Porter Jr. Saves the Day as Nets Survive Late Collapse to Edge Bulls 112-109

For the vast majority of Friday night at the Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets looked like a team ready to comfortably put a frustrating stretch of basketball behind them. They had built a commanding lead, the offense was clicking, and the vibes were high.

Then, in a flash, comfort turned into chaos.

A 20-point fourth-quarter cushion evaporated, leaving the Brooklyn crowd in a stunned silence as the Chicago Bulls clawed their way all the way back to take a one-point lead with just seconds remaining. It looked for a moment like the Nets were destined for a heartbreak that would extend their losing streak to six.

But Michael Porter Jr. had other plans. With the game on the line, Porter Jr. converted a tough go-ahead layup with 5.4 seconds on the clock, rescuing a 112-109 victory for Brooklyn. It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but for a team desperate to get back in the win column, they will take it however it comes.

Porter Jr. Delivers When the Nets Need It Most

When the Bulls took a 109-108 lead on a Tre Jones layup with 11.4 seconds left, the air went out of the arena. The Nets had dominated the first half, leading by as many as 17 at the break thanks to a blistering 15-0 run in the second quarter. To lose after leading by 20 in the final frame would have been demoralizing.

Brooklyn didn’t call a timeout to panic; they ran a play. They got the ball to Porter Jr. near the basket, trusting the veteran scorer to make a play. He didn’t disappoint, finishing through contact to put the Nets back on top. Porter Jr. finished the night with a team-high 26 points, anchoring the offense when things got shaky.

The drama wasn’t over after the bucket, though. On the ensuing Chicago possession, rookie Drake Powell came up with arguably the defensive play of the game, stealing the inbound pass from the sideline. That led to two clutch free throws from Noah Clowney, extending the lead to three. When Nikola Vucevic’s rushed 3-pointer at the buzzer clanked off the iron, the Nets could finally exhale.

Surviving the Collapse: How the Nets Held On

While the ending was triumphant, the path there gave Head Coach Jordi Fernandez plenty to stress about. The Nets opened the fourth quarter with a bang—a Cam Thomas 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 92-72. At that moment, the game felt over.

But in the NBA, 20 points is never a guarantee. The Bulls, led by Vucevic (19 points) and Ayo Dosunmu (18 points), refused to roll over. They ripped off 11 straight points to cut the deficit to single digits, shifting the momentum entirely. Even when Thomas hit another triple to momentarily stem the tide, Chicago kept coming.

The Nets’ offense stagnated, the ball stopped moving, and the defensive rotations that had been crisp in the first half started to lag. With under a minute left, Brooklyn still held a six-point lead, but a furious 7-0 Bulls run, capped by the Jones layup, put the home team on the brink of disaster.

Coach Fernandez, while relieved by the result, knows his team flirted with danger. He noted after the game that he felt the Nets could have swept their recent road trip, emphasizing that closing games has been an issue. Friday night proved that while they can build leads, protecting them is the next step in this team’s maturation.

Young Talent Shines Bright in Brooklyn

Lost in the madness of the final seconds was a stellar performance from the Nets’ young core. Noah Clowney was a force in the paint, recording a massive double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. His energy was infectious, particularly in the second quarter, where he converted two three-point plays during a personal 7-0 run that helped blow the game open initially.

Day’Ron Sharpe added muscle inside with 14 points, and rookie Danny Wolf chipped in 13, showing that the Nets have depth pieces developing nicely. The contributions from the bench were vital on a night where the starters needed every ounce of help to cross the finish line.

Looking Ahead: A Rematch in the Windy City

This win snaps a five-game losing streak for the Nets, a skid that was threatening to derail their season momentum. Getting back in the win column was priority number one, regardless of how stressful the process was.

Now, the scene shifts. These two teams don’t have to wait long to see each other again, as the series moves to Chicago for a rematch on Sunday. The Bulls will be seething after letting a massive comeback slip through their fingers, while the Nets will look to prove they can beat Chicago without the heart-stopping drama.

For tonight, though, Brooklyn sleeps easily. They bent, they nearly broke, but they didn’t fold.