To end a three-game losing run, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Miami Heat 112-97 on Saturday night. Mikal Bridges scored 24 points, Cam Johnson contributed 19 points, and 10 rebounds.

All five of Brooklyn’s starters scored in double figures: Dorian Finney-Smith (16 points), Nic Claxton (13 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (14 points and 11 assists).

Among the three teams the Nets limited to fewer than 100 points this season, Miami was the third. The Nets dished up 17 inbound passes to the Heat.

Despite setbacks, coach Jacque Vaughn praised his team’s perseverance. “It’s a change of pace, incorporating new positions for our players and implementing strategic risks at key points in the game and with possessions.”

The Heat rested Jimmy Butler and Bam Abedayo the night before this game, and youngster Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 18 points and 22 points off the bench. The previous before, they had lost by 21 points to New York at Madison Square Garden.

“I simply didn’t believe we could secure defensive stops,” Jaquez stated. “They were shooting at us like lasers, and we just couldn’t figure out how to slow them down or put together enough stops to give us a good run.”

Duncan Robinson, who has missed the last two games in a row with a strained right thumb, was also out for Miami. After that, the Heat lost Haywood Highsmith in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter after he took a tumble to the floor after trying to thwart Dinwiddie’s layup attempt.

“A feeling of competition was undeniably present. The players fought hard at some points, and coach Erik Spoelstra praised their effort. However, at other points, they were unable to continue. “We were doing everything in our power to keep it within striking distance, and the game was pretty ugly.”

The Heat’s five-game road journey came to an end with a loss at Barclays Center; they had previously gone 4-0.

As Devin Booker, a former Phoenix All-Star, watched from the sidelines, Bridges and Johnson guided the Nets’ offense, which shot 50% overall and 39% from beyond the arc.

In the first quarter, Johnson scored twelve points.

“I was attempting to maintain aggressive postures and be in the correct places,” he stated. “It seems like today the focus was on making a bold statement right from the start and giving them a tough fight.”

The Nets took a 63-53 edge into halftime thanks to 10 first-half 3-pointers. In the first seconds of the second half, Jaquez reduced the margin to eight points. However, with 9:34 remaining in the third quarter, the Nets’ lead was increased to 69-55 thanks to six baskets scored by Claxton.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Nets held a 16-point lead. With less than three minutes remaining in regulation, Johnson made it 111-90 with a free throw, expanding the Nets’ lead to 21 points.