Cameron Johnson scored 28 points as the Brooklyn Nets rallied late in the third quarter and took control late in the fourth for a 122-114 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.
Johnson shot 7-of-16 from the field and produced his highest point total since Dec. 26. The forward hit all 10 free throws and handed out seven assists a night after the Nets nearly erased a 21-point deficit in a two-point loss to the Boston Celtics.
Keon Johnson added 17 of his 22 in the second half when the Nets (23-45) outscored the Hawks 66-52. Tyrese Martin started for D’Angelo Russell (rest) and contributed 16 while Jalen Wilson and Trendon Watford chipped in 13 apiece as the Nets won for the second time in 12 games and shot 47.8 percent.
Trae Young collected 28 and 12 assists but the Hawks (32-36) dropped their second straight following a four-game winning streak. Onyeka Okongwu added 21 and 15 boards for Atlanta, which shot 46.7 percent but made just 11 of 37 3-point attempts.
Rookie Zaccharie Risacher contributed 16 points while Dyson Daniels chipped in 14 and Terance Mann finished with 13 for the Hawks, who lost a 12-point lead in the first half.
Brooklyn shot 56.5 percent and built a 33-27 lead through the opening quarter. After Young was blocked by Day’Ron Sharpe, the Nets opened a 45-33 lead when Maxwell Lewis banked in a layup with 9:07 left.
Atlanta rallied and outscored the Nets 29-11 the rest of the half and took a 62-56 lead by halftime on a 3-pointer by Young with 6.5 seconds left. The Hawks took a pair of 10-point leads in the opening minutes of the third and held a 79-70 edge following a hook shot by Risacher with 5:42 left.
Brooklyn inched closer and trailed 92-91 going into the fourth after Keon Johnson sank an open trey with 4.6 seconds left. Brooklyn scored 10 straight and Keon Johnson hit another 3 for a 109-98 lead with 6:47 remaining.
Young’s floater moved Atlanta within 115-112 with 2:29 left but Claxton dunked and Keon Johnson sliced in for a layup on consecutive trips to extend Brooklyn’s lead to 122-112 with 67 seconds remaining to seal it.
