It took a while, but the Nets eventually decided to care Wednesday night.
After spending the first three quarters of their game against the Magic — one they had to win to have any shot at the playoffs — sleepwalking, the Nets finally woke up in the fourth, going on a 21-6 run to pull ahead and earn a 101-88 victory in front of 17,098 inside Barclays Center.
With the win, the Nets improved to 38-44. They were left to wait and see if the Grizzlies — who were coached by Lionel Hollins for several years before he came to Brooklyn — could beat the Pacers in Memphis and send the Nets to the postseason for a third straight year.