The relief was evident from the Brooklyn Nets shortly after they earned a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday to stop their second five-game losing streak in less than a month.
After making enough plays down the stretch to avoid blowing a 32-point lead, the Nets will target consecutive victories Sunday afternoon when they host the struggling Portland Trail Blazers.
Since getting to 13-10 on the season with a 116-112 victory at Phoenix on Dec. 13, the Nets are 3-10. Seven of those losses were by double digits and Brooklyn’s only wins in that span came in a sweep of a home-and-home set with the Detroit Pistons by a combined 17 points.
After going winless on a four-game road trip, the Nets returned home for the first of two games before heading to Paris to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday and earned a 124-115 win over the Thunder Friday.
Brooklyn led for the final 41-plus minutes, went up by 28 during a 75-point opening half and went up by 32 early in the third quarter.
Getting the elusive win saw Spencer Dinwiddie and Nic Claxton score 23 points apiece to lead five players in double figures. Cam Thomas added 19 points, Mikal Bridges contributed 17 and Smith had 13 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Brooklyn also showed some improved defense. After allowing their previous five opponents to shoot a combined 45.5 percent (91-of-200), Brooklyn held one of the best teams in the Western Conference to 9-of-31 (29.0 percent) from 3-point range.
Portland is 0-3 to start a seven-game road trip, extending its road losing streak to seven games. The first three losses of Portland’s road skid were competitive as they fell by a combined 14 points, but the past four are by a combined 106 points.
The latest loss occurred Friday when Portland was outscored 77-50 in the second half of a 139-103 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It was the second consecutive defeat at Dallas and the first was similar when Portland was outscored 78-47 in the first half of a 126-97 loss.
The two games in Dallas marked the 13th time the Trail Blazers allowed at least 120 points. They are 1-12 in those games. Portland also allowed 58.3-percent shooting Friday and 17 made baskets from 3-point range.
Jerami Grant scored 18 but Anfernee Simons was held to a season-low six points and shot 6 of 24 in his past two games after missing three contests with an illness.
The Nets swept the season series last year by getting a two-point win at Portland on Nov. 17 and a 14-point home win on Nov. 27.
