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Johnson's overtime layup lifts Nets over Suns

Nov 16, 2013 - 6:31 AM Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Joe Johnson struggled with his shot throughout the contest but stepped up when it mattered most, hitting the game- winning layup as time expired in overtime to help the Brooklyn Nets defeat the Phoenix Suns, 100-98, at US Airways Center.

Johnson, who finished 6-of-19 from the field, gathered a long rebound off a Channing Frye missed 3-point attempt with 3.9 seconds left and drove the length of the floor before floating a layup over a pair of defenders for the dramatic win.

Brook Lopez tied a season-high scoring 27 points with seven rebounds and Shaun Livingston added 18 points and six assists off the bench for Brooklyn, which snapped a four-game road losing streak.

"Everybody touched the floor tonight. I used everybody and everybody did something that helped put us in a position to win. We trust each other. We came out in the third quarter and had our best quarter of the year," said Nets coach Jason Kidd. "Guys fought to go up, then we lose the lead then we come back and find a way to win. They all stuck together and that?s what we've been talking about."

Deron Williams played just 4:40 before leaving the game with a sprained left ankle.

Goran Dragic netted 19 points with 10 assists for Phoenix, while P.J. Tucker and Eric Bledsoe scored 17 and 15, respectively.

"It happens. We have another game next week. We have look past this game, it's over with and we can't do anything about it and it is what it is," said Bledsoe.

Brooklyn opened the second half on a 16-0 run to take a 62-50 lead midway through third stanza. Marcus Morris ended a near seven-minute scoring drought for Phoenix by hitting a jumper with 5:02 left in the quarter.

Three consecutive 3-pointers from Gerald Green, Morris, and Frye pulled the Suns to within three, 68-65.

Trailing 73-67 to open the fourth quarter, Morris and Frye hit back-to- back triples to tie the game. Dragic then hit two free throws to take a two point lead with 9:26 left in the final frame.

Brooklyn pulled back in front at 5:20 when Johnson hit a floater in the lane for an 84-83 lead. Neither team led by more than three for the rest of regulation.

With less than a minute remaining, Dragic drove baseline and skipped a pass across the court to a wide-open Tucker, who buried the 3-pointer with 39.9 seconds left for a two-point Phoenix edge.

Coming out of a timeout, Johnson raced down and hit another floater to tie the game at 92-92.

Dragic came up empty on the Suns' last look with 4.9 seconds left to force the extra session.

Livingston split a pair at the free throw line with 1:48 left in overtime to put the Nets in front 98-94, but Phoenix came back with four to tie the score before Johnson's heroics.

Phoenix opened up at 29-18 lead after one quarter, but Brooklyn outscored its opponent 28-21 in the second to pull within four at the break.

Game Notes

Garnett finished with four points and 14 rebounds ... This was the first loss for Phoenix at home ... Phoenix shot 35.7 percent (10-of-28) from beyond the arc, while Brooklyn shot 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from deep ... Brooklyn wraps up its three-game West Coast road trip at Staples Center against the Clippers on Saturday ... Phoenix travels to Sacramento on Tuesday for the first of a home-at-home with the Kings.