NBA: Spencer Dinwiddie’s jumper leads Nets over Cavaliers

By the Associated Press

Spencer Dinwiddie keeps coming through in the clutch for the Brooklyn Nets.

Dinwiddie’s fadeaway jumper with 1.9 seconds remaining gave Brooklyn its fourth straight victory, 108-106 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

Dinwiddie scored 23 points on the day he was voted Eastern Conference player of the week.

The Nets are 5-1 without leading scorer Kyrie Irving, who missed his sixth straight game with a sore shoulder. Dinwiddie is averaging 24.6 points in Irving’s absence.

“Spencer Dinwiddie just put on a clinic on how to keep your team under control and make the right play,” Cleveland coach John Beilein said.

Following a shot clock violation and the score tied 106-all, the Nets called timeout with 6.2 seconds left. Dinwiddie, after taking the inbounds pass from Joe Harris, dribbled around Cedi Osman to the right of the key and hit the tiebreaking shot from 18 feet.

Dinwiddie improvised after taking the pass and was hoping center Jarrett Allen would bail him out if he missed.

“I was trying to get a shot up in the first three seconds, so Jarrett had a chance to tip it in,” Dinwiddie said. “Cedi was kind of sliding right, so I took a couple dribbles and put it up.”

Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson gave Dinwiddie credit for the result.

“It was not a great play (drawn up), but a great individual play by Spencer,” he said.

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was out for the second straight game because of a sore back.

Jarrett Allen had 22 points and a season-high 21 rebounds, going 9 of 10 from the field and adding a key block when he swatted Jordan Clarkson’s shot out of bounds with eight seconds left and the game tied.

“I should have kept in inbounds, but I got a little excited,” Allen said. “I knew I had to be a little bit careful and not foul.”

Cleveland erased a 106-97 deficit with just over 2 minutes left and cut the lead to one on Clarkson’s 3-pointer. Collin Sexton tied the game with a free throw, but missed the second shot with 21 seconds to play.

“It felt good,” Sexton said. “It went in and out. I’ve just got to make it the next time. I know I should have made it.”

Cleveland maintained possession, but Allen blocked Clarkson’s shot and the Cavaliers followed with their shot clock violation.

Clarkson scored 23 points while Larry Nance Jr. had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost seven of eight.

Brooklyn didn’t shoot a free throw in the first half but was 9 of 11 at the line in the third quarter. The Nets didn’t get to the line in the fourth.

Source: Manila Bulletin