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Lopez's season-high 32 points help Nets down Hawks in OT

Nov 24, 2010 - 4:53 AM Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Brook Lopez finished with a season-high 32 points and hauled in nine rebounds, as the New Jersey Nets pulled out a 107-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in overtime.

The Nets didn't make a shot in the final two-plus minutes of regulation, including Devin Harris' potential winner at the buzzer.

But Harris scored six points in overtime and ended with 27 points and nine assists to help New Jersey snap a three-game slide. Kris Humphries added 12 points and 14 boards in the win.

"Two guys that we rely heavily upon came through," said Nets head coach Avery Johnson. "And now what they're showing to me is they can consistently have that aggression and that attacking attitude. It makes us a better ballclub."

Jamal Crawford paced the Hawks with 21 points off the bench, while Josh Smith scored 20. Joe Johnson finished with 16 points, eight assists and six boards for Atlanta, which has lost three in a row and seven of nine.

"The effort was definitely there," Crawford said. "We were competitive. It just didn't go our way. We were expending so much energy just to hang around and get back in the game that we didn't have enough to finish it out."

The Nets held a small lead down the stretch in the fourth quarter, and Harris' two free throws with 2:23 left gave his team a 93-88 edge.

More than a minute elapsed before either team scored again, and with 60 seconds to go Crawford drilled a three. Travis Outlaw missed a jumper on New Jersey's next possession, then committed a foul when Johnson tried to score with a spin move near the post. Johnson sank both shots to tie the game with 20.3 seconds left.

A timeout moved the ball to halfcourt for the Nets' final possession, and Harris tested Smith on a drive before pulling back and slightly losing the ball. Harris regained full control and got some separation, but his shot from above the arc bounced off the front of the rim and the game went to overtime.

The Nets scored the first five points of the extra period before Atlanta made its first shot, a Smith put-back with 2:36 to play. The Hawks were within a possession again when Al Horford's two foul shots made it a 100-97 contest with 1:29 on the clock.

Harris answered with a trey at the other end before Crawford's jumper had Atlanta within 103-99 with 52.4 seconds to play. But the Hawks ruined a series of possessions with turnovers and missed shots, and the Nets secured the win at the foul line.

Lopez dominated the first quarter, posting 15 points to help New Jersey to a 31-21 lead.

The Hawks used a 13-1 run to draw even in the second quarter. Crawford scored six points during the stretch, ending it with a layup for a 36-36 game halfway through the period.

But the Nets responded with the next five points, then scored six points in the final minute before taking a 51-43 lead into the break.

The Hawks kept it close in the third, ending the quarter with a Horford hook shot and Marvin Williams three to get within 70-67 moving to the fourth.

Game Notes

New Jersey snapped a four-game losing streak to the Hawks...Horford finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds...Anthony Morrow ended with 13 points for the Nets...New Jersey made 25-of-33 free throws, compared to 10-of-13 for the Hawks.