TORONTO — The Nets won the game.
Their fans are fretting it’s a pyrrhic victory that will help them lose the war.
Or the lottery.
Brooklyn, now in full-on tank mode, stormed from behind to earn a 101-94 win over Toronto before 19,214 at Scotiabank Arena.
It was sweet Thursday but could sting come June.
The Nets (11-16) came in 3 ½ games behind Toronto in the standings, the same distance behind in the race for the league’s worst record.
But just when it looked like the Nets were destined to lose, they went on a 25-9 fourth-quarter run to snap a three-game skid.
“There was adversity, for many different reasons, but nobody dropped their shoulders, and they kept playing,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “Winning a game like this, it’s important for us.”
Cam Johnson, who had 33 points, 10 boards and a career-high six assists, accounted for 64.5 percent of their offense in the pivotal final period, with 15 points and two assists, creating five points off those dimes.
“Just really trying to win the game is really what it comes down to,” Johnson said. “We didn’t have a good feeling after that Cleveland game, so we wanted to make sure we came out here and got a dub. To get a win like this [is big].”
With Dennis Schroder traded to Golden State, Brooklyn’s offense struggled early.
Cam Thomas missed his eighth straight game with a strained left hamstring and won’t be reevaluated until the weekend.
Minus his offensive punch, the Nets struggled to beat their man off the dribble.
So, Johnson carried them late, with the third-highest scoring night of his career.
Brooklyn trailed, 81-72, after Kelly Olynyk’s free throw with 9:40 to play.
But the squad outscored Toronto, 29-13, the rest of the way.
Johnson’s turnaround gave the Nets an 88-86 edge and capped the run.
His short jumper knotted it at 90-all with 2:24 left.
Then, after a defensive stand, he followed with a tiebreaking 3-pointer.
Johnson’s free throws pushed it to 95-90 with 1:20 left, and they cruised.
Nic Claxton got ejected in the first half for tossing the ball into the stands.
He’d just been intentionally fouled by Olynyk, and may have been vexed over a no-call on his missed attempt on the possession prior.
“I just had a mental lapse, and I just launched the ball in the crowd,” Claxton said after being tossed for the third time in 21 games. “And I can’t let my emotions get to that point. I got to be there for my team.”
His discipline might have been even worse if not for the quick reactions of Brooklyn assistant Juwan Howard, who kept him from throwing what appeared to be a seat cushion following the ejection.
“Yeah, he knows he has to be better, especially this one,” Fernandez said. “You can control your frustrations. That’s no reason to do that. I understand that we all have emotions, but the team needs him. His teammates need him, and he knows it. And that’s why he’s going to come back and work and be better.”
Despite Claxton’s gaffe, Brooklyn handed tanking Toronto a sixth straight loss and earned a pyrrhic victory.
“[After Cleveland], the guys knew that our focus and purpose was not good enough,” Fernandez said. “And then you get into a new game, and those seven 3s in the third quarter, you got to give them credit. [Toronto] took the lead, and nobody freaked out. Everybody stayed the course and got enough stops. So happy that we learn from the game before and we could perform like this in this game.”
Reece Beekman made his Nets debut Thursday night.
The undrafted rookie, who arrived in the Dennis Schroder deal earlier this week, checked in for Dorian Finney-Smith with 3:30 left in the third quarter.
Trendon Watford has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, and his status will be updated in a week.
Ziaire Williams (left knee sprain) has progressed to on-court contact workouts with coaches.
He’s slated to be integrated into team activities within the next week.
