1. The final minute
There were plenty of key moments in the final minute of the game after the Cavs took a 104-103 lead on a Kevin Love free throw. On the next Brooklyn possession Spencer Dinwiddie nailed a dagger three to take a 106-104 lead with 43 seconds left.
On the opposite end, J.R. Smith missed a wide-open three pointer and Brooklyn capitalized with a lay-in from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to make it a two-possession lead for the Nets, 108-104.
Kyle Korver hit a three on the next possession for Cleveland, narrowing the deficit to just one point. As the Cavs were forced to foul with 16 seconds left to go, they seemingly got a break when Hollis-Jefferson missed the second of two free throws. But a missed box out got the ball back in the Nets’ hands and forced the Cavs to foul once again.
It appeared as though Cleveland caught another break when Trevor Booker missed both free throws leaving the Brooklyn lead at 109-107. But after LeBron James drew a foul on a drive to the basket, he missed his first free throw with seven seconds remaining. In an effort to give the Cavs a chance, he intentionally missed the second shot, but the Nets came up with the ball.
One more made free throw from DeMarre Carroll on the other end put Brooklyn’s lead up to three points. As Kevin Love tried to throw a Hail Mary pass down the court to LeBron James, the officials ruled after review that the ball went off of James’ hands out of bounds giving the ball, and effectively the game, to the Nets. From there, Dinwiddie made two free throws to ice the game.
The Cavs were essentially chasing Brooklyn throughout the second half. After overcoming a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, they simply didn’t have enough to close out the night.
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