The nightmare is over! The Brooklyn Nets are headed back to the playoffs. Our great grand children will be talking about both the Gerald Wallace and Celtics trades as the two worst trades in league history. The future looked so bleak. Sean Marks deserves remarkable credit for turning things around so quickly, even if he owes an assist to the Leastern Conference.

Before the postseason begins, we should take some time to look back at the 2018-19 season and hand out awards. There were ups and downs. Brooklyn was a streaky team. An 8-18 start culminating in an eight game losing streak was immediately followed by seven straight wins and nine victories in 10 games.

The Nets loved close games, playing in 44 clutch games, the 5th largest amount this year. Brooklyn went 24-20 in those games, with a 0.0 point differential and 1.1 net rating. The Nets’ season wasn’t short on excitement.

Best Game – Triple Overtime vs Cleveland

Right before the All-Star break, Brooklyn escaped Cleveland with a victory in triple overtime. The Nets really played like it was right before the All-Star break as well. They simply didn’t want to be there. They wanted to be on their plane rides to Mexico. It was the last game of the entire schedule prior to the break, and Brooklyn couldn’t slip up against a lottery dweller like the Cavs.

Brooklyn had many wild games, but here is why this one wins. First, it was the only triple overtime game the Nets played (they actually played multiple double overtime games). Second, DeMarre Carroll hit a three at the buzzer of the second overtime to force the third extra frame. Finally, D’Angelo Russell went insane in the third overtime.

Russell scored 24 of his 36 points in the three overtimes periods, going 8/12 from the field, 3/6 from three, and 5/6 from the line. In the third overtime specifically, Russell couldn’t miss, literally. He scored 14 points in the period, going 6/6 from the field and 2/2 from distance.

It was the second best Herculean effort on the year.

Best Herculean Effort – Spencer Dinwiddie

What Russell did was incredible, but what Dinwiddie did in Houston was miraculous.

With 1:09 remaining, P.J. Tucker hit a three-pointer to push the Rockets’ lead to 127-119. At that point, ESPN’s win probability graph gave Houston a 97.2% chance of winning the game. After a few possessions that resulted in 1 point for the Rockets and Brooklyn going a collective 3/4 from the line, the Nets trailed by 6 with 28.2 seconds remaining. Then the Dinwiddie heroics began.

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On the Rockets ensuing possession, Harden drew a foul but missed the second free throw attempt. Coming down the other way Dinwiddie hit a pull up three over Austin Rivers with 21 seconds left to cut the lead to 1. Brooklyn then fouled Tucker with 15 seconds remaining, who miraculously missed both free throws.

The Nets, however, completely blew it as Harden muscled his way through DeMarre Carroll and around Jarrett Allen to snag the offensive rebound. Harden then hit both free throws to push the lead to 3 with 12 seconds left.

With no timeouts, Brooklyn inbounded the ball to Dinwiddie who raced up the court and did this.

Insane.

Fast forward to the end of overtime, and with 28 seconds left Dinwiddie hit a floater through contact.

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The Nets went into Houston and won a game they had no business winning, and it was all beacuse of Dinwiddie.

Best Afro – Jarrett Allen

I mean, come on.

Anyway, here’s Jarrett Allen blocking every NBA superstar in the league this season.

Best Moment – Fans Chanting “PAUL PIERCE SUCKS”

You probably heard Paul Pierce proclaim himself better than Dwayne Wade. You then probably noticed all of NBA Twitter attach Pierce with pitch forks and torches.

Well, Wade played his final game of basketball in Brooklyn. The crowds reaction? Chanting “Paul Pierce Sucks!” as if Pierce never played for the franchise.

But didn’t he play in… never mind ?

?: @BleacherReport
pic.twitter.com/r8sPJDjWSc

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) April 11, 2019

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