The Portland Trail Blazers fought until the bitter end, falling short at the final buzzer against the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 109-107 in front of their home crowd at Moda Center on Thursday night. Royce O’Neale’s tip-in with less than a second remaining proved to be the final dagger in an epic clash between a pair of teams who have had distinctly different starts to the young season.
The Nets, mired in drama and playing without star Kyrie Irving due to suspension, were led by the 35 points of Kevin Durant. Coming off of a 153-121 drubbing at the hands of the Sacramento Kings just two nights prior, they played like a team with something to prove, and overcame an 11-point Blazers lead in the third quarter to finish strong.