CLEVELAND — The Nets played a back-to-back at the NBA’s reigning champions and league’s only unbeaten. They led both late, before falling agonizingly short. A night after an overtime loss in Boston, the Nets suffered another tough finish, and a heartbreaking 105-100 defeat before a frenzied crowd at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
The Nets (4-6) fell to the Cavaliers in their first matchup against Kenny Atkinson as a head coach since they fired him in 2020. He got the last laugh, as Cleveland came from behind to improve to a league-leading 11-0. The Nets were playing as daunting a back-to-back as there is, leading almost wire-to-wire in Boston before falling in overtime to the defending champion Celtics.
A night later, it was the white-hot Cavs. The Nets led by seven with 4:09 left before allowing 10 unanswered points and the lead. Dennis Schroder’s free throws got them back within 99-98 with 1:39 to play, but Darius Garland’s jumper put them back in a three-point hole.
Cam Thomas (22 points) hit a tough baseline fade to pull the Nets within 101-100, but Ty Jerome made the margin three again. When Schroder (22 points) missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 27.8 in regulation, this time there would be no overtime.
Cam Johnson led the Nets with 23 points. His sixth straight turnover-free, 30-minute game with multiple 3s tied an NBA record. Evan Mobley had 23 points for the Cavs, while Donovan Mitchell added 22.
“Right now, I think they’re playing like the best team i.