CHICAGO — This might have been the Nets’ ugliest victory of the season. That’s why it was the best.
Even during their current winning streak, the Nets hot offense masked a shaky defense. But they ground out a defensive dogfight Wednesday, earning a 96-93 victory over the Bulls — their NBA-best seventh straight — with clutch stops down the stretch, none bigger than Spencer Dinwiddie’s late steal.
The Nets, in improving to 15-18, avoided stumbling in this classic trap game, backing up Tuesday’s win over LeBron James and the Lakers by taking a come-from-behind slugfest before 18,065 at United Center.
“It wasn’t pretty, we were stuck in mud a little bit, our offense was not its usual spry and dynamic offense. But great job of grinding it out,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “After [Tuesday’s] win, you could easily rest on your laurels. Road back-to-backs have been tough for us. If you want to rank the wins, I’d put this first.
“I just think it’s growth, it’s maturity. It’s a physical and mental growth. Just really pleased. This game was a trap game. I thought it was going to be a real dogfight, and it was.”
Dinwiddie scored a game-high 27 points, but the Nets outfought the Bulls (7-25) on the defensive end to earn the win.
After Joe Harris’ tough kiss off the glass put them up 94-93 with 43 seconds left, Dinwiddie poked away Justin Holiday’s pass intended for Kris Dunn (24 points). Harris pounced on the loose ball with 2.3 seconds remaining, and Dinwiddie iced it from the free-throw line.
After an NBA-worst eight game losing skid, the Nets held a players’ only film session and have rebounded in spectacular fashion, matching their longest winning streak (Jan. 2-15, 2013) since moving to Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season.
“We learned from our failures and our mistakes,” Dinwiddie said. “We lost a lot of close games, and when you have a lot of guys that are focused and locked in on trying to win and get better and hopefully make the playoffs, you’re going to improve.
“We’re not a team that took those losses lightly. They definitely hurt our team, definitely hit us. Because we have a better attention to detail, better communication coming from those struggles, now we’re able to close out games.”
After 21 ties and 23 lead changes, the Nets closed this one out despite going 3:40 without a basket down the stretch.
“That says it right there. We had to grind it out,” D’Angelo Russell said.
“Defense defense, defense. Our mentality is just grit and it showed,” said Jarrett Allen, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds. “I don’t think we’re satisfied. The losing streak put an itch on our back and we’re still trying to scratch it.”
The Nets led 80-79 on Russell’s fadeaway before they yielded a 7-0 run. Bobby Portis’ bucket made it 86-80 with 6:17 to play.
The Nets responded with a 9-3 spurt, pulling even on Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s finger roll with 4:23 left. That’s when their already-cold offense went arctic as they missed five straight shots and one of Hollis-Jefferson’s two free throws.
The Nets trailed 94-93 until Harris finally broke through. On a play drawn up for him to look for a 3-pointer off a stagger screen, he saw Wendell Carter Jr. closing out hard and pump-faked the center off his feet. Harris drove for a bank shot, and Dunn’s offensive foul gave the Nets the ball back with the lead.
A shot clock violation on the Nets with just 8.4 seconds to play left the Bulls with a golden last-shot opportunity. But that’s when the Nets made their defensive stand.
With Harris guarding Holiday, Dinwiddie fought over a screen, denied Dunn and got his hands on the ball to poke it away to Harris.
“It was a dogfight,” Harris said. “It’s been a little different here during this win streak, but you’re going to have games like [this] and have to be able to adjust and adapt and overcome and have success. That’s what good teams do.”