Nets fall to Nuggets in overtime as Nikola Jokic takes control

Things seemingly lined up well for the Nets Tuesday night. The Nuggets arrived early that morning after a comeback overtime win in Toronto.

It played into the Nets’ hands starting fast at Barclays Center. But the Nuggets caught up in the fourth to force overtime and then Nikola Jokic took over.

Nikola Jokic keyed the Nuggets 144-139 win by leading an 8-0 run after Cam Thomas made the first basket of overtime. The Nets also paid for a costly defensive mistake.

Dennis Schroder made a three-pointer to cut the lead to 135-132 but on the next possession, the Nets (1-3) left Christian Braun open for a three-pointer. It put the Nuggets (2-2) up six and they were never threatened again.

“The fact that we fought against a team like this, to me, it means a lot to our group,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We know that next step is going to help us break through against not just a good team, but a great team with an unbelievable player.”

The Nets (1-3) led by as many as 17 in the first half and had their chances to put the game away. Leading 124-123 with 24.2 seconds left, Dorian Finney-Smith missed the first of two free throws. He made the second but Jokic, the league’s reigning MVP, came down and scored the tying layup on Finney-Smith.

Finney-Smith missed an open, corner three-pointer to end regulation. But the Nets could spread the blame after lacking a finishing kick from their hot start.

Despite making 20 three-pointers to the Nuggets’ 13, the Nets allowed Denver to shoot 51.7% from the field. Jokic had 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists and was one of four Nuggets to score at least 22 points.

Thomas, who scored 26 points, put the Nets up three with 33.8 seconds left on a fallaway jumper. But the Nets gave up a quick layup to Jokic.

“We just got to learn how to finish games and just figure the little stuff out that decides the game and I think the sky’s the limit for us,” Thomas said.

Seven Nets scored in double figures. Schroder had team highs of 28 points and 14 assists, the latter one shy of his career-high.

“They’re a tough team,” Ziaire Williams said. “There’s very little margin and room for error against championship teams like that. We definitely got to watch some film and see how we can clean up these fouls and execution on the offensive end, especially late [in the] game.”

Everything seemed to go right for the Nets for three quarters. They led by as many as 17 in the first half and Schroder had 17 points and seven assists at halftime, both career highs in a half.

The Nets also made 17 threes through three quarters to the Nuggets’ nine. But up 99-96 at quarter’s end, the Nets watched as Russell Westbrook went to work.

Westbrook scored seven quick points, including a layup to put Denver up 101-99, their first lead since the first quarter. But the Nets responded and Williams again tied the score at 106 with his career-high tying fourth three-pointer.

The game remained close from that point on. Williams (18 points) keyed a strong night from the Nets’ bench, which outscored the Nuggets 48-39 despite Westbrook’s 22 points.

Although Ben Simmons sat out because of lower-back injury management, the Nets moved the ball with greater ease, finishing with 37 assists.

The Nets came out firing with a 40-point first quarter. Schroder had 13 points in the first and the Nets had 13 assists on 16 field goals.

Johnson was 5-for-5 in the first half on three-pointers and finished with 20 points on six threes. Williams made his first five shot attempts, including three three-pointers. However the Nets’ 72-63 halftime lead was whittled down to one in the third with the Nuggets starting out on a 9-1 run.

For the Nets, it was two consecutive quality outings against the 2021 NBA champions (Bucks) and 2022 champs (Nuggets). Yet they ended differently with a win Sunday and a loss Tuesday. Like the Nuggets, the Nets will now fly on the second night of a back-to-back, playing at Memphis Wednesday.

Simmons sits out

Simmons was out Tuesday due to injury management for his lower back. With the Nets starting their first back-to-back, it reflects what the Nets have done previously managing Simmons’ recovery.

Fernandez said that will continue for the immediate future. Simmons will be available Wednesday at the Grizzlies and will play “good minutes” in line with his current average of 24 through the first three games of the season.

“The plan is, for now, not to play in back-to-backs until we get a different update,” Fernandez said before the game. “And right now he’s missing the front of the back-to-back.”

Simmons had back surgery in March, his second in three years, and has not played both ends of a back-to-back since Jan. 25-26, 2023.

Fernandez reunion

Tuesday was Fernandez’s first game as head coach against Denver, where he spent six seasons as an assistant (2016-22) under current coach Michael Malone.

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.