Brooklyn Nets: Player grades from dramatic win over Hornets

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The Brooklyn Nets played small to close Wednesday and eked out a 134-132 double-overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets for their 9th win in 10 games.

The Brooklyn Nets erased an eight-point deficit over the final 3:20 of regulation Wednesday night to force overtime and then battled past the Charlotte Hornets to win on Joe Harris‘ scoop-and-score steal and layup with 3.4 seconds remaining in the second overtime, 134-132.

It was a game that was relatively close throughout, with Brooklyn taking the lone double-digit lead of the contest at 65-55 on Rodions Kurucs‘ putback with 9:01 to play in the third quarter.

The Hornets quickly tied things up with a 12-2 run and much of the rest of the game was played in the small margins, featuring 18 lead changes and 22 ties in all.

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Brooklyn went small down the stretch, playing Jarrett Allen for one second at the end of regulation for rebounding and defensive purposes and inserting DeMarre Carroll for the final four seconds of the fourth quarter as an extra shooter with the Nets down by one.

Otherwise, it was Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as the small 5, Jared Dudley as the small 4, Rodions Kurucs as a sort of long 3, with Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie in the backcourt.

The defensive length and athleticism of Kurucs has been a game-changer for Brooklyn, as over the last three games, he has found himself harassing guards on the perimeter that include a pair of All-Stars in Victor Oladipo and Kemba Walker, a rising star in Devin Booker and a future Hall of Famer, Tony Parker.

He’s quick enough to move laterally with most guards (Walker did give him fits with his quickness) and his length continues to surprise offensive players, as he used his 7-foot-2 wingspan for three steals.

Defensively, the Nets threw the kitchen sink at Walker over the final three minutes of regulation and the two overtimes, holding him to four points over the final 13:19 after he had run off 12 straight points to put Charlotte up 104-96.

Brooklyn went nine deep, with three players topping 40 minutes played and two others eclipsing the 36-minute mark.

The Nets are the best team in the NBA since Dec. 7, going 9-1 in that span, and will take a two straight wins into Friday night’s rematch with the Hornets in Charlotte.

Here are the player grades from Wednesday’s dramatic win.