d managed to rally on the strength of their attack, but with that seemingly no longer an option, they had to figure a way to punch back on defense.
the Bucks on Dec. 26. NBAE via Getty Images
It’s hard to say what has hurt them more — trading away pick-and-roll point guard Dennis Schroder or losing leading scorer Cam Thomas to a hamstring injury.
Either way, robbed of them both, along with starting forward Dorian Finney-Smith, they’ve struggled to score.
But Johnson and Clowney changed that.
The latter hit 6 of 9 from deep Thursday, with only three players 20 or younger having more 3-pointers this season: Victor Wembanyama, Jared McCain and Carlton Carrington.
Brooklyn trailed 88-79 after AJ Green’s 3-pointer with 10:22 left.
That’s when the Nets mounted a 13-5 run over the next three minutes to pull within one.
Shake Milton scored 11 points in the blitz.
His 3 off a Simmons feed cut the deficit to just one at 93-92 with 7:07 to play.
Middleton’s midrange jumper broke Brooklyn’s momentum.
But his flagrant foul moments later sent Johnson to the charity stripe, where he converted.
Wilson’s put-back of a Keon Johnson miss got the Nets within 97-96, and moments later, Wilson found Johnson for a 3-pointer and a 99-97 lead with 3:40 to play.
After Johnson turned the ball over to Brook Lopez, Middleton’s bank shot tied it at 99-all.
From there, Clowney broke the tie and the Bucks.