Down to the very last players on their bench, the Nets gave the Indiana Pacers a scare Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
The Nets trailed by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter, but Anthony Morrow and Deron Williams shot the Nets to within three points.
The Pacers held on to win, 106-99, with some timely offensive rebounds and a few New Jersey stumbles down the stretch.
Williams converted a reverse layup with 1:07 left in the game to cut the deficit to three at 102-99.
The Pacers then received some good fortune as Darren Collison lost control of the ball going to the hoop and the ball went out of bounds. With 50 seconds left, the officials ruled that the ball went off New Jersey guard Jordan Farmar.
The Pacers subsequently ran down the clock and Danny Granger hustled to a loose ball flying out of bounds with 35 seconds left. The extra possessions enabled the Pacers to head to the line and seal the game.
"It's just unfortunate that we didn't win because it was a gutsy performance," Avery Johnson said. "Our guys are playing free; they're playing hard. You're seeing a scrappy teamout there."
The Nets didn't do themselves any favors, though.
In a fourth quarter in which Williams and Morrow combined for all 27 Nets points, Williams lost control of the ball driving through the lane and 24 seconds left.
With a 103-99 lead, Paul George stripped Williams cutting through the lane.
They then added a disjointed play that led to a contested Morrow three with 13 seconds left and the Nets down five.
The Nets 16-1 run that got them back into the game went for naught.
Williams and Morrow finished the game with 34 and 28 points, respectively. Kris Humphries added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Although the Nets had a chance to tie, defensive letdowns cost them. The Pacers shot 52.1 percent from the field despite a sluggish fourth quarter.
Indiana also pulled away in the third quarter, 78-66, with a 12-0 run capped by two Roy Hibbert free-throws.
Hibbert finished with an 18-point, 14-rebound performance. Paul George added 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting and Granger scored 21.
The Nets only dressed 10 players against the Pacers and all 10 saw action.
The Nets were without MarShon Brooks, DeShawn Stevenson, Mehmet Okur, and Brook Lopez. Damion James entered the year as a starter but will miss the rest of the season after undergoing right foot surgery.
Despite the injuries, the Nets were only down, 55-53, at halftime.
"I think we kind of made a statement for our team the way we came together," Shelden Williams said.
The Nets led, 63-61, after Morrow knocked down a fadeaway jumper with 8:32 left in the third quarter.
Too much George and Hibbert, though.
The Nets will return to action Wednesday night at the Prudential Center against the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons fell to 4-19 with a 113-86 loss to the struggling New York Knicks.
The Nets-Pistons game marks the return of former Nets head coach Lawrence Frank.
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