PORTLAND _ The Brooklyn Nets did everything in their power to produce yet another of their trademark comebacks in an effort to string together three straight wins on their brutal seven-game road trip. But after falling behind by seven points in the second overtime and creeping back within two in the final minute, they fell just short in a 148-144 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night at Moda Center.
The loss dropped the Nets to seventh in the Eastern Conference and means their magic number to qualify for the playoffs remains at six against both the ninth-place Orlando Magic and 10th-place Charlotte Hornets.
D'Angelo Russell topped the Nets (38-37) with 39 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and they got 22 points from Spencer Dinwiddie and 18 from DeMarre Carroll. Jusuf Nurkic had 32 points, 16 rebounds and five assists for the Blazers (46-27), but he was taken off the court on a stretcher during the second overtime after suffering what appeared to be a serious leg injury. Damien Lillard had 31 points and 12 assists, Seth Curry added 20 points and Rodney Hood added 18.
