D’Angelo Russell Had 27 In The Fourth As The Nets Came Back From 28 Down To Beat The Kings

The Brooklyn Nets are fighting for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, which means every game is important until they clinch a top-8 spot.

On Wednesday in Sacramento, it appeared one opportunity would surely slip by to get a win as they trailed by 25 entering the fourth quarter against the Kings. Sacramento led by eight at the half and then opened the third quarter on a 20-0 run to take full control of the game, as Brooklyn appeared lost.

However, D’Angelo Russell exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter as he posted a career-high 44 as the Nets came back with a 45-18 fourth quarter to win 123-121 in one of the most improbable comebacks of this season.

On the final possession, with the game tied at 121, De’Aaron Fox did a great job to deny Russell the ball, forcing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to take it to the rim for a game-winning attempt, which he somehow hit on a circus layup with 0.8 seconds to play.

Russell finished the game with 44 points and 12 assists, as he continues to prove himself as a first time All-Star this season, and as a player that can lift a team to wins in the midst of a playoff push. Hollis-Jefferson had 14 off the bench, as the Nets spoiled a spectacular effort from Marvin Bagley III (28 points, 7 rebounds) and Fox (27 points, 9 assists) to pull one step closer to being locked into the playoffs.

They’re now three games up on the Magic in the ninth spot, and 1.5 games ahead of Miami for eighth in the East with the win. If they can simply post a .500 record (going 4-5 in the final nine games) that would all but assure them a playoff berth. They’ll obviously want to do better than that, and as Russell showed on Wednesday, his will and skill can deliver even in the most improbable of circumstances.