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Brooks sparks Nets in Cleveland

Apr 4, 2013 - 2:47 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - MarShon Brooks picked a perfect night to score a career-high 27 points on 12-of-16 shooting, as the short-handed Brooklyn Nets thumped the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-95, on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Brooks, who added seven assists and four rebounds, shot a perfect 9-of-9 from the field in the first half for 19 points. The Nets ended a two-game skid and were without Joe Johnson, who has missed the last five games with a strained quadriceps, and Gerald Wallace, but the victory was never in doubt.

Deron Williams supplied 24 points and dished out eight helpers, while Brook Lopez and C.J. Watson scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. The victory also gave the Nets an above .500 road record for the first time in franchise history.

"In 36 years for this franchise, this is the most road wins we've ever had," Brooklyn coach P.J. Carlesimo said of his team's 21-17 away mark this season. "That's a significant achievement."

Marreese Speights had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Tyler Zeller added 14 points for the Cavaliers, who have lost 10 straight -- the most since the team dropped 26 games in a row two seasons ago.

Kyrie Irving, who missed Monday's 102-94 defeat at Atlanta due to a nagging shoulder injury, also chipped in 16 points and added six assists in yet another disappointing defeat.

Brooklyn opened up the contest taking a 28-20 lead after one quarter, while Brooks scored 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor. The contest remained close for the early stages of the second, but things suddenly changed.

C.J. Miles hit a jumper at the 9:49 mark to make it a 10-point contest at 38-28, though the Cavs quickly hit a wall.

Watson hit a triple which kickstarted a game-changing 28-8 surge that turned a once-close contest into a rout. Brooklyn shot 83.3 percent (15-of-18) in the stanza and led comfortably at the break 66-36.

The visitors' lead stretched to as many as 34 points early in the third and they continued to dominate before heading into the fourth ahead 95-68. Cleveland actually outscored the Nets 27-18 in the fourth, but that damage had already been done and Brooklyn eased to the win.

"Nowadays, playing hard seems to be a skill," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "Playing hard is your job, simple as that. And basically, that's all that we ask of you -- to play hard every single night, not every other night. I don't know, to be honest with you, why we came out the way we did tonight."

Game Notes

Cleveland outscored the Nets 59-47 in the second half ... Brooklyn ended an eight-game road trip with a 5-3 mark ... Brooklyn's Andray Blatche added 11 points in the win ... The Cavs shot 38.2 percent (34-of-89) from the field.