NBA

Johnson closer for Brooklyn

— Brooklyn figured out how to win without its most versatile offensive player Monday night.

Get the ball to Brook Lopez early and often, keep Reggie Evans active on the glass and put the ball in Joe Johnson’s hands with the game on the line.

It may need to keep that formula a while longer.

Lopez scored 25 points, Evans grabbed 22 rebounds and Johnson (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) tied the score with a 10-foot bank shot to force overtime before closing it out with four consecutive free throws to give the Nets an 89-84 victory over the Indiana Pacers - their first in six tries at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

For the Nets, this was vindication.

“We wanted to come out tonight and make a statement,” Johnson said after finishing with 17 points. “We were just being very resilient. Guys were coming up big and making plays.”

The Nets came into Monday night with three losses in four games, including a 111-86 blowout at home Sunday. They had lost five consecutive in Indianapolis, one of the best home teams in the league this season, and had been struggling badly to score, too. Plus, they were missing guard Deron Williams, who was diagnosed with synovitis, an inflammation of the ankle joint linings. He received platelet rich plasma treatment on both ankles and isn’t expected to return to the floor until after the All-Star break.

But without Williams, the Nets stayed focused.

They had only 11 turnovers, forced the normally proficient Pacers to shoot just 34.4 percent, limited All-Star forward Paul George to five points on 1-of-10 shooting, and rallied late in regulation in a game that looked all but lost. Then, in overtime, the Nets refused to let this one slip away.

Sports, Pages 22 on 02/12/2013

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