Long Island Nets snap skid with road win over Clippers

The Long Island Nets snapped a season-long 3-game losing streak Sunday with a 117-107 win over the Agua Caliente Clippers in suburban Los Angeles.

The Long Island Nets, with a brand-new player pressed into service as a starter and on a three-game losing streak, rallied with a big second half Sunday afternoon to post a 117-107 victory over the Agua Caliente Clippers at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

The Nets (19-10) increased their lead in the NBA G League’s Eastern Conference to 1½ games over both the Lakeland Magic and Raptors 905 and to two games over the Capital City Go-Go and Westchester Knicks.

The Clippers (15-14) held a 68-54 lead at the half before the Nets rallied with a strong second half, outscoring Agua Caliente 63-39 after intermission.

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Long Island turned up the defensive heat in the second half, holding the Clippers to 34.1 percent (14-for-41) overall and 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) from 3-point range.

With injuries and with two-way player Theo Pinson with the injury-riddled parent Brooklyn Nets, Long Island added guard Kevin Olekaibe from the available player pool on Saturday.

Olekaibe played in one game with the Nets earlier this season, signed on a roster hardship exception, and he immediately entered the starting lineup on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Olekaibe was undrafted in 2014 and has spent the bulk of his professional career in the G League, playing four seasons with the Canton Charge from 2014-18. He also briefly played with Bodegas Rioja Vega Logrono in Spain’s LEB Gold, its second-division league.

He played 25 minutes Sunday, scoring six points with three assists.

The Nets shot 47.8 percent (43-for-90) for the game, but was just 5-for-20 (25 percent) from 3-point range. Long Island held a 55-43 edge on the board, turning that into a 21-15 advantage in second-chance scoring.

The Nets also had a huge advantage in the paint, outscoring Agua Caliente 76-46. The Clippers shot 39.4 percent (39-for-99) overall and were 14-for-37 from deep (37.8 percent). Agua Caliente scored 21 points off 14 Long Island turnovers. The Nets scored nine points off 12 Clipper miscues.

Okaro White scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Nets, while two-way player Alan Williams went for 25 points, 10 boards and two blocks. Shannon Scott finished with nine assists and five steals, while Jordan McLaughlin went for 16 points and six assists.

Former Net Anthony Bennett led the Clippers with 21 points and two blocked shots before fouling out, while Manu Lecomte had 20 points and six assists. J.J. Avila finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

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The Nets continue their four-game Western trip on Wednesday with an 8 p.m. Eastern tip against the Texas Legends in Frisco, Texas. The game can be seen on ESPN+.