The Nets snapped the longest losing skid in the NBA with one of the largest comebacks in their history.
Brooklyn rallied for a 107-105 win at East-leading Detroit before a sellout crowd of 20,062 at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday that was as stunning as their last visit was shameful.
The Nets’ comeback — from 23 points down in the second half — tied the fifth biggest in franchise history. It flipped the script from their last trip to Detroit on Feb. 1, when their 53-point humbling was the third worst they’d ever suffered.
Saturday was much sweeter thanks to a 34-13 fourth-quarter run that turned a 17-point deficit into a four-point lead they held onto.
“[You have to] keep playing as hard as you can,” Jordi Fernández said. “[It was] the resiliency, and we found energy at the right time. Defensively, when you look at 43 points allowed in one half, you give yourself a chance to win. So, we found a way. I’m proud of the growth. … [We] played against a really good team, and we were able to fight all the way through.
“The effort was good, but their voice was great. [I was impressed by] how encouraging they were to others. At times, when you’re down and everybody is frustrated, it creates a little negative energy. … Those guys kept everybody positive. That’s a good thing. That’s how you overcome a big deficit. We were able to fight for it and get the win.”
The win was the Nets’ first against an Eastern Conference leader since 2022. And it came because, after taking it on the chin early, they eventually matched the shorthanded Pistons’ physicality. No, they didn’t have to face star Cade Cunningham (left quad) or Ausar Thompson (right ankle) — but they won’t care.
Michael Porter Jr. had a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds. Ziaire Williams (23 points) and Day’Ron Sharpe (13 points) had strong second halves.
Brooklyn erased a 17-point fourth-quarter hole, and an eight-point deficit with 3:25 left thanks to a 12-0 blitz that gave them the lead for good.
“Last time we were here, [Detroit] broke a franchise record for largest win ever. So ever since that game, we always would tell ourselves it’s all about how you respond,” Sharpe said. “It’s our first time seeing them since we lost that game, so we just wanted to come out and give them a fight, and we won the game.”
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The Nets — now 16-47 and third in the tank race — trailed 77-54 with 7:55 left in the third quarter.
They were still down 90-73 with 10:04 to play before mounting a 34-13 run.
Sharpe had nine points and five boards — three offensive — in the pivotal fourth quarter. Nic Claxton — who had just two points on 1-of-5 shooting and was outplayed by Jalen Duren — saw how effective his burly backup was, and told Fernández to ride the hot hand.
“That’s a great teammate for them to see the flow of the game and trust me to finish the game. That says a lot about his character,” said Sharpe.
“I was about to bring Nic in for Day’Ron. Day’Ron was playing so hard. Nic saw that he just got a putback and fought for the ball, and said [stick with him],” Fernández said. “When you see things like this, how connected [they are] and they come together. They believe in each other, and that was pretty cool.”
Down 103-95, the Nets reeled off a dozen unanswered points.
Williams forced a Daniss Jenkins miss, and Sharpe grabbed the rebound. Even after Noah Clowney’s turnover with seven seconds left gave Detroit life, Williams forced a Duncan Robinson miss on the wing. Duren’s last-second miss sealed it.
“The second half, we built a 20-point lead and then we stopped respecting the game,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You disrespect the game, it’s going to bite you in the [butt] and that’s what happened to us.”
The Nets are a game behind second-place Indiana and 2 ½ behind Sacramento in the tank race.
