The Nets were coping with a third loss in four games, facing the aftermath of another squandered home contest with another 118 points allowed, when they learned what their next opponent had done.
While the Nets were losing Wednesday night to the previously winless Pacers, the Rockets were on the right side of a 159-158 shootout against the Wizards, which marked the third-highest scoring regulation game in NBA history.
“I thought it was an overtime score,” Nets guard Caris Levert said. “[But] I wasn’t really surprised.”
Sticker shock rarely exists regarding a team, such as the Rockets, that features a pair of former MVPs — James Harden and Russell Westbrook — who have combined to lead the league in scoring four of the past five seasons.