Pick a shot, any shot, and the undermanned Nets have been capable of missing it over the past seven games.
Because of that, no lead ever is safe. And any shot they had to make a move in the Eastern Conference seemingly has been collapsing around them.
The Nets flushed yet another fourth-quarter lead — and Spencer Dinwiddie missed a technical free throw in the closing seconds of regulation — for their seventh consecutive defeat, 111-103, in overtime Tuesday night to Chris Paul and the Thunder at Barclays Center.
“Our offense is just not where it needs to be,” coach Kenny Atkinson said after his team lost for the fifth time after holding a fourth-quarter lead (this time, seven points) during the seven-game skid. “We’re just really struggling. A lot of good defensive performances the last 10 games and our offense is just struggling big-time.”
Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert combined for just four points (all by LeVert) in the first half before erupting for 30 between them over the final two quarters of regulation. The Nets (16-20) still were unable to close out their first win since Dec. 21.
Paul netted 20 of his game-high 28 in the fourth quarter and overtime, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 22 points for the Thunder (21-16).
Dinwiddie clanked a technical free throw in a 103-103 game with 11.7 seconds remaining in the fourth, and also missed a runner at the end of regulation.
“It was very disappointing because we had a chance to win,” Dinwiddie said. “They trust me to make those plays and I didn’t. This one is on me, for sure.”
Beginning with an ugly loss to the Knicks on Dec. 26, in which the Nets shot an NBA-low 26.9 percent from the field, they had been held under 40 percent in field-goal percentage (39.2) over the past seven games. They have shot even worse from 3-point range at 29.7 percent (85-for-286).
LeVert was available Tuesday, but he wasn’t reinserted into the starting five after sitting out the Nets’ loss Monday at Orlando. He had scored 13 points in 16 minutes off the bench on Saturday against Toronto after missing the previous 24 games following November thumb surgery.
Instead, Atkinson inserted Rodions Kurucs in place of Garrett Temple in a starting lineup that continues to play without imported stars Kyrie Irving (shoulder)and Kevin Durant (torn Achilles).
“The timing is good on this,” Atkinson said before the game about working LeVert back into the rotation. “We need his insurgence of energy. We need the dynamic player he is. He can help that second unit. He can help the first unit.”
“I want him to obviously get off the ground as quickly as possible. He obviously needs some minutes to catch his rhythm.”
LeVert started slowly with just four points in the first half — while Dinwiddie was held scoreless on 0-4 shooting with three fouls — and the Nets trailed 49-48 at intermission. Taurean Prince (21 points) buried his first four 3-point attempts in the first quarter, but the Nets finished just 11-for-37 (29.7 percent) from long range.
Dinwiddie netted eight straight Nets points midway through the third, however, and LeVert finally got on track with 11 in the session as Brooklyn grabbed a 77-74 lead. The Nets extended their cushion to seven early in the fourth, but Paul buried jumper after jumper for 16 points in the period to help force overtime.
LeVert (20 points in 22 minutes) didn’t play in overtime due to a predetermined minutes restriction, and Joe Harris scored the lone bucket among the Nets’ eight shots in the extra session.
“It’s how we operate … thinking about long-term health and the long-term plan and sticking with it,” Atkinson said of LeVert. “It’s easy to say ‘Hey, let’s win this game.’ I think I would regret it if something ever happened. So it’s a plan that we stick with. We make it beforehand and we stick with it.”