“He Was Good at Both Ends”: Nets Rally Late to Stun Mavericks as Daniel Gafford Returns

Daniel Gafford returned, but the Mavericks fell short in a 113-109 loss to the Nets as Brooklyn rallied late. Dallas missed 12 free throws and gave up 20 threes.

Photo: Dallas Mavericks

Keon Johnson scored 24 points and the Brooklyn Nets rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 113–109 on Monday night, earning consecutive wins for the first time since the All-Star break.

The Mavericks (37–39) were trying to climb back to .500 for the first time since March 10 but faltered late, allowing a 12–0 Nets run in the final minutes. It was a reversal from last week’s matchup between the teams, when Dallas cruised to a 19-point win in Brooklyn.

“Definitely a tough loss, winnable game for us — a game we should have won,” said Mavericks forward Anthony Davis. “But hats off to them. They shot the ball really, really well, made 20 (threes). We just got to do a better job on the defensive end.”

The Nets (25–51) shot 20-of-51 from three-point range, with D’Angelo Russell contributing 18 points and 11 assists in his return to the lineup. Johnson's fourth-quarter burst, capped by a go-ahead dunk with 3:53 remaining, helped erase a 107–98 Dallas lead.