Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie rose to the fourth-quarter challenge Tuesday night in Downtown Brooklyn. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II
Spencer Dinwiddie shot the Nets right back into serious contention for a berth in the NBA Cup’s knockout rounds.
Having split its first two road contests in the league’s newly created In-Season Tournament, Brooklyn was desperate to climb back above .500 and remain in the hunt for the top spot in Eastern Conference Group C Tuesday night at Downtown’s Barclays Center.
Dinwiddie answered the call when it mattered most, scoring 12 of his season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter by nailing every shot he took as the Nets rallied for a 124-104 rout of the Orlando Magic in front of 17,361 satisfied customers on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.
Deadlocked at 84-84 with just under a minute left in the third quarter, Brooklyn (6-1, 2-1 NBA Cup) went on a 19-5 burst highlighted by Dinwiddie’s pinpoint accuracy.
The 6-foot-5 guard, always a fan favorite and enjoying his second stint here after arriving back in Brooklyn in the deal that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas in February, buried a 25-footer to give the Nets a 100-89 cushion with 8:13 left in the fourth quarter.
Dinwiddie converted a three-point play, drilled another 3-pointer and capped his perfect period with a 24-footer that stretched the advantage to 116-97.
“Just playing some pick-and-roll and getting some mismatches,” said Dinwiddie, who finished 10-of-18 from the floor, 5-of-10 from 3-point range and 4-of-6 at the line while handing out nine assists.
“I was fortunate enough to hit some shots,” he added modestly.
The Nets, who won their third in a row at Barclays after losing their first three home games, went on a 37-16 run spanning the final two quarters against the Magic (5-5, 0-1), who fell flat…
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