Kawhi Leonard’s short shot went in and out. Fred VanVleet’s 3-pointer went around the rim and spun out.
For 3 ¹/₂ years, the Raptors had always found a way to beat the Nets.
This time, not one, but two chances just wouldn’t fall.
“Just how the game goes sometimes,” Leonard said.
That allowed the Nets to snap an eight-game losing streak overall and a 12-game skid against the Raptors with a 106-105 victory in overtime on Friday night at Barclays Center.
D’Angelo Russell scored 29 points, including six in overtime, and the Nets beat the Raptors for the first time since April 3, 2015.
“Needed that. Really did,” Russell said. “It was tough. We knew what we [had] to do to get it. So now we just got to keep going.”
Jarrett Allen made the go-ahead basket for the Nets with a little more than a minute left, their only basket in overtime not made by Russell.
Leonard scored 32 points for the Raptors, but Toronto couldn’t get a look for him on its final possession and had to settle for VanVleet’s 3-pointer that just missed.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 17 points for the Nets, who regularly fell short during their losing streak — falling five times by single digits, including three two-point losses.
Jonas Valanciunas added 24 points for the Raptors.
The Nets led by seven with under 5 minutes remaining in regulation, before Leonard dished to VanVleet for a 3-pointer and then scored the next six points himself to give Toronto a 96-94 edge with 2:23 to play. But his shot from in the lane rattled out with 7 seconds to play.
“Ball was in and out,” said Leonard, who then blocked Dinwiddie’s shot on the other end to force overtime
Russell had the first two baskets in the extra session, Leonard made the next two, but the Raptors couldn’t get one more shot to fall to take a victory.
The Nets jumped to a 13-2 lead and were ahead 24-20 at the end of Leonard’s 0-for-4 first quarter, but he came back with nine points in the second as Toronto tied it at 53 at halftime.
“I just tried to make it tough for him. He’s a phenomenal player. Last five games he’s been averaging 30, just being aggressive and being himself,” Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said. “Just tried to speed him [up], make him take tough shots, make him turn, make him pick it up, settle for midrange.”
Coach Kenny Atkinson said he had no problem with Jared Dudley’s comments after the Nets blew a 23-point lead and lost to the Thunder on Wednesday, after which the veteran forward criticized the team for its repeated mistakes in crunch time. Atkinson said he respected Dudley’s honesty, adding that at his urging the players held a film session without coaches during their day off so they could attempt to find solutions themselves.