G-League call-up Armoni Brooks led a spirited second-half push by Brooklyn’s reserves Wednesday night in Miami. AP Photo by Wilfredo Lee
The Nets took the hardwood in Miami Wednesday night with a roster full of no-names.
The result was a marquee-worthy performance that evened Brooklyn’s record at 2-2.
Armoni Brooks, flown in from the team’s G-League affiliate on Long Island Tuesday, scored 17 points off the bench and so did fellow reserve Lonnie Walker IV, lifting the Nets to a come-from-behind 109-105 victory over the Heat in front of 19,600 fans at the Kaseya Center.
“That’s the best part of basketball, showing up with who you have and staying together as a team and pulling out a victory on the road against a really good team,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said.
Brooklyn was without starters Cam Johnson (calf), Nic Claxton (ankle) and Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle) due to injuries.
Though Mikal Bridges led the way with a team-high 21 points, the Nets found themselves down by as many as 15 in the second half before reeling the struggling Heat (1-4) back in.
Down 75-60 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Brooklyn went on a 38-17 surge spanning the final two periods to take a 98-92 lead on a made free throw by Walker IV.
Jimmy Butler’s dunk drew the Heat back within one a minute later, but Bridges completed a three-point play and fed Dorian Finney-Smith for a layup with 59 ticks left to give the Nets a 103-99 advantage.
Bridges followed with a short jumper and added a pair of free throws down the stretch as Brooklyn improved to 2-1 on its four-game road trip, which ends Friday night in Chicago.
Brooks, who hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season as a member of the Toronto Raptors, looked like a seasoned veteran. He went 6-of-7 from the floor, 5-of-6 at the line and grabbed a…
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