Lopez scores 24, Nets beat Nuggets 116-111
NEW YORK (AP) - The Brooklyn Nets almost picked up another heartbreaking loss Wednesday night. Then Sean Kilpatrick and Bojan Bogdanovic stepped up in the final seconds.
Kilpatrick and Bogdanovic each made two big free throws to help Brooklyn hold off the Denver Nuggets for a 116-111 victory.
"It's a confidence boost for me when I know my teammates are counting on me with the ball in my hands towards the end," Kilpatrick said. "I'm trying to make sure I make the right plays, especially down the stretch."
Brooklyn led by as many as 29 points midway through the third quarter, but Denver closed to 103-99 on Kenneth Faried's layup with 4:31 left.
"Look at the positive, I think we took a punch, two punches, maybe five punches and we got off the floor and finished it out," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Trevor Booker went 1 for 2 at the line with 13 seconds remaining for a 112-109 Nets lead. Jameer Nelson then threw away the inbounds pass after a Denver timeout, and Bogdanovic made two free throws with 12.7 seconds left.
After Wilson Chandler hit a driving layup for Denver, Kilpatrick made two foul shots to help secure the win for the Nets.
"I tried to take advantage every time I saw a crease in the defense," said Kilpatrick, who finished with 22 points.
Brooklyn had dropped three in a row and 10 of 11. Brook Lopez scored 24 points, Bogdanovich finished with 19 on 8-for-11 shooting, and Booker had 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Chandler led the Nuggets with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Will Barton had 15 points, and Nelson and Nikola Jokic each scored 14.
"It's hard to look back at this game because when you play like that and come back, you just think about all the mistakes you made and the stuff you did to get down at that point," Chandler said.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Jokic also had 11 rebounds. ... Denver was trying to win consecutive games for only the second time this season. The Nuggets beat the 76ers in Philadelphia on Monday.
Nets: Isaiah Whitehead scored a career-high 14 points. ... The Nets have won six straight games against the Nuggets for their longest current streak against any opponent.
ON THE OTHER SIDE
Kilpatrick played eight games during two 10-day contracts with the Nuggets last year.
"I'm a huge fan," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "Sean has proven to me time and time again that he will take any opportunity given to him."
BOOKER'S SHOW
Booker posted his ninth double-double of the season. His previous career high was five, which he accomplished with the Washington Wizards in 2010-11 and 2013-14.
LeVERT DEBUTS
Caris LeVert, the Nets' first-round pick in this year's draft, made his season debut. He was 0 for 3 from the field, but finished with four rebounds and three steals in nine minutes. He had not played due to a left foot injury suffered in his senior season at Michigan.
"It's been so long since I played in an actual game," LeVert said. "It was a blessing to get back out there."
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Visit Washington on Thursday. The Nuggets swept the two-game season series in 2015-16.
Nets: Visit Sacramento on Friday, beginning a stretch of five out of six road games for Brooklyn. The teams will meet again in Brooklyn on Jan. 23.