Nets clinch No. 2 seed and make NBA play of the year in regular season finale

For the dynastic Miami Heat of the early 2010s, it was the full-court passes from Dwyane Wade to LeBron James.

For the even more dominant Golden State Warriors, it was Stephen Curry’s half-court pull-up threes.

And for the championship hopeful Brooklyn Nets, jaw-dropping dominance was on display in a single sequence during the Nets’ Sunday 123-109 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The win clinched the East’s No. 2 seed, setting up a first-round matchup with the winner of the Celtics-Wizards play-in game.

But all anyone will remember from this game was a play that could earn ESPY honors for Play of the Year. Several Nets stars tag-teamed for a sequence only the Harlem Globetrotters could recreate.

The Cavs lost control of the ball, and Blake Griffin recovered it. He then threw a spinning behind-the-back pass up the floor to Kyrie Irving, who touch-passed it to guard Mike James.

James then made the decision of a lifetime, throwing an alley-oop lob pass off the backboard to Kevin Durant, who finished the play with a two-handed stuff.

If it sounds like something out of a video game, that’s because it was.

Nets fans in attendance got their money’s worth on Sunday night. The moment encapsulated everything Brooklyn basketball has the potential to be this season: Star players creating highlight moments.

James Harden did not play against the Cavaliers. The Nets chose to rest him instead of playing in the second game of a back-to-back after logging minutes against the Bulls on Saturday. Harden sat baseline, drinking a purplish-pink smoothie the size of a large iced tea from the local takeout spot. Given the Nets’ performance against a Cavaliers team at the bottom of the standings, it’s understandable why the Nets felt they didn’t need him.

Brooklyn came out the gate swinging and took a 23-8 lead in the opening minutes. It was another sharp performance from Irving, who clinched a spot in the 50-40-90 club after hitting three straight threes for his 17 points on the night.

Durant bounced back from a cold night with 23 points and 13 assists, only missing two of his 10 shot attempts. Landry Shamet got hot and hit four threes in place of Joe Harris, who missed Sunday with a glute strain, and the Nets bench combined to score 50 points. Mike James, Jeff Green and Tyler Johnson combined for 37 of those points.

James played big minutes in Harden’s place, but soon The Beard will return and be available for the duration of the Nets’ playoff run. Provided everyone stays healthy, there should be more highlight-reel moments looming in the near future.