Kilpatrick carries Nets past Clippers in double OT
NEW YORK -- Sean Kilpatrick sparked a comeback by scoring 34 of his career-high 38 points after the third quarter and the Brooklyn Nets stopped a seven-game losing streak by rallying for a wild 127-122 double overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night.
Kilpatrick gave the Nets a 127-122 lead with 13.5 seconds remaining when he drove through the lane, flipped in a layup while getting fouled by DeAndre Jordan and made the free throws
Kilpatrick's final points came a possession after rookie Isaiah Whitehead snapped a 122-122 deadlock by driving through the lane with 47.1 seconds left and the marathon ended when Kilpatrick grabbed the rebound of Chris Paul's missed 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds left.
Before coming alive in the final 22 minutes, Kilpatrick was held to 3 of 14 shooting through the first 36 minutes as the Nets faced an 86-73 deficit. Kilpatrick and the rest of the Nets (5-12) came to life about midway through the fourth and wound up with their first win since Nov. 12 in Phoenix.
Kilpatrick scored 12 straight points brought the Nets back from a 94-87 deficit to get the game into a 99-99 deadlock with 3:37 left. Brooklyn briefly held leads of 102-99 and 107-104 on 3-pointers by Brook Lopez but needed overtime after Chris Paul hit a corner 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left in regulation.
The game officially reached overtime when Kilpatrick's 16-footer rimmed in and out of the hoop at the buzzer. The Nets took a 112-109 lead on a 3-pointer by Joe Harris with 3:33 left and a 116-111 edge on a Kilpatrick hoop a minute later but could not close it out.
Kilpatrick missed three straight shots when it was 116-113 and the Clippers forced a second overtime on a 3-pointer by Jamal Crawford with 10 seconds remaining.
Crawford's shot forged a 118-118 tie and occurred after Kilpatrick and Whitehead combined to miss three of four shots with 18.6 seconds left.
Crawford's game-tying shot also occurred after Clippers coach Doc Rivers was ejected by Ken Mauer. Rivers had to be restrained by players from going after Mauer before leaving the court.
Lopez added 27 points for the Nets, who trailed by 18 midway through the third quarter.
Paul led the Clippers with 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season. Jordan added 21 and 23 boards for Los Angeles, which dropped its third straight.
NOTES: Los Angeles F Blake Griffin did not play due to Tuesday being a planned rest day. The decision was partially influenced by the team's biometrics department, prompting coach Doc Rivers to quip: "I clearly didn't. I'm not smart enough to use biometrics." ... Brooklyn G Jeremy Lin (strained left hamstring) missed his 12th straight game and coach Kenny Atkinson said Lin is "progressing" and "doing better." ... Clippers rookie F Brice Johnson remained sidelined with a herniated disk in his lower back. Rivers said he not heard from the medical staff if Johnson's return is close. .... Brooklyn F Rondae-Hollis Jefferson was available to play but not in the starting lineup. He missed the last two games with a sore right ankle. ... The Clippers are on their first of three trips covering over 6,000 miles. The combined trips will be 16 games, totaling 18,540 miles and 19 flights.