It took until the final minute, but the Nets finally broke through. 

A dish from James Harden to LaMarcus Aldridge gave the Nets their first lead of the night after trailing by as many as 17 points. A defensive stand by Brooklyn held the 76ers to just 18 fourth-quarter points in the Nets’ 114-109 win, their first win of the season.

It often seemed as if the Nets were not going to be able to knock the 76ers down. When Brooklyn was able to cut the deficit to within six throughout the game, Philly was there to answer each time… until the fourth quarter. 

The 76ers held their edge early, though, as they feasted off Brooklyn’s mistakes. Philly scored 19 points off the Nets’ 12 turnovers, using the momentum to get to a hot start early. 

Kevin Durant was, of course, very active in Brooklyn’s comeback efforts. He had a triple-double by the end of the third quarter and remained aggressive in the fourth, showing purpose and belief in his teammates in each of his drives.

Career triple-double No. 13 for @KDTrey5 ??? pic.twitter.com/BYdREQyiQ8

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 23, 2021

Brooklyn also got great production from the bench, led by a BIG night from LaMarcus Aldridge, with a 44-23 advantage. The Nets held an edge in rebounding as well (58-43), including an 11-5 advantage on the offensive glass. 

This was the comeback attempt that Nets fans hoped the team would be capable of with this level of talent. The slow start was less than desired for Brooklyn, but the Nets took the defense up a notch, Philly froze in their footsteps. The Nets finally broke through the barrier and went on a 16-1 run to close the game, nine of which points came from Aldridge alone. 

It’s clear the Nets are still figuring things out, but Friday’s comeback was a glimpse of what can be accomplished. The confidence is growing, and so are the possibilities.