Brooklyn Nets v Denver Nuggets
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Caris LeVert drops a pretty floater late to help the Brooklyn Nets dispatch Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

The Brooklyn Nets may have found a diamond in the rough with Caris LeVert. He handed the Denver Nuggets the first home loss of the season while simultaneously announcing Brooklyn’s presence to the rest of the league.

The Nets have a few guys they can turn to for a big shot late, but Caris LeVert seems to be the guy Kenny Atkinson wants with the ball in his hands. Nikola Jokic committed a costly turnover late to give the Nets the ball with 22 seconds and a tie ball game. That’s all LeVert needed to seal the deal.

Prior to LeVert’s heroics, Spencer Dinwiddie was the guy who took the big shot. The Brooklyn point guard took the ball with three seconds left to play in the third quarter and launched a half-court heave to send the Nets bench into hysterics.

Many NBA players refuse to take that last second shot for fear of hurting their shooting average, but Dinwiddie chucks it up all the same. The Nets are thrilled that he wasn’t calculating his shooting percentage in his head because they needed those precious three points.

The Nets and Nuggets traded buckets throughout the fourth quarter. Just when it looked like one team was about to wrest control away, someone came up with a big play. On one particular play, Joe Harris reminded everyone that he can do more than shoot threes. He battles for a big offensive rebound and finishes the old-fashioned three-point play.

The fourth quarter was bogged down by the referees calling far too many fouls. Every little bit of contact warranted a whistle. But despite some poor free throw shooting, the Nets were able to overcome Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.

LeVert was the hero of the night for Brooklyn and he finished the night with 17 points and five assists. But no one player stood out for the Nets tonight and that’s meant as a compliment. They got contributions from everywhere. D’Angelo Russell finished with 23 points and five assists. Joe Harris turned in a typical night where he kept the defense stretched with his gravity. He was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, but the Nuggets gave him a lot of attention after the Nets started the game going 6-for-9 from deep.

Nikola Jokic was almost unstoppable on Friday. He finished the night with 34 points on 22 shots to go along with a ridiculous 21 rebounds. But at the end of the night, Jarrett Allen got the better of Jokic. Allen was outplayed by Jokic for a majority of the game, but he went toe-to-toe with one of the best centers in the game. Allen finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks. He made his presence known.

The Nets secured their third straight win and they’re starting to look like a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. After smacking the Philadelphia 76ers at home and pounding the Suns in Phoenix, they claimed a victory under much more tense circumstances. Friday night, the Nets looked like a good team that is starting to learn how to win.

NY/NJ hoops reporter (NBA/NCAA) & sports betting writer for XL Media. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.