Five takeaways from the Clippers’ 105-100 victory over Brooklyn

The Clippers did something they rarely do, beating the Brooklyn Nets as the visitors Saturday night at Barclays Center with a 105-100 victory. It was the Clippers’ first victory over the Nets on their home court since 2007 and ended a stretch of dominance in which the Nets had won 15 of 16 at home against the Clippers. Here are five takeaways from the game:

1. The Clippers continue to make the most of closing time. That’s three times in their last four close games that the Clippers have pulled it out, having also beaten Orlando and Minnesota while losing to Chicago. The Clippers were mad that they needed to play well late to persevere after being up by 18 points early in the fourth quarter, but Chris Paul and Blake Griffin got it done with a flurry of baskets and the Clippers got the stops they needed. “You look at the last four or five games,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said, “we’ve won a lot of games down the stretch and that’s where we need to get better.”

2. J.J. Redick keeps finding his rhythm amid the injuries. He’s missed a handful of games because of back spasms and a sprained right ankle, depriving him of his usual energy at times, but he’s settled into a nice groove recently. His 21-point performance Saturday came two games after he scored a season-high 31 against Milwaukee. “It’s just flushing it,” Redick said of his ability to bounce back from a poor game like the one he had Thursday against Chicago, when he made two of 11 shots. “That’s the great thing about the NBA. Good game, bad game, it doesn’t matter. There’s always one within 24 to 48 hours, usually. In 82 games, you’re going to have 10 or 12 clunkers, probably. So you just kind of accept that, take your shots. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. But your preparation, your routine, it all stays the same.”

3. The Clippers’ second unit continues to improve. Like his son Austin, Doc Rivers said he wanted the Clippers’ reserves to get stops and run. They succeeded on both counts against the Nets, particularly in the first half. “Again, I just keep going back to that end,” Doc Rivers said of a focus on defense. “I think all the guys came here and they thought, I’m going to join this offensive team. And I think they’re starting to learn the way you’re a good offensive team is by getting stops, so they’re starting to buy into it.”

4. Paul Pierce had a better homecoming than Lance Stephenson. Stephenson walked into Barclays Center wearing what Doc Rivers described as “a big hat” in his return to the city where he was born, but he didn’t have a big showing, going scoreless with two assists and one rebound in 11 minutes. Pierce had one of his better games as a Clipper, collecting 10 points on four-for-six shooting and throwing down a dunk that was wiped out because he elbowed Thaddeus Young. It qualified as a homecoming of sorts for Pierce because he had spent one season with the Nets.

5. The Clippers will try to close their trip with a fourth win in five games. Their game against Detroit on Monday might be the hardest of the trip considering the Pistons have won six of their last seven games at the Palace of Auburn Hills. “We’ve got to focus on Detroit and get this next one,” Griffin said, “because we still have a crazy month left.” Griffin was referring to the Clippers going home for one game next week before embarking on a two-game trip to San Antonio and Houston that will be followed by five of their next six games on the road.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch