DINWIDDIE WITH THE DINWINNER!

The Nets have won two straight games for the first time since Jan. 3, and they did it by beating a team that blew them out of the water just six games ago.

Thanks to big performances from Spencer Dinwiddie and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and a nail-biting game-winner, Brooklyn defeated the Detroit Pistons 101-100 on Sunday in a game that they led for the majority.

A 13-0 run in the first quarter got the Nets off on the right foot, with Hollis-Jefferson and DeMarre Carroll producing quickly. A 30-point first quarter was a sign of Brooklyn’s offensive efficiency, shooting 13-31 from three overall and recording 40 points in the paint.

The Pistons responded in the second quarter by outscoring the Nets 28-23, but Brooklyn responded by holding a nine-point lead after three quarters of play.

What allowed Detroit to have the opportunities to score against the Nets was the team’s turnovers. The Pistons scored 24 points off the Nets’ 15 turnovers, which nearly proved to be costly when Detroit came to within one point of the Nets in the fourth quarter.

While turnovers hurt Brooklyn’s momentum, back-to-back threes from Dinwiddie and Carroll brought some of it back.

Tied at 92 with three minutes to go, Brooklyn and Detroit traded buckets. What made the difference was a BIG corner three from Dinwiddie that put the Nets up three with under two minutes to go.

Still, Detroit tied the game at 98 with 30 seconds left. Caris LeVert drained a free throw to put the Nets up one with 13.7 seconds on the clock.

Detroit answered.

The Pistons took their first lead since the first quarter with a driving Andre Drummond layup with five seconds remaining. The big man, who sat extended minutes due to foul trouble, came up big to get his team the one-point lead. The Nets went small and did not have a big body on Drummond.

Then came the moment of truth. Dinwiddie made his way to the paint, got the up-and-under to go down through traffic with 0.9 left on the clock. Dinwiddie had the big-time winner, stepping up for his Nets squad once again.

Sunday's Top 5 Plays… led by @SDinwiddie_25's @BrooklynNets winner! pic.twitter.com/N4W5k88fiV

— NBA (@NBA) January 22, 2018

DINWIDDIE AGAINST THE WORLD
— The Brooklyn Game (@TheBKGame) January 21, 2018

A big reason for the Nets winning this one was holding back Drummond (despite his near-game-winner), who put up 20 points and 22 rebounds against the Nets on Jan. 10. This time around, he was held to just seven points and 13 rebounds. Detroit’s highest scorer was Tobias Harris who had a final of 20 points on the game.

This was Dinwiddie’s second game-winner of the season. The NBA might have to start engraving his name on the Most Improved Player trophy.

Allen Crabbe

B+

The stats: 6 PTS, 2-5 FG, 2-3 3FG, 4 REB, 2 BLK, 28 MIN

Allen Crabbe didn’t shoot the lights out, but his two threes helped contribute early. His team-leading two blocks also came up big in Brooklyn’s runs. People may want more offensive production from him, but Crabbe’s roles as more of an all-around player helped the Nets Sunday.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

A-

The stats: 21 PTS, 8-15 FG, 2-4 3FG, 3-4 FT, 8 REB, 7 AST, 1 TOV, 1 BLK, 31 MIN

What can’t RHJ do? He was two rebounds and three assists away from a triple-double. He got the Nets going early and impacted all facets of the game. With just one turnover from him, you have to admire the efficiency.

Spencer Dinwiddie

A+

The stats: 22 PTS, 9-13 FG, 4-6 3FG, 4 REB, 5 AST, 5 TOV, 31 MIN

BIG SHOT DINWIDDIE.

Turnovers aside, another clutch performance from Brooklyn’s leader. His awareness to find the open lane on his game-winner made up for a play that will keep Nets fans happy at least until tip-off against the Thunder on Tuesday. His corner three in the final minutes also helped Brooklyn stay away from going in too big of a hole to Detroit.

Dinwiddie just keeps taking more out of his endless bag of tricks, and it’s a treat to watch.