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

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.

Dallas allowed 21 fast-break points and committed 12 turnovers. The Nets also outrebounded the Mavericks on the offensive glass and hit timely shots late, including the decisive sequence when Nic Claxton converted a reverse layup and was fouled with 47.6 seconds left. The 51.7% free-throw shooter completed the three-point play to put Brooklyn ahead 111–107.

“We got to do a better job of taking away the three-point line,” Davis said. “It’s something we’ll get used to. But we also got to know we don’t have much time.”

Dallas got two free throws from P.J. Washington to pull within two, then forced a stop. With 9.1 seconds remaining, the Mavericks could tie or take the lead. Klay Thompson missed a contested three, but Spencer Dinwiddie’s second-chance look rattled in and out before striking the shot clock.

The Nets sealed the win with two free throws in the final seconds.

“This was just a low-energy game,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “That’s the two things we talk about – our effort and energy. Our energy was low. And it happens off of a long road trip coming back home. Our energy, we got to pick that back up. We’ll talk about it and we’ll be ready to go Wednesday.”

The loss stalled the Mavericks’ recent momentum after a 3–1 East Coast road trip. They remain ninth in the Western Conference, just ahead of Sacramento and Phoenix, which are in 10th and 11th place, respectively.

Daniel Gafford also returned after not playing since Feb. 10 due to a right knee sprain. Davis remained at power forward with Gafford at center, while Washington filled the small forward spot. Gafford made his presence felt immediately, throwing down a lob from Davis to open the second quarter and giving Dallas a 31–25 lead. He finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes before reaching his planned minutes limit.

“He was good at both ends,” Kidd said of Gafford. “I just hope he comes out of it (healthy).”

Gafford briefly appeared to be in pain during the fourth quarter, but later clarified: “It was great. There were a bunch of mess-ups for me early on. But through the course of the game, it felt natural again. It was good. It was something that for sure will be the best thing for us.

“AD in my opinion is one of the best playmakers at the position he plays. When it comes to the lob, he already knows where to throw it. I just got to go get it.”

Davis was held to 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on 10 shot attempts while remaining on a 24–28 minute restriction. The game was his fourth since returning from a groin injury and his second at home following a Feb. 10 appearance against Houston.

“It’s an advantage we have, having two bigs,” Davis said. “They’re going to switch or blitz and with his ability to jump and put pressure on the rim, it’s going to be open.”

Dallas also got 13 points apiece from Washington and Thompson, 12 from Max Christie, and 11 points and eight assists from Spencer Dinwiddie. As a team, Dallas only turned it over eight times and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, but wasn’t nearly efficient enough offensively to come out on top.

The Mavericks could receive even more frontcourt help soon. Kidd said after the game that Dereck Lively II, out since Jan. 14 with a stress fracture in his right ankle, practiced in full on Tuesday and could return as soon as Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

“We touched on everything,” Kidd said of Tuesday’s rare full team practice. “It wasn’t just one message. We talked about transition – teams are going to try to play faster if we’re going to be bigger. And so that’s something we got to be cautious of. Giving up 51 threes last night is something we can’t do if we want to win.”

Free-throw shooting was another concern. Dallas went just 17-of-29 at the line — a glaring issue in a game decided by four points.

“If we’re going to be the No. 1 team getting to the free-throw line, we can’t be the 30th-percent shooting team at the free-throw line,” Kidd said. “When it becomes one-possession games, those games you’ll lose (with faulty free-throw accuracy). And we know we’re not going to be the sixth seed, so it’s going to be Game 7 situations to start if we’re in the play-in. If it’s a one-possession game and we’re shooting 58 percent from the free-throw line, that’s going to lead to a loss.”

Monday’s game also highlighted the challenges of integrating a new lineup. Kidd emphasized that with Davis, Gafford, and potentially Lively all rotating in, Dallas is still figuring out its new identity, after playing small for most of the season.

“Effort. Just being better and understanding what teams are trying to do, especially if you’re big,” Kidd said. “They’re not going to challenge you at the rim. So for us, it’s about not bringing the house. We brought the house yesterday a lot of times on the drive, and they took advantage of that.”

Despite the loss, Kidd pointed to the contributions of two-way players like Brandon Williams and Kessler Edwards, who reached their 50-game limit. While inactive now, Dallas could re-sign them before the end of the season to make them playoff-eligible.

“As a coaching staff and as teammates, it’s great that we’ve done that since we’ve been here,” Kidd said. “Sometimes, that doesn’t mean that you stay a Mav, but you go somewhere else and you get employed and financially rewarded.

“Looking at these two (Williams and Edwards), we’re really excited about the next step for their journey in the NBA and that’s hopefully with the Mavs. But sometimes when you can help others, they go somewhere else, but that doesn’t mean you weren’t part of it. And so, it’s great. And not just those two, but Kai also. And Moses Brown was here. He won us a game. Hopefully that helps his journey as he goes forward.”

The Mavericks return to action Wednesday night when they host the Atlanta Hawks. Brooklyn begins a four-game homestand Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.