BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- They played well, but it wasn’t enough against the second-best team in the West.
Down 10 in the second quarter, the Nets finished the half down two. They fought their way back and even took a four-point lead in the third quarter, but the Rockets finished out the quarter on a 12-2 run and took a double-digit lead.
They never looked back from there, although the Nets brought it within six with under a little over a minute remaining. Then, James Harden put the dagger home with 33 seconds to go up 10.