The Nets were cruising toward their best win of the year. Then they got routed by arguably the best team in the league.
The Nets were on the wrong end of an eye-watering run that spanned the third and fourth quarters, and flipped what was a double-digit lead into a 129-121 loss to Oklahoma City in front of a sellout crowd of 17,926 at Barclays Center.
Rolling along to a 94-81 cushion after Tosan Evbuomwan’s score, Brooklyn coughed up an extended 36-9 run that seemed like death by a thousand cuts.
By the time it was over, the Nets trailed 117-103 with five minutes to play.
MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Thunder, who improved to 46-11.
Brooklyn, who led by as much as 18, fell to 21-37.
Center Day’Ron Sharpe, in his first start of the season for the suspended Nic Claxton, had a career-high 25 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, hitting his first eight shots before finishing 8-of-10 and 2-of-3 from deep.
The Nets hit a season-high 23 3-pointers, but were no match for OKC. Already sans starters Cam Thomas, D’Angelo Russell and Noah Clowney, the Nets played without Claxton due to suspension for Flagrant points.